Eggs

Is a smaller egg commercially available? It seems chicken eggs have gone from large to super jumbo over the years. I'm not asking for quail eggs, just a smaller alternative. Eggs are classed in sizes based on weight by the dozen: peewee, small, medium, large, extra-large and jumbo. Peewee, small and jumbo rarely show up in supermarkets, but medium, large and extra-large are usually available. Medium might be what you need. The size of a chicken's egg is affected by its age, the breed and environmental factors, such as heat and stress.

For the third year in a row, Steger's Farm Fresh Eggs of Hampstead is offering hard-boiled, dyed eggs during the Easter season."We thought it was something unique to do," said Evan Fogerty, Steger's marketing manager. "A lot of people like to dye their own eggs, and we think that's great. But for those who haven't had the opportunity, this is a real benefit to them."Plastic six-packs, complete with artificial grass, sell for 99 cents to $1.09, he said. Locally, the eggs are available at George's IGA, Miller's Market, Westminster Co-op, Weis and Giant.

The American Heart Association has established that three egg yolks a week are a pretty safe bet for your coronary arteries, even if your blood cholesterol needs lowering.But with recent outbreaks of food poisoning caused by salmonella enteritidis, are they safe for your tummy as well?While there are a few groups who must be extremely careful, most people can relax and enjoy freshly prepared eggs, according to the Public Health Service -- Centers for Disease Control.And last week, the federal Food and Drug Administration issued new guidelines and precautions for serving and preparing eggs.

Q: Should I pay attention to my wife when she says that we should not order Caesar salads in restaurants?A: The easy answer is to tell you that you should always listen to what your wife says. She may not be right on every occasion, but it is true that Caesar salad dressing, made with raw eggs, has been responsible for many outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness due to contamination of eggs with salmonella bacteria.These bacteria pose no threat when eggs are properly cooked, but salmonella may infect the intestine if you eat foods containing raw or undercooked eggs.

Bunnies and eggs aren't exactly the most logical match. Yet, the tradition remains that every spring a rabbit totes a basket filled with brilliantly colored eggs. So how did the egg come to represent Easter? Laurie Harrsen, a McCormick spice representative, offered many ideas about how the Easter egg came to be, though she noted that nothing is certain. "We have heard a [bunch] of ideas regarding the history of Easter eggs," she said. One theory is that Pope Paul V [1605-1621] blessed the egg in a prayer to be used in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Steger's Farm Fresh Eggs, one of the few egg companies that market under their own names, has a strong consumer following, marketing manager Evan Fogerty told a group of farmers and business people yesterday.Speaking at the monthly agribusiness breakfast meeting, Mr. Fogerty credited the Hampstead-based company's success to quality and name recognition."Maryland consumers really do want Maryland eggs," he said. "Last year, one chain left us and it only took two weeks for them to get educated.

Chances are, the eggs in the batter you lick from the beater tonight, or the ones you'll fry "over easy" tomorrow, won't kill you, or even make you sick.But federal officials are worried enough about the spread of a mutant salmonella bacterium in the nation's egg supply that they want state and local authorities to crack down on food handlers who don't take the threat seriously.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently designated eggs a "potentially hazardous food," capable of supporting the growth of dangerous Salmonella enteritidis bacteria if not stored and cooked properly.

Thanks to a new union, peregrine falcons eggs are being incubated again high on a ledge of the United States Fidelity & Guaranty building at the Inner Harbor as they have every year since 1984.Only a few weeks ago, the seven-year string of springtime eggs and hatchings of the relatively rare birds seemed likely to be broken.Blythe, the resident female falcon since 1984, disappeared around March 1 and was found dead April 20, apparently having starved after becoming immobilized.But then, about two weeks after Blythe's disappearance, a new female -- who has recently been named Felicity -- appeared.

In a very small way, Mrs. Jaroslava Solhan can hold the essence of her Ukrainian homeland in the palm of her hand.And she passes the soul of her native country along to friends, family and people who know little of her country's story other than the loveliness of the patterns and symbols with which she decorates traditional Easter eggs.All year long, in her home in Curtis Bay, she turns out glowing examples of the traditional craft. There are large goose eggs, duck eggs, grade A extra-large eggs; each one with a rich and colorful coat that celebrates the season.

Spying a cluster of pink eggs under a bush, 5-year-old Heather Haynes stealthily slipped into the best position to seize them the moment the hunt began.The green lawn outside Resurrection Lutheran Church in Brooklyn Park was littered with plastic, multicolored eggs. Yellow eggs bobbed from branches in evergreens, purple eggs poked out among the crocuses and lime green eggs nestled under shrubs.But Heather alone took care of dozens of them. "Look at all of these," she cried, snatching up the plastic eggs containing candy and prizes.