Sugar

As the palette of artificial sweeteners has grown and manufacturers have honed the skill with which they blend them to mimic sugar taste, debate has swirled around whether these sensory stand-ins really help people consume fewer calories and avoid weight gain. New research adds another dimension to the uncertainty: It suggests that even when artificial sweeteners fool the taste buds, they still don't fool the ultimate arbiter of our appetites -- our subconscious brains. The latest evidence for this comes from a brain scanning study performed in the Netherlands.

The price of sugar on world markets has soared this year, prompting a coalition of the nation's largest food manufacturers to warn of a pending shortage and to ask the Agriculture Department to ease quotas on imports. But although prices have risen domestically and abroad, analysts say fears of empty supermarket shelves are overblown and that the gloomy outlook of big food companies is really part of a larger effort to pressure the government into dismantling sugar trade barriers.

Good news:  Americans are cutting back on the amount of added sugar they're eating, according to new research  -- from about 3.5 ounces a day in 2000 (25 teaspoons, or 375 calories) to 2.7 ounces a day in 2008 (19 teaspoons, or 285 calories). The term “added sugars” was promoted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people make the distinction between sweetened foods with low nutritional contents - items like soft drinks and candy bars - and naturally sweet foods such as fruits and some vegetables.

The food and beverage industry has made some major moves in recent days in the struggle over super-sweet products. Major cereal-makers Nestle and General Mills pledged to cut sugar and salt content in children's breakfast cereals abroad, while soda and restaurant trade groups sued to stop a New York City ban on sales of large sugary drinks. On Monday, Nestle and General Mills said that by 2015 , they will cut sugar content in 20 popular breakfast cereals by up to 30%. The two companies have a joint venture known as Cereal Partners Worldwide, which sells brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Nesquik outside North America.

Wild rice sticky puddings with brown sugar and bourbon Total time: About 1 hour Servings: 6 1/2 pound dried figs, chopped finely 1/2 cup bourbon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter, plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided 1 egg 1 cup light brown sugar, divided, sifted after measuring to remove any lumps 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup cooked wild rice, cooled and roughly chopped 1/4 cup heavy cream 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Move over salt. Step aside, saturated fat. There's a new public enemy in the pantry, and it's … sugar. In a provocative commentary coming out in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature, Dr. Robert Lustig  and two colleagues from UC San Francisco argue that the added sugars in processed foods and drinks are responsible for so many cases of chronic disease and premature deaths that their use ought to be regulated, just like alcohol and...

Before you pour your child a heapin' bowl of sugary cereal, read this: The Environmental Working Group has just come out with its list of the 10 worst children's cereals. Your child's favorite might be on it. At No. 1 is Kellogg's Honey Smacks, coming in at 55.6% sugar by weight, followed by Post Golden Crisp at 51.9% and Kellogg's Froot Loops Marshmallow at 48.3%. The list also includes, in descending order of sugar, Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch OOPS! All Berries (yes, that's really the name)

Caramel crème brûlée at the restaurant at Cavallo Point! It is to die for, with smooth caramel brûlée and whipped cream. Would love the recipe. Angela King Pasadena Dear Angela: We loved the rich, deep caramel undertones to this crème brûlée. The restaurant serves it with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce. Enjoy! Caramel crème brûlée Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time Servings : 8 Note: Adapted from Cavallo Point Lodge near Sausalito, Calif.

Having been raised buying cachapas from vendors on the street and at the beach in Venezuela, I was excited to see your article on them ("The Eternal Cachapa," Sept. 29). As a teenager, I liked cachapas so much that I experimented in the kitchen until I'd figured out how to make them (as a gringo, I had no family recipe to refer to). When I came to live permanently in the States, I tried to make cachapas the same way I had in Venezuela (i.e., fresh corn ground in a blender plus a little milk, sugar and salt to taste)

  Butterscotch pot de crème Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time Servings: 10 Note: Adapted from Travis Lett of Gjelina. 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. Upload pictures of the finished dish here. 9 egg yolks 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) plus 6 tablespoons butter, divided 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/2 vanilla bean 4 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided 2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup crème fraîche Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)