Syrup

Squirting the sugar substitute xylitol on infants' teeth could help prevent the tooth decay that afflicts an estimated 28% of U.S. children ages 2 to 5, according to a new study. Severe tooth decay occurs when bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans proliferate in the mouth and attack enamel. Largely preventable, it strikes poor children twice as often as wealthier ones. The problem is compounded because decay is more likely to go untreated in poorer communities.

Sephardi syrup Total time: 10 minutes plus chilling time Servings: 8 2 cups water 1/4 cup honey 6 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 4 pinches of ground cloves 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, honey, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and to blend in the honey and spices.

Rats fed fructose-laced drinking water for six weeks performed more slowly in a maze-navigating task, UCLA researchers have found. (Read this L.A. Times opinion article .) They think the effect is due to changes in the way the brain responds to insulin as a result of exposure to fructose. “Our study shows that a high fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body,” study senior author and UCLA professor Fernando Gomez-Pinilla said in a release about the finding, which was published in the Journal of Physiology (postdoc Rahul Agrawal was first author)

  Total time: About 2 hours, plus cooling time Servings: 8 Note: Matzo cake meal (sometimes labeled matsah cake meal) is available at well-stocked supermarkets and at kosher markets. If you are serving the cake at a kosher meal that includes meat, use nondairy margarine to grease the cake pan. 2/3 cup (90 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) hazelnuts 1 cup almonds (5.3 ounces) 1/4 cup matzo cake meal (1 ounce) 1 cup sugar (7.2 ounces)

Sephardi syrup Total time: 10 minutes plus chilling time Servings: 8 2 cups water 1/4 cup honey 6 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 4 pinches of ground cloves 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, honey, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and to blend in the honey and spices.

After missing a game because of back spasms that began when he sat down for a pancake breakfast, Dustin Penner cleverly turned a potentially embarrassing incident into a running joke that enhanced his image and could benefit the Kings' charitable foundation. If the burly left wing could turn his miserable season around as effectively as he turned the pancake incident into a public relations bonanza, the Kings might not rank near the bottom of the NHL in scoring. "Working on it," Penner said Saturday morning as the Kings prepared to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Staples Center.

The diet of modern Americans bears little resemblance to the foods our ancestors ate, and this discrepancy is often noted in discussions about the causes of the current “obesity epidemic.” The argument goes like this: Since fat and sugar were historically hard to come by, our bodies are built to hold on to them to help us get through the lean times. This may have served us well in the caveman days, but not so much in the era of the KFC Double Down sandwich. Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, takes a fascinating look at how innovations in food technology have backfired for humankind over the millenia in this week’s edition of the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

  Total time: About 2 hours, plus cooling time Servings: 8 Note: Matzo cake meal (sometimes labeled matsah cake meal) is available at well-stocked supermarkets and at kosher markets. If you are serving the cake at a kosher meal that includes meat, use nondairy margarine to grease the cake pan. 2/3 cup (90 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) hazelnuts 1 cup almonds (5.3 ounces) 1/4 cup matzo cake meal (1 ounce) 1 cup sugar (7.2 ounces)

It probably hasn't occurred to most people that golden, ruby-blushed nectarines can be pickled, yet the fruit stays firm and plump when immersed in a spicy syrup. After a day or so in the refrigerator to blend flavors, the nectarine halves make an excellent accompaniment to grilled meats. Take advantage of abundant supplies of nectarines now coming to market to prepare this relish, as well as for out-of-hand eating. Choose fruit with a creamy yellow background without any green at the stem end.

People who begin using zinc lozenges, tablets or syrup at the first signs of a cold are more likely to get well faster, researchers reported Tuesday. But the new findings probably won't be the last word on the issue, which has been the subject of debate since the idea was first proposed in 1984. Since that time, 18 studies have examined zinc in preventing or treating colds. Some found zinc supplements were modestly helpful, others failed to turn up any benefits. One analysis of 14 studies, published in 2007, concluded that many of the studies were too flawed to draw any conclusions.

They are the two bad boys of the American diet, linked to a variety of ailments including obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. But now sugar is taking high fructose corn syrup to court in a landmark battle over which is the greater evil. In a lawsuit that goes before a Los Angeles federal judge Wednesday, sugar producers accuse their corn industry rivals of false advertising in a campaign that casts the liquid sweetener as "nutritionally the same as table sugar" and claims "your body can't tell the difference.

Super Tuesday primary voters and caucus members are busy weighing their picks for the presidential nomination. I'm more interested in what there is to see in Super Tuesday states. Here are my picks for the top tourist stops. What are yours? Go ahead and "vote" by leaving me a comment. Alaska (caucus): Totem poles, some authentic, some replicas, stand tall along the Totem Trail that snakes through two miles of lush forest in Sitka National Historical Park in downtown Sitka. It's the oldest federal park in Alaska.

You're gearing up for Oscar Sunday — also known as the "Ladies' Super Bowl" — and to loosely quote an Oscar winner, you're feeling like the queen of the world. Why not be queen of the desert too? This tangy little cocktail of the same name was created by bartender Colleen Ford Morales for the bar at Next Door by Josie and it features a royal mix of sterling silver tequila, fresh lime and grapefruit juice and simple syrup. A courtly kick comes from crisp jalapeño slices. -- The Queen of the Desert by Colleen Ford Morales 2 ounces silver tequila 1 ounce fresh lime juice 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice 1 ounce simple syrup 2 thin jalapeño slices, plus more for garnish Tonic water Combine tequila, lime and grapefruit juice and syrup over ice in a mixing glass.

I'm writing this column having just spent an hour with our local fruit gleaner picking tangelos from my tree. We must have pulled at least 40 pounds. Earlier in the day, I'd picked an additional three dozen pieces of fruit for recipe testing. And the danged tree still looks like it hasn't been touched. This time of year in Southern California is an embarrassment of citrus riches. We've got so many tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruits and tangelos in my neighborhood that it seems impossible to figure out what to do with them all. One solution, of course, is gleaning - that's where volunteers harvest backyard fruit for donation to food charities.

After missing a game because of back spasms that began when he sat down for a pancake breakfast, Dustin Penner cleverly turned a potentially embarrassing incident into a running joke that enhanced his image and could benefit the Kings' charitable foundation. If the burly left wing could turn his miserable season around as effectively as he turned the pancake incident into a public relations bonanza, the Kings might not rank near the bottom of the NHL in scoring. "Working on it," Penner said Saturday morning as the Kings prepared to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Staples Center.

The makers of high-fructose corn syrup would understandably like to change the image of their product, which has gained a reputation as the trans fat of the sugar world. In fact, as sales sink, they'd prefer a name change altogether — to corn sugar — and have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for permission to use it on food labels. The liquid sweetener is a natural food, a Corn Refiners Assn. advertising campaign claims, and nutritionally the same as any other sugar.

Dear SOS: I had the most refreshing cocktail at the Girl & the Fig in Sonoma called a "Gin"-ger basiltini. Described as "cucumber-infused gin, muddled basil, ginger simple syrup & fresh-squeezed lime juice," this would be a delicious brunch libation. Susan McEowen Sherman Oaks Dear Susan: We loved the harmony of flavors in this cocktail. It marries the bright, fresh flavors of basil and lime with delicate cucumber and spicy ginger. Make the cucumber gin and ginger syrup in advance to chill.

Daniel "Dandy" Nelson, the mixologist for Hollywood's recently opened Writer's Room, has an impressive resume. Not only is he helming a bar in a room where F. Scott Fitzgerald and Raymond Chandler might have drowned their sorrows, he has also worked at Spago and the Doheny. For the Writer's Room, he's crafted a variety of signature cocktails including the Kaffir Rickey, which tips its coconut-water-topped hat to Thai Town with tangy kaffir-lemon grass syrup and a solid shot of dry gin. -- Kaffir Rickey by Daniel Nelson 2 ounces Plymouth gin 3/4 ounce lime juice 3/4 ounce kaffir lime-lemon-grass syrup* 3/4 ounce carbonated coconut water** Combine lime juice, lime-lemon grass syrup and gin in a shaker.