Rosemary Is For ... Tea

Q: I have a special friend who loves rosemary. Can you tell me the best applications for using this herb? I haven't used it much in the past, except when cooking chicken. There must be other uses. Please help!! -- Lois Petrey

A: With the warmer weather in full swing, fresh herb cookery is in vogue. But the first "forgotten" use for this herb is actually quite ancient. Just as with any aromatic, you can make a wonderful tea! Take a 4-inch sprig and steep it in your tea pitcher along with your tea leaves/bags. It's even better with a touch of milk or cream added to the ice-cold tea.

Rosemary also wakes up any meat marinade. Crush a few leaves into your steak marinade, or even put some in the foil when you wrap up your rubbed-down pork ribs.

Don't forget how well rosemary goes with lamb, also. Put some sprigs into slits cut into a leg of lamb, or add it to the stuffing when you make that.

Last but not least, mince some rosemary VERY finely and use it to make herb butter along with a little basil and garlic. Your baked potato will jump up and dance around the plate, and your steamed vegetables will wrestle each other to get the first dollop. That butter is also stellar put on a steak hot off the grill.

Q: I have a friend and his son is allergic to eggs. She has a package mix to make an apple bread. All that is needed are 2 eggs and water. She can't use eggs. What can she use as a substitute for the eggs?

A: According to the University of Michigan's online food allergy information, the following can be used to substitute for up to three eggs in recipes. Substitute one of the following for each egg.

1 packet of plain gelatin mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm water. (Don't mix the gelatin with water until you are ready to use it, or it will set.)
1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
1 teaspoon of yeast dissolved in ¼ cup of warm water.
1 tablespoon of apricot puree.
1 ½ tablespoons of water, 1 ½ tablespoons of oil, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

For a bread, I'd go with either the second or fifth option.

My vegan proofreader, Maggie Tacheny, has a couple of other suggestions: there's actually a product called Egg Replacer, which is mostly tapioca flour but has some other things in it. My favorite for cakes. You can also use ¼ C. silken tofu, but it's better for binding/moistening.

Those of you out there who aren't vegetarians need to have at least one vegetarian friend. They find out nifty secrets about substitutes and such that we omnivores aren't privy to.

Q: What is the proper procedure to hard boil eggs so that when you peel them later the shells do not stick to the egg white?

A: There are as many philosophies on this as there are chickens in Texas, so I'm going to give you what has always worked for me.

Place up to a dozen eggs in a 3-qt saucepan. Fill to within an inch of the top with cold water and add 2 tbsp. of white vinegar. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes, run cold water on the eggs until they are completely cool. Store for up to a week in the refrigerator.

And while we're on hardboiled eggs ... I've seen many commercials lately for a product that promises to make peeling hardboiled eggs simple, and portrays the peeling without this product as something akin to bog farming as far as mess involved.

Pish and tosh, I say. Bounce the egg thoroughly on the counter until the shell is well-fractured and you'll have an easy-peel cackleberry in no time.

Q: I normally use onion and garlic in my cooking, but I can no longer have them, can you tell me what I could substitute for them. I don't know what other seasons to use. -- Carol Ann Castellanos

A: Wow. Carol Ann, I truly feel for you. I cannot imagine life without my beloved bulbs!

You didn't specify the reason why you can't have these anymore, but I can suggest shallots and/or leeks as substitutes. The flavor will not be completely the same, but they are close relatives.

You can also get garlic and onion juices in the spice section of your supermarket. They DO contain distillates of the bulbs, but may be more to your liking.

Q: I have heard that it is possible to bake the small pumpkins. Is this true? And can they be spiced and used as individual desserts? They would be so special and attractive if this is so. -- Alice Bacon

A: You really CAN cook individual small pumpkins. Just cut the tops off, remove the seeds, place the tops back on and bake them at 350° Fahrenheit until the flesh is tender. If the pumpkins are early or late-season ones, place a pan of water in the oven with them to keep the flesh tender. Feel free to add whatever herbs or spices you'd like to the pumpkins before cooking. I like a sprinkle of fresh cinnamon and some freshly ground nutmeg. Maybe a little mint, even.

Enjoy!

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