aw eggs are ingredients in sauces such as mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad dressing; in beverages such as egg nog and Orange Julius; in desserts such as custard-style ice cream, mousse, cold soufflés and chiffons; in steak tartare and pasta alla carbonara; and numerous other dishes.

Should you give up these foods because of the recent salmonella outbreak?

Nope! As noted in the post below, you can buy pasteurized eggs. You can also pasteurize eggs at home.

Salmonella bacteria die in a medium-to-large egg in about 3-1/2 minutes when heated to 140°F; 5 minutes for extra-large and jumbo eggs.

Home pasteurization doesn’t provide the 100% guarantee that commercially pasteurized eggs do, but it will significantly reduce the risk.
 
HOW TO PASTEURIZE RAW EGGS

1. BRING a pot of water to 145°F over medium heat. Monitor the temperature with an instant-read kitchen thermometer or use a probe thermometer—it’s easier.

3. REMOVE the eggs after 3-1/2 minutes, or 5 minutes for extra-large and jumbo sizes. Allow to cool to the touch; then use or refrigerate.
 
YOU CAN BUY PASTEURIZED EGGD AT THE SUPERMARKET

Look for Davidson’s Safe Eggs.
 
  

But there are safe raw eggs you can rely on. They’re called pasteurized eggs. Davidson’s, a company in Lansing, Illinois, specializes in pasteurized eggs-in-the-shell, branded as Safest Choice™. Each pasteurized egg is stamped with a red “P.”

Just as milk is pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria, the eggs go through a quick heating process that does not cook the egg, but leaves it looking and tasting like any raw egg, with the nutritional value intact. All bacteria and viruses are eliminated. You can prepare the eggs any way you like without fear of egg-related cross contamination in your kitchen.

Enjoy eggs, raw or cooked, without fear.
Photo courtesy SafeEggs.com.

Another plus of pasteurized eggs is the shelf life. With the bacteria removed, the eggs remain good for six to eight weeks after the sell-by date.

Pasteurized eggs are more expensive, which is why they aren’t yet available in most grocery stores: Retailers feel that especially in these tough economic times, people won’t pay more for them (they’re about $5.00 a dozen). But the unfortunate salmonella outbreak has engendered more interest on the part of stores.

There’ll be no more ruined clothes and
linens with these products. Photo by
Igor Dutina | IST.

At the end of a dinner party, our tablecloth and napkins generally have multiple stains of coffee and red wine.

We recently tested CoffeeOFF and WineOFF with great results. Huge stains disappeared two weeks after the spill.

At just $9.90 for a four-ounce bottle of each product, we’re giving them as a house gift to everyone.

• Read the full review.
• Learn more about coffee in our Gourmet Coffee Section.

Whole spices, on the other hand, retain their flavor much longer. They can be ground quickly in a spice grinder (get a coffee grinder used just for spices so coffee flavors don’t transfer) or with a simple mortar and pestle.

Think of the difference between pre-ground black pepper and fresh-ground pepper to understand the difference using whole spices can make.

For maximum flavor: Before grinding, toast whole spices in a dry skillet over low heat. Stir frequently until they begin to release their aromas. The extra flavor they’ll give you is worth the five minutes of time.

You’ll use more nutmeg when you discover
the exciting flavor of fresh-ground
nutmeg. Photo courtesy Peugeot.

• If you use nutmeg frequently, a nutmeg grinder is a wonderful convenience. It can be brought to the table like a peppermill, so diners can add a grind of fresh nutmeg to their foods. (We love it with yogurt, pancakes, meats and vegetables as well as desserts.)
• Here’s how to check spices for freshness.
• Learn about antioxidant spices—seven popular spices that fight illness and aging.

Even if you don’t win this book, you can
have 7 recipes plus tips.

In fact, we’re ready to start thinking about hot soup again.

If you win this week’s Gourmet Giveaway, you’ll have plenty of recipes for hearty bowls of flavorful homemade soup.

Three winners will receive a beautiful cookbook, Enlightened Soups: More Than 135 Light, Healthy, Delicious and Beautiful Soups in 60 Minutes or Less, by Camilla V. Saulsbury. It’s packed with tips for enlightened soupmaking. The collection includes vegetarian, meat and fish-based soups. The soups are “enlightened” because the recipes are healthier. Your family and friends will love them.

If you don’t win a book, you can still make seven delicious recipes as well as incorporate Camilla’s 10 Tips For Enlightened Soupmaking.

• Find more recipes in our Gourmet Soup Section.
• See all the different types of soup.
• Take our Soup Trivia Quiz.