I was talking with a good friend about how communication can be lost in online dating. He’d recently placed a profile online and started corresponding with someone on the East Coast. A cute banter began after pictures of food – instead of body parts – were exchanged. One e-mail exchange with apple porn attached ended with “How do you like those apples!” Hey, I did not need to see your Granny Smiths, maybe your Red Delicious!

Needless to say, inspiration for this column comes from the most interesting places. So whether it’s Adam and Eve, Adam and Steve, Adam4Adam, or Eve and Koko, the apple – the most commonly consumed fruit in the United States – is this week’s choice for good eats in 2009. There is good reason too! Apples have antioxidants, fiber and flavonoids to keep your heart strong and healthy for a lifetime.

Antioxidants from apples are a little unique in that they protect the lining of the blood vessels from damage from oxygen, which is carried through it. There are about four grams of fiber in one medium-sized apple (five ounces). The apple has two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Pectin is the soluble fiber that you absorb into the body and it helps lower the LDL cholesterol level. Cellulose is the insoluble fiber that cleans the gastro-intestinal tract like a coarse sponge, removing cholesterol from the lining. Flavinoids are mostly located in the skin and pulp, and there is virtually none in clear juice. Flavinoids help regulate excess and unwanted inflammation, prevent clumping of platelets, regulate blood pressure and help overproduction of fat in the liver.

I know that is a lot of information, but now you understand a little more about why these foods are good for you. Eating healthy is a lot of work if it is a new skill, it requires constant attention and discipline. But if you pay attention to your body, you will begin to feel stronger, more clear and stable.

I’ve asked friends who read Recipe Box if they have made anything. “If you put a dessert in there, then I will make it,” they responded. I simply threw my hands on my hips and said, “Well!”

So here is something close – applesauce.

The trick to good applesauce is knowing what kind of apple you like. From sweet to tart, from raw to cooked, there are more than 7,000 apple varieties. Celebrate diversity my sweet apples! As long as the fruit is firm and the coloring is rich, you are good.

Yellow and green apples with a blush are best, and be sure to wash the skin and buy organic. Better yet, get ’em from your local farmers market.

My favorites are the Granny Smith with peanut butter and a slightly chilled crisp Fiji.

This applesauce is good with pork tenderloin and merlot. If you like it smooth, blend it. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days, but it will get a little mushy so make it the day of use. Enjoy the recipe and remember to stop by the store and check out these apples!

This is a nice applesauce to enjoy any time, but especially with latkes during Hanukkah. You don’t need to get your blender dirty; you just need a potato masher and a little elbow grease.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice

Preparation

1. Put chopped apples in a large nonstick saucepan and stir in water, sugar, Splenda®, and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until apples are tender (about 10 minutes).

2. Use a potato masher to break cooked apples up into a nice purée.

3. Stir in ground cinnamon or apple pie spice. Serve warm or cold.

Yield

8, 1/2-cup servings

Nutritional information

Per serving: 110 calories, 0.5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g fiber, <1 mg sodium.