Q.
Is eggnog safe to
drink?
A.
A holiday classic, Christmas just
wouldn't quite be the same without eggnog. Concerns
about salmonella may make you reluctant to partake of
this ubiquitous drink. But there is a way to make it
safe. To do this you'll need an instant-read thermometer
and a steady eye. First, beat the eggs in a saucepan
with the sugar and milk or cream called for in your
recipe. Stir the mixture constantly over low heat until
it is thick and the temperature is 160 degrees F (71
degrees C). Immediately place the pan in a bowl of cold
water to stop the cooking. Then proceed with the rest of
the recipe. The added benefit of this technique is that
it will make your eggnog, even the low-fat versions,
even more thick and creamy.
Q.
Some beverage
recipes call for a lemon zest garnish. What is lemon
zest?
A.
Zest is the perfumy outermost skin
layer of citrus fruit (usually oranges or lemons), which
is removed with the aid of a citrus zester, paring knife or vegetable
peeler. Only the colored portion of the skin (and not
the white pith) is considered the zest. The aromatic
oils in citrus zest are what add so much flavor to food.
More definitions for cooking terms can be found in the
Oriental Foods And Recipes
glossary.
Q.
I often find myself
adjusting recipes in order to make enough for my family,
but it doesn't quite work for some recipes. Do you have
any advice for me?
A.
Changing recipes in order to make
more or less servings is called "recipe scaling."
Whenever you alter the amounts of ingredients for a
given recipe, you may also need to adjust the cooking
temperature, cooking time, pan size and seasonings. But
for food chemistry reasons, recipe scaling simply does
not work well for some dishes: delicate foods such as
soufflés, baked items requiring yeast such as breads,
and recipes for a single large item that is meant to be
later divided into smaller portions such as cakes, pies,
breads and whole turkey.
Our
Recipe Scaling Page will give you a reliable
framework for successful recipe scaling: It offers
detailed guidelines for recipe scaling and easy
instructions for using the handy recipe scaling tool on
our site. You can always find this tool and a link to
our recipe scaling tips from any recipe at
Oriental Foods And Recipes.
|
