dartmouth05

Preparing fish purchased at Whole Foods is inevitably a risky choice.

Why?

One catch is that if there's an issue with the order, they don't give you a refund, they issue a credit to your account instead.

While I admire the approach, it is important to note that Lye is not in fact an acid, but a compound that forms a basic solution when disolved in water. It is caustic and will burn your skin if you're not careful.

Frankly, soft pretzels was one of the first things I learned how to cook, I did it without lye, and they came out fine. Doing a cost/benefit analysis or a risk analysis, I just don't see how whatever benfits lye brings to your pretzels could be worth it. It is expensive, hard to find, and incredibly hazardous, and your pretzels will be great without it.

What is Pretzel Salt? I notced that you used Kosher Salt, but I thought Pretzel salt was more robust, kinda like a think sea salt. Anyone know if there is a difference?

Pretzel salt is, for the lack of a better descriptive term, bigger, puffier than Kosher salt. There is definitely a difference, and my friends always comment on their appreciation of my use of genuine pretzel salt. I buy my pretzel salt from King Arthur's...

I took Brian Patterson's knife skills class at L'Academie at the beginning of this month, and found it to be very useful and well worth the time/cost. There is more hands-on then the description hinted at, and moreover, the lecture section was really quite useful because he demonstrated the various techniques for all sorts of fruits, vegetables, chicken, etc., something that you're not going to find on your average cooking show. I highly recommend Brian's class.

I did my best to search for information on salmonella and eggs. I found a consistently reported statistic on the incidence of salmonella in eggs: 10%. IOW, 90% of eggs are free of salmonella.

I was unable to find any documentation of an increased incidence of salmonella among eggs sold by small farmers at farm markets, over mass-produced eggs sold in supermarkets.

I found quite a few articles pointing to healthier conditions for hens--better ventillation, better feed, and greater area per hen--leading to a lower incidence of salmonella on eggs. This bears out my previous assertion that eggs from smaller family farms where hens are not confined in tiny cages with deep layers of fecal matter under them would tend to be healthier.

Refrigeration also plays a role. Eggs sold at farmers markets should be properly stored in coolers with reusable ice packs (not ice) or plug-in coolers. An egg kept out of refrigeration deteriorates about five times as fast as one that is properly refrigerated.

There are other steps taken in egg farming that help reduce the chances of salmonella contamination.

I also saw several articles discussing a study or studies that suggest that salmonella contamination causes weakness in egg shells, so eggs with extremely fragile shells could be contaminated (and therefore should be cooked).

My experience with eggs is similar to Barbara's. I am careful to use fresh eggs when making sauces or dressings or other preparations that use uncooked eggs, and I have not had any problems.

Folks with compromised immune systems do have to take special precautions, of course.

I also wonder about the nutritional value of pasteurized eggs. How does it compare to that of unpasteurized eggs?

So I assume that cage free eggs are more likely to be salmonella free?

Yes, I'm looking for these due to salmonella concerns... If I'm making a batch of omlettes and some of them are a bit runny, I'll feel more comfortable if I use safe eggs...

I was watching an episode of a cooking show yesterday that mentioned the availability of pasteurized eggs, still in the shell, in most supermarkets. Well, so far, I've checked the Giant on Westbard Avenue in Bethesda, as well as the SuperFresh on 48th Street in NW DC, and didn't see them in either. Perhaps I just don't know what I'm looking for? Does anyone have any experience with these-are they really the same tastewise as regular eggs? And does anyone know where I might be able to find them?

Thanks!

Sad state of affairs: bad produce sections at the Giant on Wisconsin and Newark (I think it's Newark) and the Whole Foods on River Road. I had thought I could get decent carrots somewhere.

The Giant at Connecticut and Veazey seems poised to reopen. I wonder if the store's wares will improve or if the overhaul was strictly cosmetic.

I agree that the produce section at the Whole Foods on River Road was very, very disappointing. Are there other stores in the area that have better produce? Late last night, I drove the 10 minutes from River Road over to the Whole Foods in Tenleytown, and I gotta say, it seemed a lot better... Am I just projecting?

Thanks for the suggestions, all.

Hi all.

I was wondering where in the DC metro area, preferably closer to Bethesda, can I get cooking lessons, either having someone come to my apartment, or going somewhere... I know L'Academie de Cuisine is right here in Bethesda, and I do intend to take some classes, but the main problem for me is that I don't eat red meat, and so many of their series involve beef and the like. I also don't eat milk with meat, and I don't eat pig products, the few aspects of keeping kosher that I follow.

I guess what I'm looking for is something a little more customizable, but not $250 per class, either, since I'm a grad student. I have a lot of great cookbooks, and I watch the Food Network all of the time, but that's not really a subsitute for having an experienced person showing me/telling me when the chicken breast is done, when the fish is done, what settings on my electric oven I should use, etc.

Any suggestions?