the hedonic value of sucrose.

Above: Lanskroon tabletop.

One of the things I've been missing over the past few weeks is what we 'mericans would call ketchup. In non-dieting life, I don't necessarily eat a lot of candy or dessert, but I do favor condiments from the sweet 'n' sour side of the tracks. I had been doing pretty well, but Week Three of Serious Dieting proved to be too much for my dopamine receptors and I went a bit sugar-mad. I ended up keeping it together, but it was tough work. Apparently I have my reasons.

So I'm working on a sugarfree ketchup. What I'm finding with stevia is that it's possible to minimize your disappointment with its non-sugary qualities if you's a crafty mother. I have some theories that involve acidity, tongue distraction, bitterness, and taste buds, but I need to see if someone else has written about them before I do any real work.

First batch of ketchup was tonight, a bit too spicy. More in a bit.

+++

spicy 'mater ketchup.

4 canned tomatoes

1/2 cup apple vinegar

1 onion

1 tsp garlic powder

tiny pinch cinnamon

tiny pinch allspice

tiny pinch cloves

some amount of stevia

some amount of Surinaamse x-hot sambal

salt

pepper