[Sca-cooks] OOP Strawberries

[Celia des Archier]

I said:
> > I've been working towards getting back on a carb controlled eating 
> > plan due to my health (borderline diabetic), and the other 
> day I had 
> > mascerated strawberries (mascerated with Splenda instead of 
> sugar) on top of what Dr.
> > Agatston (of South Beach diet fame) calls a "ricotta 
> crème'" (ricotta 
> > cheese, splenda, vanilla).  Not quite a strawberry cheesecake, but 
> > close enough to make my tastebuds happy :-)

And Selene replied:
> Really good strawbs don't need the Splenda.  I'm eating some 
> right now, all naked.  Yum.  But if you must macerate, 
> consider fruit juice or even a dash of that Italian syrup 
> they use for flavoring coffees or sodas.

Unfortunately, I never seem to get "really good strawberries" where I am, or
when I do, I get enough that they're only "really good" for the first day or
two.  Since it's just me and the strawberries are generally most affordable
if I get them in 4 lb. Batches, I usually eat them fresh as I hull and slice
the rest to be macerated.

And since, as I said, I'm a borderline diabetic, macerating them with fruit
juice (which is too much concentrated fructose with no fiber to slow up the
glucose uptake) or Italian syrup is a no-no (unless, of course, I use
DaVinci sugar free syrups, which is simply flavored liquid Splenda.)  Fruit
juice or flavored syrups are a good option if you can tolerate the impact to
your blood glucose.  Since I was sitting here getting envious of all the
yummy strawberry ideas that were being floated that folks like me should not
indulge in, I thought I'd share one that those of us who have a level of
glucose intolerance could indulge in guilt free :-) 


> Yeah, that Ricotta Crème has its roots in Sent Sovi's "Menyar 
> D'Angels" if you think about it.
> <http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD/fresh-cheeses-msg.text>
> 
> Maybe try a little orange flower or rose water instead of 
> vanilla?  Just a thought.

Well, since I was pouring macerated strawberries over it I actually went
'bare' and left out the flavoring (the 'syrup' from the berries was
sufficient flavoring to my mind), but rose water or orange flower water
sounds like a lovely idea.  Thanks for the link!  I thought the idea might
have period roots (since fresh cheeses seem to have been used in period a
lot), but I hadn't done any research on it yet.  

Also OOP, "Low Carb and Lovin' It" (on the food network) had a recipe for
"Grilled Strawberries Ala Mode"
(http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26952,00.html)
which was grilled strawberries (something I would never have thought of)
served on "mock vanilla ice cream", which was heavy cream, Splenda, ricotta
cheese and vanilla, frozen to make "faux" ice cream.  I'm actually thinking
of trying that recipe in my ice cream maker in hopes that the ricotta will
take the place of the eggs or gelatin usually necessary stabilize sugar free
ice cream.