THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412140059
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F6 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
FOR MOST OF my life, I thought eggnog came out of a carton. I figured it was like Pepsi or Coke - you didn't make your own.
Now, I know better. Homemade nog is some of the best around.
If you plan to make your own this season, here are a few tips from the Virginia Egg Council:
Cooked eggnog recipes are preferred for safety reasons and because they make a creamier nog.
If you don't want to cook, substitute pasteurized liquid eggs. Just combine the ingredients and chill. Use 2 tablespoons liquid per egg listed in recipe.
Test cooked recipes to see if they are done by dipping a metal spoon into the custard. The custard should coat the spoon.
Custard made with canned milk will thicken faster than custard made with fresh milk. Cook the custard to a temperature of 160 degrees if using canned milk.
Keep eggnog very cold. Start with a chilled punch bowl and ladle or place a small bowl of eggnog in a larger bowl of ice.
Use leftover eggnog as the liquid ingredient in pumpkin pie, crepes, pancakes, puddings, waffles or French toast.
Salty-soup solution
A note in the current issue of the Culinary Courier, the newsletter of the Tidewater Branch of the International Food Service Executives Association, says that if your soup is too salty, cut a potato into eighths and add it to the pot. Remove the potato in about 10 minutes and most of the salt will come with it.
Happy birthday
The art of canning will celebrate its bicentennial next year, according to the American Harvest newsletter. Frenchman Nicholas Appert pioneered the idea in 1795, using special jars and methods for long-term preservation. by CNB