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Sugar
While it's certainly true that sugar makes life sweeter, it is perhaps one of the most modest ingredients in our pantry — so unassuming that we often take it for granted. In fact, the white stuff we now consider a staple was once so rare and expensive, it was commonly referred to as "white gold."

So where does this sweet stuff come from? Sugar is obtained from two sources — either from the sugar cane or from the root of the sugar beet. Once the sugar is separated from the cane or beet plant, the result is 99.95 percent pure sucrose, a complex sugar composed of glucose and fructose. Once refined, sugar is then processed into small crystals and varies in color from white to dark brown, depending on the amount of molasses added during processing. The size of the sugar crystals ultimately determines the sugar's form — be it white granulated, light or dark brown granulated, molasses, or powdered — and use in the kitchen.

White Granulated Sugars
"Regular" or White Sugar, Extra Fine
"Regular" or white granulated sugar is the all-purpose sugar used throughout the kitchen. It's the sugar most often used in recipes and what we spoon into our coffee every morning. When heated, white sugar takes on a toffee-like color and flavor.

Fruit Sugar
Fruit sugar is slightly finer than "regular" sugar and is used in dry mixes such as gelatin and pudding desserts, and powdered drinks. Fruit sugar has a more uniform, smaller crystal size than "regular" sugar. The uniformity of crystal size prevents separation or settling of larger crystals to the bottom of the box, an important quality in dry mixes.

Baker's Special Sugar
As its name suggests, it was developed specially for the baking industry. The crystal size of Baker's Special is even finer than that of fruit sugar. It is used for sugaring doughnuts and cookies, as well as in some commercial cake recipes to create a fine crumb texture.

Superfine, Ultrafine or Bar Sugar
This sugar's crystal size is the finest of all the types of granulated white sugar. It is ideal for delicately textured cakes and meringues because the crystals' many sharp edges cut into the batter during creaming, forming many air pockets. It's also well-suited for sweetening fruits and iced-drinks since it dissolves easily. In England, it's known as castor sugar, named after the type of shaker in which it is often packaged.

Confectioners or Powdered Sugar
This sugar is granulated sugar ground to a smooth powder and then sifted. It contains about 3–4 percent cornstarch to prevent caking. Powdered sugar is ground into three different degrees of fineness: 10X is the finest and most common; 6X and 4X are coarser. Powdered sugar is most often used in icings, confections and whipping cream. Its powdered texture also works beautifully when dusted on desserts.

Coarse Sugar
The crystal size of coarse sugar is larger than that of "regular" sugar. The large crystal size of coarse sugar makes it highly resistant to color change at cooking and baking temperatures, ideal for making fondants, confections and liquors.

Sanding Sugar
Another large-crystal sugar, sanding sugar is used mainly in the baking and confectionery industries as a sprinkle on top of baked goods. The large crystals reflect light and give the product a sparkling appearance.

Brown Sugar
Light or Dark Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is simply regular refined sugar with some of the molasses returned to it. Light brown sugar contains approximately 3.5 percent molasses; dark brown sugar contains about 6.5 percent. Dark brown sugar has a deeper color and stronger molasses flavor than light brown sugar. Lighter types are generally used in baking and making butterscotch, condiments and glazes. The rich, full flavor of dark brown sugar makes it good for gingerbread, mincemeat, baked beans, and other full-flavored foods. Because of the added moisture, brown sugar tends to lump, trapping air into pockets. It should be measured by weight or, if measured by volume, it should be packed firmly into the measuring cup in order to remove any air pockets. Always store brown sugar in an airtight container to prevent it from drying and hardening.

Turbinado Sugar
This sugar is raw sugar which has been partially processed, where only the surface molasses have been washed off. It has a blond color and slight molasses flavor, and is often used in tea and other beverages.

Muscovado or Barbados Sugar
Muscovado sugar, a British specialty brown sugar, is very dark brown and has a particularly strong molasses flavor. The crystals are slightly coarser and stickier in texture than "regular" brown sugar.

Free-Flowing Brown Sugars
These sugars are specialty products produced by a co-crystallization process. The process yields fine, powder-like brown sugar that is less moist than "regular" brown sugar. Since it is less moist, it does not clump and is free-flowing like white sugar.

Demerara Sugar
Popular in England, Demerara sugar is a light brown sugar with large golden crystals, which are slightly sticky from the adhering molasses. It is often used in tea, coffee or on top of hot cereals, and has a toffee-like flavor.


Liquid Sugar
There are several types of liquid sugars. Liquid sugar (sucrose) is white granulated sugar that has been dissolved in water before it is used. Liquid sugar is ideal for products whose recipes first require sugar to be dissolved. Amber liquid sugar is darker in color and can be used in foods where brown color is desired.

Invert Sugar
Sucrose can be split into its two component sugars — glucose and fructose. This process is called inversion, and the product is called invert sugar. Commercial invert sugar is a liquid product that contains equal amounts of glucose and fructose. Because fructose is sweeter than either glucose or sucrose, invert sugar is sweeter than white sugar. Invert sugar is used mainly by food manufacturers to retard the crystallization of sugar and to retain moisture in the packaged food. Home cooks make invert sugar whenever a recipe calls for a sugar to be boiled gently in a mixture of water and lemon juice.

Source: The Sugar Association

Food Steamers
Steaming is probably the most nutritious method of cooking because, unlike boiling, it doesn't wash away water-soluble vitamins and nutrients. Vegetables, particularly green and yellow ones, benefit the most from steaming as this method of cooking keeps them crisp, flavorful and brightly colored. But it's not only veggies that hold up well in a steamer — so does fish, chicken, shellfish, couscous and rice.

Steamers may be self-contained pieces of cookware or separate pieces — like solid inserts or collapsible baskets — that fit inside cookware. Whichever steaming device you decide upon, in order to function properly, it must have a tight-fitting lid so steam can build up within the vessel to properly cook the food. There must also be a way for the steam to escape when necessary, so that too much pressure will not be created inside the vessel. It's best to use a pot that is both deep and wide so steam can circulate freely around the ingredients. The following is a rundown of the various steamers available on the market:

Steamer Basket/Insert
The least expensive style of steamer is the collapsible basket, which typically costs under $10. Collapsible baskets commonly have perforated stainless steel leaves that expand or close to fit into 6¼-inch or larger pots, and to hold a small or large quantity of ingredients. The basket rests on legs that raise the contents above the water. Usually there is a metal post in the center that can be removed to accommodate large vegetables, such as corn on the cob or a whole head of cauliflower. There are also tiered steamers and stackable steamers — usually made of sturdy stainless steel fitting snugly into deep pots — that have two levels of baskets that allow several different foods to be cooked at the same time, one above the other.

Bamboo Steamer
Bamboo steamers are commonly used for cooking dim sum and smaller amounts of food. They work well to absorb excess moisture and prevent condensation from dripping on food. Placed inside a wok while the wok cooks other ingredients, they can be stacked to accommodate different foods in each basket. The food requiring the longest cooking time is placed in the bottom layer, with those requiring less time placed in the top layer. When steaming foods made with ingredients that may stick to the surface, it is best to lightly coat the bamboo with a cooking oil or vegetable cooking spray. Another option is to place a layer of leaves from vegetable greens, such as bok choy or cabbage leaves, to serve as a means to keep the food off the bottom of the basket and to enhance the flavor of the food. Even a simple plate placed at the bottom of the bamboo steamer will do.

Electric Steamer
This is a very clever appliance, with a water reservoir in the base and, above it, two stackable oblong steaming trays, just the right length for steaming long asparagus or fish with tails, and a bowl for steaming rice. The steam comes up quickly and abundantly, and there's an automatic timer and shut-off. Another method for steaming food is to use an appliance especially designed to cook rice, such as a rice cooker. When cooking rice, most appliances automatically shut off when the water has been absorbed into the rice. The rice can even be kept warm in the appliance for several hours without any concern of the rice becoming sticky and clumped together. This tool provides an almost foolproof method for evenly cooked and textured rice. You can also use the rice steamer insert as a basket for steaming vegetables or shellfish.