Albert Roux is So Sweet

I was invited to meet one of my culinary hero's at Greywalls last week.  Albert & his chef Derek gave a patisserie demo which was informative and a great pleasure to watch as they used traditional French technique for the Lemon Souffle and Blackberry Mousse.  

I studied the recipe and counted the nutritional value of the recipe I asked, "Albert what his view on making a cake with more than 20% sugar in the recipe was, in terms of healthy cakes?"  His response was "a little of what you fancy goes a long way".  I have to agree with him in enjoying & indulging in what you love, desire and feel like but make sure you balance this with crisp, raw, natural food.

The NHShttp://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1139.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=167 recommends a maximum of 50g per day which is one Lemon Souffle per day and no more sugar! It's my belief that we consume too much sugar nowadays.  I also think that too much sugar queers the palate rendering us unable to taste properly, who wants that?!

There is no need to have nearly 25% of ANY cake based on sugar. I recently developed a Tropical Banana cake with 50% banana and 70% reduced sugar, topped with an abundance of dried fruits and nuts.  It happens to be gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and Vegan!

When I asked Chef Roux what he would use to replace eggs for a Vegan cake there was silence..... then he waved his arms and insisted with such Gallic charm "I wouldn't make a Vegan cake!!!"  Ok, so he's old school and charmingly sweet too, he's earned his stripes on his whites that's for sure.

All told, the day at Greywalls was exceptional, beautiful building, lovely geometric grounds filled with the biggest chickens I've seen and...the staff were so sweet which is good for my health.

Take the Silver Spoon out of your mouth, read the labels on food and really consider how much sugar you consume. In saying that, whatever you enjoy, enjoy it with a passion.

With love,

Lorna Pellet

Cake Enthusiast!