apr
25
| Safe Handling
With spring well underway and the summer months approaching, many of us can hardly wait to try those easy, no-bake recipes that are floating around the food blogs and recipe websites. Many no-bake recipes call for eggs, and we are often asked if these recipes are safe.
dec
12
| Safe Handling
There is nothing better than sitting around a bonfire drinking eggnog and talking holiday memories with your family (especially if a little bourbon is involved). In the past I used to buy eggnog from the grocery store—it was quick, easy, and only cost me a few dollars. It was not until I tried making my own that I realized the store bought stuff has nothing on homemade eggnog!!! Like many drinks and desserts made during the holidays (including my Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie), eggs are a standard ingredient. To avoid getting sick from Salmonella when consuming these homemade goodies, the Egg Safety Center and FDA recommends using a cooked egg base.
How do you make a cooked egg base? Well, first you need a recipe! An easy recipe for Classic Cooked Eggnog can be found on the American Egg Board’s website under Recipes and More. When making your cooked egg base, pay attention to the FDA recommendations below:
Don’t have time to make a cooked egg base but still want homemade eggnog? You can use other options for safe eggnog, such as egg substitute products or pasteurized eggs instead of raw eggs. You might think that adding alcohol to the recipe kills the bacteria, but this is false!
By following a good recipe and these simple recommendations, you can be sure to have delicious AND safe eggnog for your entire family to enjoy!
For more safety information on preparing homemade eggnog visit:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/eggnog.html
Happy National Eggnog Month!
Krista Eberle
Director of Food Safety Programs
United Egg Producers
Read More »
nov
20
| Safe Handling
The holidays are a time for one of my favorite things—rich, fattening DESSERTS! One dessert I had the opportunity to make this past weekend is the Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie found in the November edition of Southern Living magazine. It turned out to be the hit of the Thanksgiving party that I attended this past Saturday.
Food safety is always a concern when preparing foods for family and friends, especially during the holidays when many of the dishes and desserts call for eggs. The recipe for this particular pumpkin pie, found below, calls for 6 eggs total—2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks. Before taking the eggs out of the refrigerator, I made sure to wash the counter, my hands, the bowl, and egg separator I would be using to separate the yolks from the whites with warm, soapy water. After drying them with a clean towel, I was ready to crack the eggs! I took the eggs out of the refrigerator, still in their original carton, and following the recipe made the custard part of the pie. After handling the eggs, I washed the counter, my hands, and all utensils used again with warm, soapy water.
Because this pie is not cooked, it was also important to make sure that the custard part of the pie reached the proper temperature to kill any bacteria that could have been present in or on the eggs. Using a food thermometer, I cooked the custard until it reached at least 160°F. I chilled the custard mixture and poured it over the pie to enjoy the next day. After having one (ok, maybe two) pieces of this pie, I knew it would have to become a staple at any Thanksgiving gathering from here on out!
Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie, Southern Living, November 2012
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1 cup crushed gingersnaps
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
2 cups whipping cream, divided
2 (1.4-oz.) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars, finely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1/2 cup maple syrup
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 10 minutes. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, next 2 ingredients, and toasted pecans until blended. Press crumb mixture on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes). Microwave 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals. Spoon chocolate mixture over bottom of pie crust; sprinkle candy bars over chocolate mixture. Cover and chill 1 hour or until chocolate mixture is set. Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and flour in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan; add eggs, egg yolks, and milk, and whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.) Remove from heat, and whisk in pumpkin and vanilla bean paste. Transfer to a bowl. Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on warm filling (to prevent a film from forming); chill 30 minutes. Spoon pumpkin mixture over chocolate; cover and chill 8 to 24 hours or until filling is firm. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add syrup, beating until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe over pie.
For more food safety tips while preparing your holiday desserts, visit http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/events/holidays/index.html.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Krista Eberle
Director of Food Safety Programs
United Egg Producers
sep
19
| Safe Handling
In honor of National Food Safety Month, the Egg Safety Center is featuring popular food bloggers that give advice on how they safely handle and use eggs in their own kitchens and recipes. The Egg Safety Center is very excited to introduce our second blogger, Tonia Sanders from the Chatty Momma.
Tonia Sanders is the mom and blogger behind The Chatty Momma. She has two daughters, Isabella and Gabriella, and a husband named Ryan. She enjoys being a stay-at-home mom and planning events. In her spare time, she volunteers at several non-profit organizations.
Krista Eberle
Director of Food Safety Programs
United Egg Producers