You can minimize the risk by using only very fresh eggs ( the bacteria grows in eggs over time) and by only using eggs that you know have been refrigerated promptly and kept refrigerated ( some stores sell eggs on racks in an unrefrigeratedc ase). You don't eliminate the risk, but you can make it very small. It has been estimated that in the area of the country where eggs carrying the organism are most prevalent it is estimated that one in 10,000 eggs are infected....fewer in other parts of the country. And of course cooking destroys the organisms. And eggs that have been always refrigerated are lass of a risk. You weigh the odds.....I eat hollendaise a couple of times a year....can't stand not to!.. But I know there are chances of contracting salmomella....but likely less a risk than catching flu or pneumonia on a flight to Arizona in January...or waiting in the dr's office to have a cut finger looked at in Februrary. Linda C

I found a Rachael Ray recipe for crab cakes. Rachael does not like mayo so I was confident it would be ommited and I was correct! I like that she uses red wine vinegar though . (in addition to her text book EVOO) Someone above did not like the fact I recommended avocados as a subsitute and that I happened to write a blog article about that. Oh well, can't seem to please everyone. But this recipe is directly from Rachael's Ray site and it sounds really tasty. (and looks to be mayo free!) Ingredients 1 starchy potato, peeled and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic Coarse salt Handful fresh flat leaf parsley Couple sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tubs fresh lump crabmeat (6 ounces) , available at fresh seafood counter 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided 2 roasted red peppers 1 small shallot, chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Black pepper 1 small head escarole, chopped 1 small head radicchio, chopped 1 endive, chopped Preparation Cook potatoes in boiling water 6-7 minutes until tender, drain, scatter across a large flat surface to cool and dry, 5 minutes. Smash the garlic with salt to make a paste and add to potatoes along with thyme, parsley, lemon zest and crushed red pepper flakes. Feel through the crab as you add it to the potatoes to check for shells. Mix together to combine and form into 4 (4-5-inch) super sized, killer crab cakes. Heat 3 tablespoons EVOO in a non stick skillet over medium to medium- high heat. Add the cakes and cook 5 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Combine the roasted red peppers, shallot, sugar, the juice of 1/2 lemon and the red wine vinegar in a food processor. Stream in the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO and form a dressing. Stop the processor and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine the greens in a salad bowl and dress them. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.

Isn't it wonderful that we all can make our own choices according to our own tastes?! And no one is right or wrong. I laughed when I saw your list of pineapple and dairy mixtures, Linda...bleh! I wouldn't eat any of them. Back in the olden days when people actually ordered banana splits, the one thing I never could abide was pineapple sauce on the ice cream! And coconut cream isn't dairy in my book, but not really a Pina Colada fan either. But I do love a fresh, ripe pineapple! Maybe it is regional...where I live there are so many fresh, local ingredients, many from the sea, and a real foodie culture, so you're right....beef stew would likely not be served for a company meal (regardless of the fancy French name it could be called); crepes might be served, not as a dessert, but maybe as a main dish or breakfast. Not much flaming of food these days. Back in the 1970's when I lived in a more rural area where people raise their own beef, so they eat much more of it, beef stew might have been something we'd have eaten (but still probably not for a company meal). Come to think of it, that's when carrot cake was at its most popular in my cooking life, too. Likely not what you'd find around here these days. Things seem to be focused on lighter fare, fresh ingredients, more veggies, fewer sauces, etc. But I'm sure I'd enjoy a beef stew dinner with crepes for dessert, if I were your guest. I'd pass on the ambrosia!

Oh, yes I have! I forgot to add eggs to a chocolate cake batter and the cake looked fine, but it was so obviously lacking in something when it hit the taste buds. I was so surprised at how the cake structure didnt give it away. The mouth feel sure did! Another time I missed the egg in some muffins and the result was so pleasing that I actually went ahead and named it for its forgotten egg , wrote down my "new" recipie and I quite like it. Both times I was surprised by the fact that the structure of both was still there without the egg.