Paris (AFP)

Muscovado, maple syrup, molasses: the Irish author Trish Deseine, author of bestselling cooks, makes discover the sweets otherwise in a new work destined to "dediabolize" the sweet and to find the pleasure in a debate "citizen" and "medicalized".

"Do not be afraid of sugar": the slogan of the book "A hint of sugar" published by the French editions of La Martinière appears like a snub to the moment when this food is accused of all the evils and the big ones pastry chefs agree that the trend is less sugar or even "no sugar".

This is the trend "healthy dessert" embodied by Jessica Prealpato restaurant Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athenee, the best pastry chef in the world by 50 Best who uses sugar as seasoning or that of Pierre Hermé who had recently confided to AFP 60 % less sugar in its recipes than it did in the 1970s.

"Right now it's the most demonized food, then it'll be something else, for years it was butter, fat, now it's okay, margarine was going to save the world before become the worst thing, "says Trish Deseine.

"One meditates food, food, forgetting sharing and conviviality, everything that is part of everyday life falls a little in the background, is devalued", regrets the author of 55 years who also presented for Irish national television and the BBC.

- Discovery of flavors -

The book explores the flavors that little-known sugars such as Indian-made muscovado with licorice, vanilla, and caramel notes or sturdy molasses can have, Canadian maple syrup to caramelize fruit or nuts, or honey at home. flowery, woody or truffled perfumes.

The author has concocted 90 recipes for cakes, cookies, scones, ice cream and other desserts and beverages such as white chocolate soup, coconut, passion for fruit sugar, French toast or chocolate caramel pots. .

Coming from all over the world, raw, natural and unrefined sugars reveal their character in every recipe.

The book also rehabilitates refined white sugar, essential for certain preparations such as meringues or icing.

But the book encourages especially to make at home simple recipes and greedy and consume with moderation.

"To balance food, you have to be interested in it and cook for yourself, as well as for sweets," says Trish Deseine.

Thus the dish that makes the cover, Thunder and lightning (thunder and lightning), a mixture of very greasy cream and molasses, is prepared in two minutes.

Another easy recipe, molasses bread and Guinness beer "between bread and cake" and "fabulous with oysters or cheese".

- Anti-alarmist -

"Among my latest discoveries, the most interesting is coconut sugar, which does not taste like coconut and makes a fantastic caramel recipe," says Trish Deseine.

"I do not consider myself campaigning for or against anything," she says. "I just wanted to have a less alarmist tone."

"What is written around the kitchen today is about behavior change, citizen awareness, how to save the planet by what we eat, and of course it's extremely important," she says. find that the pleasure side, the discovery side of flavors is less emphasized.

© 2019 AFP