Lecithin

One of the factors in egg yolk that helps to stabilize emulsions such as mayonnaise, salad dressings and Hollandaise sauce. Lecithin contains a phospholipid, acetycholine, which has been demonstrated to have a profound effect on brain function.

~see Cooking Functions, Hollandaise Sauce, Mayonnaise, Nutrient

Leftover Egg Parts

Occasionally recipes call for only the yolk or the white of the egg. Many delectable dishes can be made from the other half of the egg.

Whites

Angel Food Cake—see same

Boiled Frosting—see Meringue

Italian Macaroons

Meringue—see same

Sherbet

Snow Pudding—see Soufflés, cold

White Cake

Yolks

Boiled Dressing—see same

Egg pastry

Hollandaise and variations—see same

Mayonnaise—see same

Remember, you can always add a little of either whites or yolks to whole eggs for scrambled eggs or cook each and then chop or sieve for a pretty garnish.

In some recipes, either 2 egg whites or 2 egg yolks can replace 1 whole egg.

~see Freezing, Storing

Legends

Stories about eggs go back to the earliest memories of man. In Sanskrit, the sacred language of the Hindus, it is written that a cosmic egg contained a spirit that would be born, die and be reborn. The Egyptians believed that their god Ptah created the egg out of the sun and moon. Phoenicians thought that two halves of a very large egg split open producing heaven and earth. Because of its connections with new life, the egg has been touted as both an aphrodisiac and fertility insurance.

Central European peasants rubbed eggs on their plows hoping to improve the crops. The French bride broke an egg on the doorstep before entering her new home to assure a large family. Back before Nero practiced fiddle pyrotechnics, his consort Livia was told to warm an egg on her bosom. When it hatched, the sex of the chick would foretell the sex of her unborn child. All went as predicted and the Emperor Tiberius (as well as an old wives' tale) was born.