Custard

This coffee custard has such a rich taste and silky texture it's hard to believe that it's low fat. Instead of whole eggs and cream, egg substitute and nonfat evaporated milk add richness and substance to the custard. For a strong coffee flavor, use instant espresso. A touch of vanilla and almond extract bring out the flavor of the coffee. Try crushing a few coffee beans very fine and sprinkling them over the top for crunch. Deane is director of The Times Test Kitchen.

Roaming through southern France one summer, I tasted many regional desserts. But the most memorable, and the one I have repeated in my kitchen many times, is a custard-filled pancake called clafouti. French-cooking friends showed me how to arrange the fruit--anything from ripe cherries to a berry mixture to pears or apples--in a large pie plate, then add the light custard. Each cook has his or her own recipe for this custard, a mixture of sweetener, eggs, milk, flour and spices.

If you're trying to cut fat and calories, a custard is about the last thing you're going to reach for. This one is different. It's a flan with the golden caramel sauce and creamy smooth texture you'd expect. But instead of making it with the usual amount of sugar, eggs and cream, I've lightened this classic dessert by using nonfat milk, nonfat half-and-half and nonfat egg substitute. I know, it sounds like a recipe for disappointment. But trust me, this flan feels and tastes rich.

When we think of custards, the first things that come to mind are sweets--creme bru^lee, creme caramel and other dessert puddings. But push it in the opposite direction with savory flavors, and you've freed the custard for countless unusual and exciting preparations. Whether it's sweet or savory, a well-made custard is almost universally appealing because it combines two emotional responses that rarely come together in a single bite: childhood comfort and adult luxury.

This custard is made with nonfat milk and nonfat egg substitute to keep it light. But it still is full-flavored, thanks to vanilla bean and Chinese five-spice powder. Five-spice powder is a blend of five spices, usually cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. It's available in Asian markets and well-stocked supermarkets. If you can't find it, make your own using equal amounts of each spice.

The name is French, but the recipe's origin is British. Creme brulee , also known as burnt cream, is a rich custard topped with a layer of crisp caramel. It is said to have first been served at Trinity College, Cambridge. As is true of many classics, variations of the recipe abound. There are also at least three methods for caramelizing the sugar topping. This process needs to be done quickly so the custard beneath remains cold and creamy.

Long banned from most hotels, hospitals and commercial airliners in Southeast Asia, the redoubtable durian is now barred from Singapore's new subway, the Mass Rapid Transport system. The fabled, smelly fruit is back in season and signs at each subway station warn: "No durians are allowed on the MRT." Eating and drinking on trains has been a no-no since the subway opened in November, but shoppers were allowed to carry food.

"Cowardy Custard," at Long Beach's Studio Theatre, is new to the West Coast. But it may look familiar to anyone who caught "Oh Coward!" in one of its local incarnations. These collections of songs, brief sketches and other reflections from the pen of Sir Noel Coward are much like each other. "Cowardly" begins with a rush of truncated solos, none of which has time to make much of an impression. But the show catches its breath as the first half goes on.

DEAR SOS: Recently, someone requested a recipe from a Grape-Nuts package. I am enclosing one from an old cereal box my grandmother saved. My grandmother made this often and we like it very much. I don't know how old it is, but my grandmother would be 123 if she were alive. --S.G. DEAR S.G.: The Grape-Nuts pudding, which is cake-like on top and custard-like underneath, probably has its roots in an old classic going back to the early days in America.

Not all research and development work in San Diego County is being done in science labs along the coast: The back hills of North County have become a laboratory for growing exotic fruits that have attracted interest from growers around the world. A number of exotic fruit orchards, originally planted as experiments, have gradually been transformed into successful commercial enterprises.