Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test? What comes to mind when you think of a clean kitchen? Shiny waxed floors? Gleaming stainless steel sinks? Spotless counters and neatly arranged cupboards? They can help, but a truly cleankitchen--that is, one that ensures safe food--relies on more than just looks: It also depends on safe food practices.

Not Only Sugar Is Sweet Plain table sugar and its numerous taste-alikes may be one of our most popular food commodities. People come by their love for sweetness naturally. According to the experts, humans are born generally preferring sweet over bitter or sour tastes....carbohydrates exchanges

Food Exchange Information For Diabetics The diabetic patient's meal plan should specify that he or she can have specific numbers of exchanges; for example, a typical lunch may allow two bread, two meat, one fat, two vegetable, and one fruit portion. By referring to a list of exchanges, the person can develop his or her own menu. The idea is that by following the exchange system, the person will automatically pirate distribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Splendid Summer Berries The juicy flavor of sun-sweet berries is one of the true delights of summer. Fresh from pick-your-own fields, farm stands and supermarkets, berries are a good source of fiber. The seeds provide insoluble fiber and the flesh is loaded with pectin, a soluble fiber. One cup of berries packs about half the vitamin C you'll need all day, but has only about 50 to 60 calories.

Alcoholic Beverages and Diabetes Most people with diabetes can drink alcohol safely if they drink in moderation (one or two drinks occasionally), because in higher quantities alcohol can cause health problems.

Summer Squash: From A to Zucchini Gardens are producing a bounty of zucchini and other summer squash, so it's a great time to sample new recipe ideas for these wholesome vegetables. Very low in calories and sodium, soft-skinned summer squash is packed with vitamins A and C, as well as fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and other minerals.

Your Summer Garden: A Nutrition Smorgasbord One of life's greatest culinary treats is the taste of a fresh, juicy tomato ripe off the vine from your bountiful home garden. When you add the fresh green peas, zucchini, green beans and summer squash, you have a real summer smorgasbord of both great taste and nutrition.

Learn About Eggplant There are many varieties of eggplant, ranging in color from rich purple to white, in length from 2 to 12 inches, and in shape from oblong to round.

Culinary Herbs - Cleaning, Drying & Preparing Fresh herbs are readily available in most markets these days, and they are always nice to use. But they can be expensive, and they have a short live span. Moreover, you have to buy a good-size bunch when your recipe may call for just a few sprigs. So it is important to store fresh herbs carefully and use them up - they always add something special to eggs or a salad.

About Blackberries Blackberries: Picked firm, the many offspring of the wild Pacific blackberry are tart-good for canning and pies. Picked fully ripe, they are fully soft, fragrant, sweet, and best eaten raw. One form of blackberry or another is in season from June through mid September. Select all forms as for red raspberries. They do not last for more than a day.

Preparing a Bell Pepper Learn How to Prepare a Bell Pepper - it's easy if you know how! From The Diabetic Gourmet Magazine Cooking Lessons.

Culinary Herbs - Cleaning, Drying & Preparing Fresh herbs are readily available in most markets these days, and they are always nice to use. But they can be expensive, and they have a short live span. Moreover, you have to buy a good-size bunch when your recipe may call for just a few sprigs. So it is important to store fresh herbs carefully and use them up - they always add something special to eggs or a salad.

All About Hors d'oeurve Hors d'oeurve, or as we usually spell and say it, hors d'oeuvres,are small portions of food served before a meal to accompany drinks, alchoholic or otherwise. In the United States, we tend to use the term hors d'oeuvre interchangeably with appetizer.

How to Chop a Tomato Learn how to chop a tomato - it's easy if you know how! From The Diabetic Gourmet Magazine Cooking Lessons Department.