How fresh are your eggs?

We love our eggs. Fried, boiled, poached, scrambled and even  played around with in molecular gastronomy. A great source of protein, eggs are woven into a myriad of menus and cooking styles so much that is a regular staple in our grocery list. Can you tell if your eggs are fresh? Short of plucking it straight from the chicken farm the moment it is laid, for convenience sake we rely on public markets and grocery stores to deliver fresh eggs. I have a theory when buying eggs. Never buy them on Mondays. Chances are those eggs have been sitting there on the shelves over the weekend. Add the delivery time and packaging, they could have been there neatly packed on store shelves since Friday.

I have recently discovered a way to tell if eggs already purchased are good. Place the egg at the bottom of the glass full of water.

• If egg lies at the bottom on its side, it’s fresh.
• If egg sinks, but with one end up, it’s getting old but still edible.
• If egg floats, it is important to get fresh ones.

The logic here is that egg shells are porous. Over time the egg absorbs air through the shells and gets trapped within the egg.

You can tell if an egg is fresh after cracking open the shell if the yolk is a bright yellow and firm. The egg white is not as fluid as a stale one.

The one thing you have to remember that not only stale eggs are inedible, but they may contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella. Store your fresh eggs by washing them thoroughly with clean water. Take notice of any form of debris or cracks in the shell. Inspect each egg for shell discoloration or stains. Organic eggs are consistently clean and safe, as no chemicals or additives are used on the chicken to produce those eggs. And they taste better. Organic eggs can be bought at local grocery stores. And they are always on offer at the Salcedo Weekend Market. Purchase the eggs and transport them using recycled egg cartons. Wash tem thoroughly.  Then place them in the fridge until the need to use them. Eggs ideally should be used within three to four days from purchase.

Know anywhere else you can get your hands on organic eggs? Any tips on storing them? Please, let me know. I would like to impart the knowledge to all my readers.

Really soft cupcakes kids can make

Maxine bugged me about making cupcakes at home. After having tasted good ones and seeing some hawked at our local church gathering, I promised her that we would shop for the ingredients. Two weeks of daily pestering and begging and cajoling prompted me to search for a good base recipe. Then with a little imagination and a spot of creativity, I asked Maxine to join me in going shopping for the ingredients at the nearby SM Supermarket. To many people grocery shopping is a chore, but with Maxine it is a game of I Spy. I Spy something green and curly. She points at the broccoli. I Spy something long and thin. Spaghetti!

So one rainy Saturday afternoon we were pouring over two bowls of batter and mixing and stirring and getting every possible surface covered with flour and baking powder. A normal exercise of half an hour stretched into two hours of blissful bonding before placing 16 pristine cups of delicious dough into the oven.

25 minutes later the smell of cheddar cheese and warm cooking made the tiny dining room a little more comfy. 6 hours later we were left with four cupcakes. And she plans to bring a couple to school the next day.

• 1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C white sugar
• 2 large eggs whole
• 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 8 oz condensed milk
• 1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl
3. In another bowl, beat sugar and eggs until creamy white. Stir in extract.
4. While stirring, pour in a third of the flour mixture into the bowl . (This is where an extra pair of little hands come in handy. In this case, Maxine wanted to do the stirring) Pour in half of the condensed milk. Mix well until just. Pour in another third of the flour mix, then the rest of the condensed milk. Finish off with the rest of the flour mixture
5. Stir in half of the shredded cheese. I prefer long strands as it tends not to melt as fast and allows a little bit of crunchy texture when the cupcakes are done.
6. Mix until the batter is smooth. Do not over mix so the gluten will not tire. Pour into 16 cupcake moulds.
7. Top each liberally with the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese.
8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and a pin inserted comes out clean.

Kids and Pots and Pans! Oh My!

It is a given that kids are picky when it comes to food. They would not touch anything that has not appeared in Cartoon Network. Different strategies may be employed, and some of them do work. Every parent knows what what goes on with their kids, at least have an idea of what ticks in their heads. Most effective way for kids to a kids culinary heart? Get them involved in the cooking. And here are the reasons why:

1. They get to try new foods – they will always be fascinated with things that are new, and curiosity usually leads to discoveries. They will discover where certain ingredients come from and be more aware of the culture from that place.  As they get more accustomed and familiar with the colorful world of ingredients, they tend to eat more fruits and vegetables.
2. Do the math – recipes call for amounts of the ingredients needed. And the cups and tablespoons that come with it. Is it really Junior’s fault for wanting to double the cupcake recipe?
3. Reading – kids nowadays are smarter than when we were their age. So reading a recipe seems pretty rote for them. Since there are no pictures, it would be a challenge for them to keep interested. How about the power of association. Sugar? Which is that on the kitchen table?
4. Chemistry – They learn what yeast does, how it farts to inflate a loaf of bread. They learn that adding sugar actually sweetens the sauce, and makes cake dough finger licking good.
5. Bonding – gathered around the table, kids will feel great being a part of the bigger picture: their family. And fussing around the prep table with flour coated hands adds to the bonding experience. And the tedious kneading allows story telling.
6. Life Skill – they will eventually leave the nest. And on those depressing lonely first nights in the big city they would love some home cooking instead of stale pizza.  And starting kids early builds self esteem, after having proudly produced a perfectly baked tart.

Cooking is really a passionate activity. Why not share it with the very people you are very passionate about? How would you encourage kids to try new foods? Know a good technique that would get them interested in peas? Any nightmares when it comes to having little Curly Sue try out new pasta dishes?