European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Food custard Sast Stanoy Sharon Hudgins special to Scripa Enugu one my husband notorious for not liking desserts As a child visiting relatives in the deep South he would scrape the Ding off the cake eat the cake and throw the King away. Today my husband s idea of a Good dessert is a piece of fresh fruit. He s the sort of person who can walk past a fancy pastry shop without salivating while i m already Halfway through the door ready to Sample everything. We spend a lot of time travelling each year which gives me Many opportunities to indulge my food fantasies in the Gurse of Basic research of course. In France when the Carl full of desserts is wheeled 10 our table at the end o the meal i often have trouble deckling among All those scrumptious sweets sometimes i choose Smalt portions of two or three deserts just so 1 can Sample new treats. My husband invariably order Ereme Caramel a simple egg custard which when the custard cup is inverted onto the serving plate has a layer of Caramel on lop and dripping Down the sides. In Spain even though the variety of desserts is More limited than in France i m still Temple by the elaborate ones but my husband always orders tint the Spanish version of Creme Caramel. I think he secretly has a stubborn Pride in the number of Pristine Ham he s consumed during the Many months we be spent in Spain whereas my Best memories Are of Barcelona s Crema Cafagna Leon s a Trillas con nieces and Madrid s Fechte Quemada. Over the Yean he has. Inevitably become a connoisseur of Jans. And both of us have witnessed the decline in Quality of Frant in Friej caramels and their cousins throughout Europe once upon a time not so Long ago at teas in France Spain and Italy i you ordered Caramel custard fur dessert in a restaurant you could be certain that it was made on the premises. Moreover it would contain Only eggs sugar and milk with perhaps a bit of real Vanilla or fresh Lemon Peel for Flavouring. Ii was Plain. It was natural. Ii was wholesome it was what a custard should be. Today Likely As not the custard will be a commercial product artificially Flavoured and coloured full of stabilizers such As flour Semolina cornstarch or gum arable and loaded with preservatives. Custards of this sort packaged in disposable plastic cups arrive Al the Back door of certain restaurants and arc quickly hidden away in the refrigerator. At serving time they Are unfolded in the Kitchen Hen brought to the unsuspecting customer whose taste buds ought to rebel at being assaulted by a custard hat does t deserve the name. Restaurants i hat still make their own custards now often list them on the menu As Creme Caramel it Mai soit or Dan  they sit proudly in their heavy Glass cups on the Buffet or serving cart in full View of All the diners. At serving time the waiter will run a Sharp knife around he inside of the custard t up then quickly invert it Onlo a Small dessert plate. Thy beige coloured custard will quiver properly displaying its dark Brown Crown As liquid Caramel oozes Down its sides to form a thick Amber Pool on the plate. Following Are three recipes for our favorite types of custards classic flan or Creme Caramel is the True egg custard you la be served at Spanish French or italian restaurants that still make their own. Fan de Varan a is a tasty Spanish variation on the same Iheme in which the egg custard is Flavoured with fresh Orange juice and Orange Peel. Both Are made in individual custard cups coated inside with caramelized sugar. Gaffe Forto Ese portuguese milk Whoso name although italian identifies it As an iberian dessert is an unusual custard because in contains no eggs cooked on lop of the stove instead of in the oven it is especially easy to prepare. Made from milk Cream and sugar Flavoured with  Anise liqueur and thickened Wilh Pellin Laffe portugese is an elegant pcs str thai is shaped in a Large Carmul coated Mold Lien Cut into slices for serving. Liis particular recipe comes from a restaurant in Modena Nlaly where in is a specially. The recipe was a closely guarded secret but some friends of mine who prefer to remain Anonymous managed to discover the ingredients then experimented at Home until they figured of the Correct proportions and cooking technique. The result is a simple but very Rich egg less custard which is sure to please even the most demanding of dessert connoisseurs. Note making the Caramel for these desserts is not difficult but it can be Ricky. Follow the Basic instructions for making Caramel and Don l omit or change any of the slaps. Ii lakes about 30 minutes to produce the caramelized sugar syrup necessary for coating the custard cups or maids for these desserts. Basit i instructions for making Caramel n a Small heavy bottomed Saucepan Combine the Quantity of sugar and warm water required by the in Ripe i Givine May 7, 1987