Cat-shaped Sweet

Wagashi from a Confectionery in Nagasaki, Japan

Orange County Woman Crowned America’s Best Latte Artist

A latte artist from Orange County is savoring her victory at the U.S. Coffee Championships.

Angie Chun, 30, works at the Coffee Code espresso bars in Fullerton and Buena Park, where she literally pours her heart into her work. She won the national title at last month’s U.S. Coffee Championships in Long Beach.

Apparently latte artistry is genetic. Her older sister won a latte art championship a couple years ago, and her younger brother came in third in the country at the Long Beach competition.

Angie Chun heads to Sweden in June for the world championship.

“Only one person can participate from each country,” she said. “That’ll be much harder than the U.S. championship.”

Chun makes about 200 cups a day at Coffee Code.

Watch video at abc7 (1:34 minutes) . . . . .

Eating Less Salt May Reduce the Risk of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer is diagnosed in around 80,000 people in the European Union (EU) each year and is associated with a very poor prognosis. The most well-established risk factor for stomach cancer is infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which causes inflammation within the stomach that can progress to stomach cancer. Now scientists believe that eating too much salt also increases the risk of stomach cancer, with a direct relationship found between salt consumption and cancer risk.

According to Professor John Atherton, Chair of the UEG Scientific Committee and a leading H. pylori expert, the combination of H. pylori infection and a high salt intake appears to be especially dangerous. “Although we don’t know exactly why salt increases the risk of stomach cancer, studies suggest that it may encourage the growth of H. pylori and make it more toxic to the cells of the stomach,” he says.

Stomach cancer in the EU

The recent UEG commissioned Survey of Digestive Health Across Europe reported that more than 80,000 new cases of stomach cancer were identified in the EU in 2012, with twice as many men as women affected.1 H. pylori infection, which typically occurs during childhood and is difficult to detect, has been estimated to be responsible for around three-quarters of all stomach cancers.3 Excessive salt consumption is thought to contribute to a quarter of all cases.

“Most of us know that salt is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke,” says Prof. Atherton. “However, I suspect very few people are aware that a high-salt diet also increases the risk of stomach cancer, and it is vital that people understand all the health risks associated with this dietary factor.”

Salt consumption guidelines

The European Commission and many individual European countries have taken positive action towards reducing salt consumption across the continent. Current guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest that no more than 5 g of salt (less than 1 teaspoon) should be eaten per day – a challenging target given that most salt in our diets is not added by us, but comes from processed foods such as bread, cheese, breakfast cereals and ready meals.

“Following recommended guidelines for salt intake should theoretically reduce the risk of stomach cancer as well as other salt-related health problems,” says Prof. Atherton. “Although we need more studies to confirm that eating a low-salt diet reduces the incidence of stomach cancer, there is preliminary evidence from Japan to suggest this would be the case.”

Anyone at increased risk of developing stomach cancer is urged to take special care when shopping and to buy low-salt versions of their favourite foods; to eat foods such as cured meat, bread, cheese and table sauces in moderation, and to add no salt during cooking or at the table.

Source: Medical News Today

Indian Dessert with Ginger and Tapioca

Ingredients

1 cup tapioca
2 cups water
4 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
8 oz raw sugar
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger

Method

1. Combine tapioca with water in a medium bowl and soak for 30 minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium pot, combine tapioca, milk, cream, sugar and ginger. Cook on medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook while stirring for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick like pudding.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Source: VIJ’s At Home

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