DEAR HELOISE: While staying at our son's home, I decided to make a cake and bought some eggs. I put the eggs on a middle shelf in the refrigerator. When I went to use them, a day or two later, they were frozen solid.
I peeled the eggs I needed, which was easy, since they were frozen, let them thaw and then used them. The cake was good. Can eggs be frozen for a period of time and still be good?
-- Kathleen K.
in Connecticut
DEAR READER: Eggs can be frozen, but not in the shell. You were lucky this time, but here's what to do in the future: Remove eggs from shells, beat the entire egg (yolks and whites) together, then freeze in freezer-safe containers. Use within four months.
When you are ready to use the frozen eggs, thaw in the refrigerator (overnight) or run under cold water. Use these eggs immediately after thawing and only in foods that will be thoroughly cooked.
DEAR HELOISE: Some of your readers state that they use their pizza stones only for cooking pizza. I find multiple uses for mine, and thought your readers might be interested. Baking biscuits on it produces an amazing product, especially homemade biscuits. I also use it for free-form tarts, dinner rolls, round or shaped breads and cookies. Any type of dough that isn't too loose or runny cooks nicely.
-- Tina B. in Louisiana
DEAR HELOISE: I keep seeing steel-cut oats in more and more stores. How are they different from regular oats?
-- Chris W. in Pennsylvania
DEAR READER: Well, the groats (otherwise known as grain kernels) become steel-cut oats (or Irish oats) once a sharp metal blade cuts them into two or three pieces.
Regular, or rolled, oats are groats that are steamed and then turned into flakes during a rolling process, which flattens them.
Steel-cut oats and rolled oats have a fast cooking time. The only difference you may notice, when eating them, is the texture.
DEAR HELOISE: I had a lot of strawberries to slice, so I thought about using the egg slicer. They came out perfectly cut. Just slice the tops off before placing the strawberries in the egg slicer.
-- Cecilia L., via email
DEAR HELOISE: I am probably one of the few who still likes to make the pudding that you cook before placing in the refrigerator. I make this type of pudding often, but I don't care for the "skin" that forms on top of the pudding as it sets. So, I take plastic wrap and press it on top of the pudding. No more "skin" to peel off.
-- F.W., via email
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Food on 06/04/2014