The egg market shows no signs of cracking in the current economy, says Mintel. And most consumers disagree that organic eggs are healthier.

Whether it’s hard-boiled, over easy or poached, featured at breakfast, lunch or dinner, and as baked goods or sauces, the egg is truly the MVP of the kitchen. Not surprisingly, penetration is extremely high, and egg use remains steady at 94% of all U.S. households, according to a recent Mintel report.

A whopping 92% of Mintel respondents agree that eggs are an important part of a healthy diet.  There is a potential struggle, however, for organic producers as more than half (57%) of consumers don’t believe organic eggs are any healthier for you than regular ones. Furthermore, 30% of respondents eat fewer eggs than they would like due to concerns about cholesterol.

By Lynn Schwartz

With more than 30 years in the business, Chef Philip DeMaiolo of New York’s Pier Sixty and The Lighthouse thrives under the pressure of making each event memorable.

“There is a single opportunity to create a memory,” says Philip DeMaiolo, the executive chef of Pier Sixty and The Lighthouse, two upscale catering venues in New York City. This might be a statement about any meal in any restaurant, but DeMaiolo is referring to the wedding meal. And the fare must not only be memorable, but perfect. The food, presentation and service need to exceed all expectations of the bride and groom, their families and their guests.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Diversity, exercise and focus are three areas that educators can capitalize on in the remaining summer months.

Last month, we discussed “Pursuing the ABCs of Your Professional Development.” They included Activities, Books and Conferences. This month, we will focus on the DEFs—Diversity, Exercise and Focus—other aspects of your professional development, something that we are all doing a bit of this summer.

D – Diversity
Since diversity is an increasingly important aspect of teaching—the diversity of students, the range of their backgrounds and skills, the variety of their learning styles—it is a concept that you probably think a lot about and work with in your daily teaching activities. Each of us has been involved in diversity workshops where we were reminded to recognize and honor the diversity of our students, a practice that we take seriously as educators.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

Chef Weiner suggests five steps to help students overcome their reticence toward baking.

Teaching baking in 50 minutes has some unique challenges. But it is more challenging to realize that we are teaching a generation who have not only grown up without seeing their parents bake from scratch, but have also grown up not seeing their grandparents bake from scratch. With Betty Crocker's first cake mix coming out in 1943, baking from scratch at home has become a lost art.

Fortunately, baking at home and in restaurants is making a comeback. However, we have to help our students overcome their shyness of baking. Here is a proposed 5-Step Program:

1. Start Simple and without Explanation. Divide your students into groups, give each group the same chocolate-chip-cookie recipe, and have them go at it. Stand back and don't get involved. Each group will produce a very different-looking and tasting cookie.

Courtesy of the American Lamb Board

Barbecuing lamb brings together a richly flavored, homegrown product and one of America’s specialty cooking methods. It also helps teach our students about cuts of lamb that they may not often cook.

The term barbecue is somewhat confusing. To many in the United States it refers to outdoor cooking in general. To others, it conjures up images of putting burgers or steaks on the grill. For culinarians and many of those who live in the south, barbecuing refers to a very specific cooking method where low, indirect heat is used to slow cook full-flavored and tougher cuts of meat. Often the heat comes from burning wood, so a rich smoky flavor is infused into the meat. Various cuts of lamb are ideal for this cooking method and yield up some really tasty treats.