European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Curious shopper when rambling first pour warmed 80-proof spirits Over fruit use a Long wooden match to ignite spirits in the sauce. Log  i s Tumos photo allow flames to die Down before serving leaving flavor of spirits by Joan Drake los Angeles times Lambli pronounced Flam Bay is the French term for flaming food with spirits. Long a showstopper in restaurants this same technique can also add fair to entertaining at Home. Spirits used for flaming must be at least 80 proof a the measurement of alcoholic strength. The alcoholic Content of a spirit is equal to half the indicated proof . An 80-proof spirit is 40 percent alcohol. Likewise should a bottle Label state Only the alcoholic Content double it to determine the proof. The higher the proof the easier the spirit is to ignite and the larger and longer lasting the flame. Beverly Barbour author of cooking with spirits 101 productions 1976says Quot approximately 100 proof is heeded for ignition at room temperature at 80 proof the spirit must 1x3 heated to Igo degrees before it will  carefully warm the spirit but do not bring it to a boil. This May be done in a butter warmer Small Saucepan or Zibrik open greek or turkish Coffeepot. Pour the warm spirit Over the food to be flamed. Then using a Long wooden match ignite the spirits. As a safety precaution have a cover for the pan nearby just in Case the flames need to be extinguished quickly. Never under any circumstances should spirits be poured directly from the bottle into an already flaming dish. The flame could follow the flow of alcohol up to the bottle and cause serious  the Lames to die Down burning off some of the alcohol and leaving the Subtle flavor of the spirit to enhance the food. A by Sonja Heinze what is the purpose of clarifying butter i a Donna a a a Cleveland Ohio the purpose of clarifying butter is to be Able to Fry j with it at a much higher temperature which you have to j do in some recipes a clarified butter starts to smoke earlier and scorches easily. To clarify it All you do is i melt the butter and separate the Clear Oil from the sediment. The sediment which is the milk solids Falls to the Bottom while the clarified butter fat is on the top 1 you Don t have to throw the sediment away. It has less cholesterol than the pure Oil and has a buttery taste. If you Don t feel like clarifying the butter for a recipe which Calls for it to the butter in the pan add one third part vegetable Oil. This mixture can tolerate cooking at 1 High heat and the butter flavor still predominates. Why do they oils of eggs Cook faster in a microwave than vie Whites is. Burmeister Punta Gorda Fla. The Yolks of the eggs have a High fat Content which has a tendency to absorb Energy. If you want to poach an egg in the microwave and want soft Yolks remove the eggs from the oven before the Whites Are completely cooked. A Brief standing time allows Whites to set without overcooking the Yolks for your information Here Are some More microwave cooking tips gathered from magic chef and Safeway. To extract More juice from a fresh Lemon or Lime Pierce with a Fork and microwave on High 100 percent for 30 seconds. I. A j breads and Rolls should be heated Only until warm j to the touch. A few seconds is sufficient. Overheating makes bread Tough or rubbery. If you want to freeze fresh vegetables Blanch Small quantities up to 4 cups in the microwave. Use Viz cup water for each cup of vegetables add vegetables and microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute on High depending on Quantity of vegetables. Stir until vegetables lose their raw appearance. Chill and freeze. To soften hardened Brown sugar Sprinkle with water and place inside a bag or place an Apple next to the bag and microwave on High checking for desired softness every 15 seconds. I grades of meat differ. Better meat is marbled with fat j and will be More tender cooked by microwave. If meat is very lean or Tough it will need special techniques to help it become More tender. If the meat has no layer of fat Bacon strips or a dry soup mix on top will help. These cuts can also be marinated in acid based marinades such As wine Tomato juice fruit juices soy sauce or a commercial marinade. Piercing the meat with a Fork will also help tenderize it. To refresh old Rolls bread or doughnuts cover with a j Damp cloth and microwave on High for 15 seconds. Reader feedback microwaves and Extension cords Dwight Harris Woodstock . A recently you had a question from a Reader about using Extension cords with microwaves and the info nation provided by a fireman was incorrect. It could Lead those who must use Extension cords to use the wrong kind and thereby expose themselves to unnecessary risk of Shock or fire. Quot most microwaves draw around 1 ,�00 Watts not 600 As stated. Some of the larger ones with extra Healing elements can go to almost 1,700 Watts. Most of the Extension cords on the Market can easily handle the Power required by most microwaves but can have two serious drawbacks excessive voltage drop which can cause oven malfunction and damage and Lack of the third prong required for grounding. If an Extension Cord is required it s perfectly Safe to use one that is rated at 15 amps and has a built in grounding prong on the male end and a grounding Contact on the female end. Those cords Are readily available it s preferable to use the minimum length which will reach in order to a Oid excessive voltage drop. Its also important that the Cord be used Only for the oven and not connected to any othe appliance at the same  july 27. 1990 Safe cooking by Cara de Silva new Day. With the arrival of warmer weather food safety problems become even More serious. But at any time of year Consumers need not be totally helpless in dealing with them. By far the largest number of cases of food borne illness Are caused after food is in our own hands government sources say. Observing the following rules of food safety will help you stay Well. A do not eat raw or undercooked meat or fish Cook everything thoroughly this is your Best weapon. A be careful not to contaminate either raw or cooked foods by bringing them into Contact with raw meat poultry shellfish or eggs. A the . Department of agriculture s food safely and inspection service advises washing your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds Quot after you use the bathroom before you Start food preparation before you Start working with a new food or a new tool when you finish food preparation and before you serve  a to sure knives and cutting boards preferably plastic not Wood which is absorbent Are washed with detergent and hot water before touching any food a in the summer do not Grill meat and return it to the same Platter you used to carry it raw a cooked food should not be left at room temperature for More than two hours if the weather is warm done to leave it out at All bacteria in food will multiply at room temperature but the growth of most pathogens is inhibited at refrigerator temperatures a for safety the department of agriculture recommends cooking All raw meat and poultry to a minimum temperature of 160 degrees and All reheated food to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees a defrost All foods in the refrigerator not at room temperature a if using a microwave remember that it might not Cook your food evenly and therefore might leave you vulnerable to food borne illness consumer reports strongly recommends observing Quot the stand time Quot with Chicken allow the Bird to stand for 15 to 20 minutes after cooking to allow the heat to penetrate the entire Bird a store leftovers in Smalt shallow containers to hasten Cooling. O because of the raw egg Content of homemade Mayonnaise Many food Protection agencies now recommend against using it. But the use of commercial Mayonnaise despite its hot weather bad press actually can help impede bacterial growth because of its High acid Content. The stars and stripes a Page 15