Q Can we safely use raw eggs in caesar dressing?

Barb Johnson, Victoria

A Whether or not raw eggs are safe to eat in preparations such as caesar dressing, mayonnaise, mousse and other items has been debated for decades. There are differing opinions on the correct answer, even from credible organizations.

On the website for the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, canfightbac.org, a question asks: I have heard that raw eggs aren't good for you, could you please clarify this?

This organization, whose mission is to increase the awareness of safe food handling, provided two viewpoints.

One, from Health Canada, recommends that consumers do not consume raw or lightly cooked eggs, in such things as caesar salad dressings, soft-cooked eggs, eggnog and raw dough, as they could contain salmonella. Its website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca, says to ensure eggs are safe to eat, cook them thoroughly to at least 74ºC (165ºF).

That seems extreme, particularly if you like a softly poached or boiled egg, which would be hard cooked at that temperature. For the most part, it is also radically different from the Canadian egg industry's recommendations.

In a brochure called "eggs-posé" I found on its website, eggs.ca, the industry says it is safe to eat raw or soft-cooked eggs as long as they are handled properly. They say to always use fresh, Canada Grade A eggs that have been kept refrigerated. Before using them, check the best-before date and ensure the eggshells are clean and crack-free. Only prepare enough food for one meal or sitting, never serve raw egg products as leftovers, and serve all egg-rich products immediately after preparing or store them in the refrigerator.

It also says that when preparing any perishable food, wash your hands, cooking surface and utensils immediately before and after preparation.

Under these circumstances, the Canadian egg industry says the risk of bacterial contamination from a raw or undercooked egg is minimal, but notes that very young children, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women should be extra cautious and not eat raw or soft-cooked eggs.

At the end of these two viewpoints, the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education says that the consumption of raw or lightly cooked eggs is a personal choice.

I agree with that and, personally, have no concern about eating raw or lightly cooked eggs if handled properly. However, if you do and wish to avoid eating raw or lightly cooked eggs when eating out, be sure to ask your server if items on the menu contain them.

QI want to make "bits and bites" for Christmas gifts, but all of the recipes contain a huge amount of salt. Do you have some suggestions on which spices could be substituted for the salt?

Linda McCully, Victoria

AWhen reviewing recipes for homemade bits and bites, nuts and bolts and party mix, you will find as Linda stated, ingredients such as seasoning salt, celery salt, onion salt and garlic salt are often generously used. The ingredients making up the body of this snack, such as cereal, pretzels and cheese crackers, can also be high in sodium, which in turn made me wonder why any additional salt is needed.

To help Linda, I decided to seek out ingredients that were lower in sodium to make what I call Eric's party mix.

After an hour or so of going through the various products and choosing those with a lower sodium content, I came up with a recipe that offered an appealing mix of tastes, shapes, colours and textures.

For added nutrition, I included two types of unsalted nuts and items that were whole grain.

I added no additional salt to my mix, instead choosing spices and vegetable powders for flavouring.

I also added some Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, but because they are fairly sodium-rich, used modest amounts.

Using information on the labels, I added up the sodium, and the 17 cups of party mix I created contained about 2,655 milligrams of sodium, about 115 milligrams per three-quarter cup serving. As a comparison, a store-bought bag of Christie's baked Bits & Bites contains 740 milligrams of sodium per three-quarter cup serving.

Eric Akis is the author of the recently published Everyone Can Cook for Celebrations: Seasonal Recipes for Festive Occasions. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.

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RECIPE

Eric's Party Mix

I don't often name brands in my recipes, but in this circumstance, to come up with a recipe that was lower in sodium, I had to, as there was a variation from product to product. Feel free to adjust the recipe by using different nuts and other spices and ingredients.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Makes: about 17 cups or 23 (3/4 cup) servings

2 cups whole blanched almonds

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

3 cups Baked Cheetos

3 cups Life multigrain cereal

20 Triscuit 100 per cent whole grain crackers (with 61 per cent less sodium), each halved lengthwise

1 cup whole grain Goldfish crackers

3 cups Terra Stix (see note)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Tabasco

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Place one oven rack in the middle, upper portion of the oven. Place a second rack in the lower, middle part of the oven. Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the oil mixture over the items in the large bowl. Toss well and then divide and spread on the two baking sheets.

Place one baking sheet in the upper part of the oven. Set the other sheet in the lower part. Bake for 30 minutes, and then give the party mix a stir. Swap the positions of the two baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, or until the ingredients are aromatic and nicely toasted. Cool to room temperature, before storing.

Note: Terra Stix is a crispy blend of exotic vegetable sticks. It is sold at most supermarkets in the snack aisle.