Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990 TAG: 9004110045
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TONI BURKS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It advises against hiding colored hard-cooked eggs the night before the Easter egg hunt and suggests that plastic eggs be used if you want to play Easter bunny while the small fry are asleep.
Although salmonella would have been killed in hard-cooked eggs, other bacteria can invade the boiled egg and multiply rapidly at tepid temperatures.
Therefore, hard-cooked eggs should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours (picnic planners take note).
The USDA hotline, 800-535-4555, operates weekdays. - San Francisco Chronicle
\ HELP!!! DEAR SOS: I would like a recipe for presliced honey-baked ham, like the commercial type. - HENRIETTA
DEAR HENRIETTA: Here it is, just in time for Easter dinner. Honey of a ham 1 medium smoked pork picnic shoulder, about 7 lbs.
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey or packed brown sugar
1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice, thawed
1 tsp. whole cloves
Make crosswise slits, 1/2 inch apart, halfway through ham to where knife touches bone. Place ham in deep bowl and barely cover with water. Stir in sugar. Soak at least 2 days in refrigerator. Drain. Place pork in roasting pan lined with enough foil to wrap completely. Pour honey and orange juice all over pork. Stud cloves all over meat. Wrap tightly with foil. Bake at 200 degrees 6 to 7 hours, unwrapping and basting occasionally with honey mixture. Unwrap and bake at 450 degrees about 15 minutes for slightly crisp skin. - Los Angeles Times
\ MICROWAVE IT Let others watch for robins; some of us look for the fresh asparagus as the sign of spring's arrival. For the best-tasting asparagus, choose spears with compact, closed tips. Asparagus au gratin 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. asparagus
1/2 onion, thickly sliced
4 Tbsps. butter or margarine
4 Tbsps. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
Dash white pepper
Dash nutmeg
1 cups chicken broth
cup half-and-half
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Wash asparagus. Break off tough ends and, if desired, peel lower half with a vegetable peeler. Place half of the asparagus at a time in a large skillet with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and run under ice-cold water to stop cooking. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Drain well and arrange in shallow casserole.
Melt butter in saucepan; add onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Discard onion (or reserve for another use). Stir flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg into flavored butter. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth and bubbly. Stir in broth and cream. Increase heat and cook, stirring, until sauce comes to a full boil and thickens. Stir in cheese. Cool slightly, then pour over center of asparagus, leaving tips and ends exposed. Makes 8 servings.
(NOTE: Casserole may be covered and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking. Bake, uncovered, in 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and asparagus is heated through.)
\ MARKET SHOPPING Since this is a holiday weekend, there might not be much opportunity to do much outdoor work, but vegetable and flower plants will stand up quite well in their containers for several days after purchase with only an occasional watering.
There is a good selection of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and head lettuce plants at farm markets. These plants like cooler temperatures and can go into the ground as soon as the soil can be worked. There are lots of tomato plants, too, but despite warm days, it's still too early for them. Buy them now, put them aside in a protected place and wait until after the frost deadline before planting tomatoes. They won't grow much anyway until night temperatures are more agreeable.
Loads of blooming plants and bouquets are available to add color to the holiday, and there are flowers for adding color to planter boxes and borders outdoors. Azaleas, lilies, bleeding hearts, marigolds, alyssum and a wide assortment of perennials and herbs are available.
For the holiday table, look for fresh greens, potatoes and sweet spring onions from nearby gardens. And there are nest-fresh eggs to hard-cook and decorate for Easter baskets, or to serve Benedict-style for holiday brunch. There are some large goose and duck eggs, too, and some fuzzy rabbits to admire or to take home if you have the proper facilities and time to care for them.
Green beans, tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries, sweet onions (including green-topped Vidalias), squash, corn and sweet potatoes are among the other food items that can be found.
Glad you asked Is there away tocheck the feffectiveness of baking powder?
You can test whether baking powder is still effective by mixing one teaspoon of the powder with 1/3 cup of hot water. If the baking powder is still active, it will bubble vigorously. If not, toss it out and buy a fresh supply.
- Los Angeles Times
\ GRAND FINALE This dessert - a cake that forms its own rich sauce - is of the homespun variety and is a delicious presentation for family as well as company meals. Mocha walnut pudding cake 1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsps. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsps. baking powder
tsp. salt
[ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsps. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. dark rum or brandy
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 Tbsps. unsweetened cocoa
1 cups hot water
Whipped cream
Sift together flour, granulated sugar, the 3 Tbsps. cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and coffee powder. Stir in walnuts. Separately combine milk, melted butter, vanilla and rum. Pour over dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Batter will be quite stiff, but do not overmix. Spread in ungreased 8 9-in. square baking dish. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar and remaining 3 Tbsps. cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over batter in baking dish. Pour hot water over top. Do not stir. Place dish on middle rack of preheated 350-degree oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until top is a glazed, crusty dark brown. Cool on wire rack at least 1 hour before serving, or for as long as 6 hours. Sauce will thicken up quite a bit as cake cools. Serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by a bowl of whipped cream if you wish.
by CNB