Brown Sugar

Dear SOS: I was recently in Atlanta visiting a friend. She took me to Highland Bakery, where I had the most delicious sweet potato pancakes. Can you please try to get the recipe? Thank you so much. Stacy Wawerchak Redondo Beach Dear Stacy: Fresh off the griddle, these warm and tempting sweet potato pancakes are lightly spiced and deliciously aromatic. You could top them with maple syrup, but they're best drizzled with Highland Bakery's rich praline-like brown sugar butter sauce.

Dear SOS: I was recently in Atlanta visiting a friend. She took me to Highland Bakery, where I had the most delicious sweet potato pancakes. Can you please try to get the recipe? Thank you so much. Stacy Wawerchak Redondo Beach Dear Stacy: Fresh off the griddle, these warm and tempting sweet potato pancakes are lightly spiced and deliciously aromatic. You could top them with maple syrup, but they're best drizzled with Highland Bakery's rich praline-like brown sugar butter sauce.

I've only had rice pudding in college dining halls 10-plus years ago and was never a fan. But last night I had the rice pudding at Lazy Ox Canteen; I think my knees went weak. Could you help me get this recipe? I have been thinking about it for 12 hours straight. Elizabeth Kim Los Angeles I'm not a big dessert person, but I recently tasted a heavenly dessert at a fairly new restaurant in L.A. called Lazy Ox Canteen. It was their only dessert at lunch, and it was some type of a rice pudding.

Children and teens are consuming too much added sugar in their diets, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one in every six calories they eat and drink comes from some type of added sugar. This finding isn't exactly surprising, but it's worth looking at some of the statistics to appreciate the magnitude of the problem. The data here is on U.S. kids between the ages of 2 and 19, culled from the government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: * Boys consumed an average 361 calories' worth of added sugar each day. For girls, the daily average was 282. * Though the total amount of added sugar in the diet was higher for boys than for girls, the proportion of total calories that came from added sugar was similar - 16.3% for boys and 15.5% for girls.

Children and teens are consuming too much added sugar in their diets, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one in every six calories they eat and drink comes from some type of added sugar. This finding isn't exactly surprising, but it's worth looking at some of the statistics to appreciate the magnitude of the problem. The data here is on U.S. kids between the ages of 2 and 19, culled from the government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: * Boys consumed an average 361 calories' worth of added sugar each day. For girls, the daily average was 282. * Though the total amount of added sugar in the diet was higher for boys than for girls, the proportion of total calories that came from added sugar was similar - 16.3% for boys and 15.5% for girls.

Question: Is it possible to transform granulated white sugar into brown sugar? Answer: To make the equivalent of one-half cup of brown sugar, blend one-half cup granulated white sugar and two tablespoons unsulfured molasses. It is preferable to make the mixture as needed. If the brown sugar is to be combined with other ingredients, it's not necessary to pre-blend the granulated sugar and molasses. Q: Can you tell me how much salt there is in one stick of butter?

Rick Famuyiwa's "Brown Sugar" is a sly and sophisticated romantic comedy with a depth of characterization matched by its appreciation of the world of hip-hop. It's a mainstream movie in the best sense: an all-too-infrequent big-screen depiction of successful, affluent African Americans facing complex personal and professional choices. Pictures like "Barbershop" and "Brown Sugar" provide crucial balance to urban action dramas.

Jaggery. Piloncillo. Muscovado. Names for new punk rock bands? Guess again. They're all sugar, made from either the juice of a grassy cane or tree sap. With the rise of interest in ethnic cuisines, the curious seeker of new ingredients need look no further than this most common of staples to find a world of subtle differences.

"This is ridiculous!" Michael Beardon, who has worked as Madonna's musical director, expresses his astonishment aloud as he watches the excitement build in the hours before show time at the Supper Club, a hot spot just half a block from the dazzle of Times Square. As a 15-year industry veteran, Beardon, 31, has seen his share of mob scenes, but he repeats his amazement over what is unfolding as recording artist D'Angelo makes his New York City club debut.

  Dear SOS: I absolutely love the butterscotch brownie at Clementine in Los Angeles . It's chewy and full of brown-sugary goodness — the perfect afternoon treat or sweet for a picnic. I'd love to be able to make it at home. Would you be able to find the recipe for me? Mindy Nyby Los Angeles Dear Mindy: Tender, rich and temptingly sweet, Clementine's butterscotch brownies balance that brown-sugary goodness with a nice hint of salt to make this the perfect treat for almost any occasion.

  "To me, this is one of the best burgers ever because it showcases the essence of American food and culture. The gorgeous red ripeness of a grapefruit-sized hot house tomato. White onions born from our fields. Under it, a sheet of artisan Point Reyes Blue Cheese. What pulls it all together? My sweet and smoky Blueberry Chipotle BBQ sauce!" --Brooks Walker, who writes the food blog Cakewalker , from Folsom, CA Red, white and blueberry burger Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try this or any other recipe from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen, we would like to know about it so we can showcase it on our food blog and occasionally in print.

  Dear SOS: I absolutely love the butterscotch brownie at Clementine in Los Angeles . It's chewy and full of brown-sugary goodness — the perfect afternoon treat or sweet for a picnic. I'd love to be able to make it at home. Would you be able to find the recipe for me? Mindy Nyby Los Angeles Dear Mindy: Tender, rich and temptingly sweet, Clementine's butterscotch brownies balance that brown-sugary goodness with a nice hint of salt to make this the perfect treat for almost any occasion.

  Dear SOS: Earlier this year my wife and I had the best Tuscan tomato soup at Bewley's on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland. It was thick, well-seasoned and simply delicious. We both loved it, and we have tried without success to duplicate it. Do you think you could possibly get the recipe? John R. Browning Los Angeles Dear John: Bewley's soup is a hearty blend of flavors. It's based on a rich and velvety purée that includes slow-simmered leek, onion and potato brightened with tomato and playful notes of oregano and basil.

  Dear SOS: The Westside Tavern in West L.A. (inside the Westside Pavilion) has the most delectable, amazing dessert on its menu: warm sticky toffee cake. It's delicious, and I would love to make it at home. Is it possible for you to get the restaurant to divulge its recipe? Lurline Kawano Culver City Dear Lurline: Westside Tavern was happy to share its recipe for this rich dessert, which we've adapted here. Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, we want photographic evidence: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish.

  Dear SOS: San Diego's best bakery, Bread & Cie, makes a fab bar called a paradise bar. Chewy, caramely, what I would want for my last dessert. Please get the recipe for me! Tim Cashen San Diego Dear Tim: Bread & Cie was happy to provide the recipe for its paradise bar, which combine pecans and coconut in a sweet topping that is baked over a rich shortbread-like crust. They're sure to brighten any day, no matter where you are. Paradise bars Total time: About 1 1/2 hours Servings: 12 to 16 Note: Adapted from Bread & Cie Crust 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)

The iconic upside-down cake of the American imagination is a golden sponge gilded with a slick of caramel, a corona of sweetened pineapple rings and incandescent maraschino cherries. Yet as sunshiny as it may seem, it hardly qualifies as a seasonal treat since, in traditional recipes, anyway, its crowning glory comes straight from an aluminum can. So what's an upside-down cake fiend to do in high summer, when market stalls burst with succulent plums, tart cherries, perfumed peaches and plump apricots, and it feels downright criminal not to capitalize on such bounty?

  Dear SOS: The Westside Tavern in West L.A. (inside the Westside Pavilion) has the most delectable, amazing dessert on its menu: warm sticky toffee cake. It's delicious, and I would love to make it at home. Is it possible for you to get the restaurant to divulge its recipe? Lurline Kawano Culver City Dear Lurline: Westside Tavern was happy to share its recipe for this rich dessert, which we've adapted here. Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, we want photographic evidence: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish.

  My husband and I really enjoy Mountain Restaurant, which we find to be one of Southern California's hidden jewels. Among their delicious offerings is a walnut praline shortbread cookie. Can you get us the recipe? John and Ginny Robinson San Diego Dear John and Ginny: Mountain Restaurant was happy to share its recipe, which we've adapted below. It combines rich, crumbly walnut shortbread with a sweet honeyed praline and chopped walnuts. The recipe makes about three dozen cookies, which is a good thing because it's hard to eat just one. Mountain Restaurant's walnut praline shortbread Total time: 35 minutes, plus chilling Servings: About 3 dozen cookies Note: Adapted from Mountain Restaurant in Idyllwild.

I've only had rice pudding in college dining halls 10-plus years ago and was never a fan. But last night I had the rice pudding at Lazy Ox Canteen; I think my knees went weak. Could you help me get this recipe? I have been thinking about it for 12 hours straight. Elizabeth Kim Los Angeles I'm not a big dessert person, but I recently tasted a heavenly dessert at a fairly new restaurant in L.A. called Lazy Ox Canteen. It was their only dessert at lunch, and it was some type of a rice pudding.