88-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 6, 2002
If you are looking for a recipe but can’t find it, send
your recipe request to Lou Ann Good, Cook’s Question
Corner, in care of Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609,
Ephrata, PA 17522. There’s no need to send a self-ad
dressed stamped envelope. If we receive an answer to
your question, we will publish it as soon as possible.
Check your recipe to make sure you copy the right
amounts and complete instructions for making the reci
pe. Sometimes we receive numerous answers to the
same request, but cannot print each one.
Answers to recipe requests should be sent to the same
address. You may also e-mail questions and answers to
lgood.eph@lnpnews.com
Notice: Several readers write that they have
problems accessing this address. The common
mistake is that readers are substituting an “i”
for the lowercase “I (L)” needed in two places.
If you are having problems reaching this ad
dress, please check to make sure you are typ
ing a lowercase “I (L)” in both places and not a
lower or uppercase “i” or “I.”
QUESTION A Pine Grove reader wants rec
ipes for different kinds of soft pretzels and dif
ferent coatings for chicken and vegetables for
deep frying.
QUESTION Josephy Steffey wants a recipe
for deer bag bologna that tastes like Lebanon
bologna.
QUESTION - Shirley Orfanella, 1125 Slate
Hill Rd., Quarryville, PA 17566, wants to know
how to keep the bottom crust of a pie from be
coming soggy. She has already tried flour and
egg whites.
QUESTION - L. Wolf, Elkridge, Maryland,
would like a recipe for lima bean soup. Also
looking for any good soup recipes, and for a
cake similar to Tastykake peanut butter tandy
cake.
QUESTION A Lancaster County reader
would like homemade yogurt recipes, including
yogurt flavored with fruits such as strawberry,
raspberry, and peach.
QUESTION - Clair Richcrick, R.D. 8, York,
PA 17403, is looking for a coleslaw recipe that
uses real cream. He also wants an old-fash
ioned ginger snap recipe.
QUESTION Mrs. E.H. Boger is looking for a
recipe for Moravian cake, which looks similar to
funny cake but has lemon on the bottom. The
cake is sold at Leesport Farmers’ Market.
QUESTION Beth, Hampstead, Md., re
quests a recipe for oriental chicken salad that
tastes like that served at Appleby’s.
QUESTION Beth, Hampstead, Md., re
quests a recipe for a non-dairy whipped frost
ing like the frosting Walmart uses on their
cakes. Beth writes that she has never tasted
better icing but cannot seem to duplicate it at
home.
QUESTION Nutritionists keep telling us to
eat more vegetables. I need recipes to entice
my family to eat them.
QUESTION - Barbie Seller would like to
have a recipe for cinnamon French bread sticks
that taste like those served at restaurant break
fast buffets.
QUESTION A reader wants some diabetic
bread recipes that can be made in a bread ma
chine.
ANSWER Beverly Bence, Scheilsburg,
sends in her recipe for stromboli that she
writes is delicious and makes a wonderful, fill
ing meal.
Thaw frozen bread dough. You can get 3 to 4
stromboli from each loaf, depending on the size
of stromboli.
Mix together:
5 tablespoons Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon wet mustard
Roll each piece of dough to desired size.
Spread Miracle Whip mixture on dough. Layer:
Virginia baked ham
Hard salami
Sandwich pepperoni
Provolone cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle oregano and grated parmesan
cheese over all and fold over, and pinch edges
shut all around.
Stromboli
Eggs... Separate Facts And Fiction
Fiction: Consumption of dietary cholesterol is the lead
ing risk factor for heart disease.
Fact: Scientific studies have shown that saturated fat in
the diet increases the risk of heart disease more than die
tary cholesterol intake. And while a Large egg has 215 mg
of cholesterol, it only contains 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
Sprinkle oregano and grated cheese over top
of finished stromboli.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until nice and brown
in 350 degree oven.
Heat spaghetti sauce and serve with strom
bolis.
ANSWER Shirley Warzenluft, Robesonia,
sent this recipe in answer to Eva Burrell’s re
quest.
Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Butter
29-ounces solid pack pumpkin plus Vs cup
water OR 3Vi cups pumpkin puree prepared
from scratch
Zest of 1 orange, outer peel only, no white
pith
2 cups brown sugar
3 tablepsoons strained fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
I Vi teaspoons cinnamon
V« teaspoon ground allspice
V* teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch cloves
Vi teaspoon salt
Vs cup pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted
Combine in heavy bottomed stainless steel
saucepan, pumpkin and water if using canned
pumpkin, sugar, orange zest, orange Juice,
lemon juice, salt, cinamon, allspice, ginger, and
cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat,
stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer
the mixture, stirring it often with a wooden
spoon until it becomes very thick, about 15
minutes. Sample the butter and add a little
more of any or all the spices to suit your taste
(flavors will blossom in storage). Add more
sweetening if desired.
Stir in nuts and continue cooking another 2-3
minutes. Cool and fill sterilized jars. Store for
up to four weeks in refrigerator.
To toast pecans, spread shelled nuts in a
baking pan and bake for 5 minutes in 350 de
gree oven, stirring several times (they scorch
easily). Bake just until slightly toasted and fra
grant, not actually browned. Cool the nuts be
fore using them. Yield: about 4 cups.
ANSWER Sara Derstine, Tioga County
Dairy Ambassador, sent in her favorite pizza
recipe.
2Vz cups flour
2 cups warm water
2 packages yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses
Mushrooms, pepperoni, and other toppings
desired
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add flour and
olive oil and knead until combined. Let rise
until doubled in bulk. Punch down and place in
pan. Cover with sauce and topping. Bake at 400
degrees until cheese is melted and crust is
slightly browned.
ANSWER Cumberland County Dairy Prin
cess Le Ann Witmeer, Newburg, sent in these
recipes to help you get more calcium in your
diet to maintain strong, healthy bones.
Cheese Bread
1 unsliced loaf French bread
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Vz teaspoon Italian seasoning
Vi cup shredded mozzarella cheese
V* cup grated parmesan cheese
Slice bread lengthwise; place cut side up on
a baking sheet. Spread butter on cut surface;
sprinkle with half the Italian seasoning. Top
with cheese and remaining Italian seasoning.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until
cheese is melted. Cut crosswise into 1-inch
pieces. Yield: 4 servings.
Cheesy Pizza Dish
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
IVz cups shredded Parmesan cheese (not
grated)
12-ounces salsa (hot, medium or mild)
9-inch pie plate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine
cream cheese and Italian seasoning; spread
into bottom of pie plate. In small bowl; combine
cheeses, sprinkle half over cream cheese mix
ture. Spread salsa over cheese mixture, then
sprinkle remaining cheese over the salsa. Bake
18-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with chips
or vegetables.
Pizza
More importantly, eggs provide antioxidants, folate, and
other B vitamins that have been shown to decrease heart
disease risk.
Fiction: The latest research shows that eggs should be
limited in the diet in order to prevent heart disease.
Fact: Consistent with numerous other studies, research
ers from the Harvard School of Public Health concluded
that eating an egg a day does not increase heart disease or
stroke risk in healthy men and women. This National In
stitute of Health-funded study investigated the eating
habits of 117,000 adults over an 8- to 14-year period.
Fiction: Egg yolks are high in fat and contribute little
else to the diet.
Fact: Egg yolks contain 45 percent of the egg’s protein,
numerous minerals, and the majority of the egg’s vita
mins. And they provide all of this for only 59 calories (a
whole egg has 75 calories) and 4.5 grams of total fat, 1.5
grams of which are saturated fat. So, unless your doctor
has prescribed a special egg-free diet for you, you can con
tinue to enjoy nutrient-dense eggs.
Fiction: Fertile, free-range, organic, and vegetarian
eggs are more nutritious.
Fact: The nutrient content of eggs is not affected by
whether they are fertile, free-range, organic, or vegetari
an. Due to higher production costs and lower volume per
farm, these eggs me generally more expensive.
Fertile eggs do not keep as well as non-fertile eggs.
While some ethnic groups consider them a delicacy, there
are no known advantages to consuming them.
Free-range eggs are produced by hens raised outdoors
or that have daily access to the outdoors. However, due to
seasonal conditions, few hens are actually raised outside.
Some egg farms are indoor floor operations, and these are
sometimes inaccurately referred to as free-range.
Organic eggs are produced by hens that were fed ingre
dients that were grown in a manner to preserve the integ
rity of the soil with minimal use of pesticides, fungicides,
herbicides, and commercial fertilizers.
Vegetarian eggs are produced by hens fed rations con
taining only vegetable foods.
Fiction: Nutrient profiles of all eggs sold in the super
market are the same.
Fact: Varying the diet of hens has produced a variety of
nutrient-enhanced eggs. Some of the successful experi
ments include eggs produced with reduced levels of fat,
lower cholesterol, and increased levels of vitamins and/or
Omega-3 fatty acids. These specialty eggs are found
under various brand names, and, due to increased pro
duction costs, are sold at a higher retail price.
Fiction: Hormones are used to increase egg production.
Fact: Hormones are not fed to poultry in the U.S. In
fact, egg production has increased over the year as a re
sult of breeding and better nutrition, housing, and general
management of facilities.
Fiction: An egg that floats in a glass of salt-water is not
fresh.
Fact: This test has no relationship to the freshness of
table eggs. While eggs do take in air as they age, the size
of the air cell varies from egg to egg when they are laid.
Consequently, a freshly-laid egg and an older egg might
react very similarly.
Fiction: Egg freshness is difficult to determine.
Fact: The best way to judge freshness is to check the
three-number code on the small side of the carton. It’s the
Julian date with 001 representing Jan. 1 and 365 standing
for Dec. 31. This is the day the eggs were packed, and
they’ll keep in your refrigerator at least four to five weeks
after this date without significant quality loss. If you can’t
find a Julian date, plan to use eggs within about three
weeks or so of purchase to allow for the possibility that
the retailer may have temporarily stored them before you
purchased them. However, properly handled and stored,
eggs rarely “spoil.”
Fiction: Eggs do not need to be refrigerated.
Fact: An egg left at room temperature for one day will
age as much as it would in a week in the refrigerator. Not
only that, but Salmonella bacteria will not grow at stan
dard refrigerator temperatures.
Fiction: Eggs should be stored in the slots on the refrig
erator door.
Fact: The best place to keep eggs is in the original car
ton on an inside shelf. Not only does the temperature on
the door fluctuate when the door is opened, but slamming
the door can cause breakage. Furthermore, the carton ac
tually helps prevent eggs from picking up odors from
other foods and helps prevent the loss of carbon dioxide
and water from the eggs.
Fiction: An egg with a blood spot is “bad. ”
Fact: Not at all. These eggs are still entirely fit to eat,
and the blood spot can be removed with the tip of a knife.
Blood spots are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on
the yolk surface during formation of the egg, or by a simi
lar accident in the wall of the hen’s oviduct. Less than one
percent of all eggs produced have blood spots, and most
of these are detected by electronic spotters before they
ever reach the market.
Fiction: Brown-shelled eggs are superiors to white.
Fact: Shell color, determined by the breed of the hen,
does not affect quality, nutrients, flavor, or cooking char
acteristics. However, since brown-egg layers are slightly
larger birds and require more food, their eggs are usually
more expensive than white.
Fiction: Thick, ropey strands of egg whites should be
removed.
Fact: These natural, entirely edible parts of the egg
called chalazae anchor the yolk in the center of the thick
white. They are neither imperfections nor beginning em
bryos. They do not interfere with the cooking or beating
of the white and need not be removed. In fact, the more
prominent they are, the fresher the egg.