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The Comfortable Egg

© Lindsay W. McSweeney

Recently, food articles and restaurants are spending lots of time discussing "comfort food"; comfort being something we all need more of since September 11. Eggs and mashed potatoes are my two ultimate comfort foods. In honor of the egg, this article contains some recent and practical facts about eggs, as well as almost fool proof ways to hard cook (never boil), fry, and scramble eggs.

First, a few facts about the two perceived drawbacks to eggs, high cholesterol and salmonella poisoning. Eggs are no longer total villains in the fight against cholesterol. An egg yolk (egg whites have no cholesterol) is now believed to have 214 mg. of cholesterol, down from the 274 published previously. The American Heart Assoc. has now revised its guidelines to allow 1 egg a day in a normal diet.

Salmonella Enteritidis can be transmitted by an infected chicken to its eggs, but only in rare circumstances. It is believed that, at most, one out of every 20,000 eggs is contaminated. Salmonella is destroyed by heat in excess of 145 degrees, the temperature at which eggs start coagulating. Therefore, if salmonella is a concern (as it should be especially if you are cooking for the elderly, small children, or those with weakened immune systems), an egg is safe if it is cooked until both the white and yolk are firm. Casseroles with eggs in them should be cooked to 160 degrees. Alternatively, you can buy pasteurized eggs, which are safe even when raw. For complete information, see http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/eggs.html.

A few interesting tips about eggs:

1) There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs. In fact, if you live in the Northeast like I do and where brown eggs are common, look for white eggs at the supermarket. They are usually cheaper.

2) When buying eggs, do not go by the expiry date on the carton. Egg cartons have a code on them, which specifies the date they were packed. On the side of the carton are four numbers starting with "P". Usually quite close to these numbers are other numbers which state the actual day of the year on which the eggs were packed. I have a carton of eggs which reads "P1970 289"; the last three numbers tell me the eggs were packed on October 16 (the 289th day of the year). Use the eggs within three weeks of this date.

3) Almost all baking recipes assume you will use "large", not "extra large" eggs. Save money and improve your baking by buying "large" eggs.

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