Q: Is there any advantage to using pasteurized eggs?
Brittney, via e-mail

A: Pasteurized shell eggs are not a potentially hazardous food (PHF), so they are exempt from many egg-specific food-handling requirements. The egg-related cross-contamination threat is essentially eliminated. They also improve operational efficiency — large bakeries can reduce HACCP programs, training time and complexity. Also, they can provide time- and labor-saving steps, such as pooling and staging eggs before they are baked or cooked. Pasteurized shell eggs can be kept at room temperature for up to eight hours.

Q: Can you provide a formula for strawberry cheesecake topping or sauce?
R.C., Bridgeport, Colo.

A: Try this small batch. If you like the outcome, upscale for larger production needs.

Strawberry cheesecake topping/sauce

Method: Combine strawberries, granulated sugar, water and lemon zest. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the berries are soft and the liquid is thick. Stir in the kirsch brandy, and cook for an additional three minutes. Remove from heat and chill. Spoon on top of cheesecakes or other desserts.

Q: What are xanthan gum and guar gum?
Pamela, via e-mail

A: Xanthan gum is a powder milled from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Xanthomonas campestris, which is grown under laboratory conditions. Xanthan gum is produced by fermenting corn sugar with Xanthomonas campestris. It acts as a gluten substitute. Guar gum is a powder derived from the seed of a plant called Cyamopsis tetragonolobus. It is sometimes used as a laxative and is not as good of a substitute for gluten as xanthan gum.

Q: What is the difference between regular and double-acting baking powder?
Fred, via e-mail

A: First, you cannot double regular (or single-acting) baking powder to replace double-acting powder. Single-acting baking powder releases carbon dioxide gas as soon as it becomes wet. A product using it must be baked as soon as it is mixed, because if left for too long, the product will lose carbon dioxide. Double-acting baking powder will release some carbon dioxide when moisture is added, but the greatest amount is released as it heats. Using an excess of baking powder will sometimes leave a bitter flavor in the product, so follow the formula precisely.

Q: What can be substituted for cornstarch when making dessert sauces?
Solange, via e-mail

A: Potato starch flour works great as a thickening agent for sauces, and is an almost even substitution for cornstarch in the formula. Add the potato starch a little at a time in the form of a slurry. Cook while stirring until the desired thickness is obtained, then remove from heat.

Q: How can I alter a formula or food item to reduce tartness and/or bitterness?
Angela Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.

A: Unpleasant tartness (sourness) in food the result of too much acid in the food. Most foods are somewhat acidic, but not unpleasantly so. Strong acids include common ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, orange juice and black coffee. Acids release hydrogen ions (protons), which results in a sour flavor. On the other hand, bitter flavors occur in bases or alkalis that bind hydrogen ions, resulting in a lack of free hydrogen ions. Examples of strong bases are egg white, baking soda in water, and ammonia (sometimes used in leavening). The pH (Potential of Hydrogen) scale measures hydrogen ion activity. A pH of above 7 indicates alkalinity, while a pH below 7 indicates acidity. A pH of exaclty 7 will not elicit any sour or bitter flavors. If a product tastes too sour, a baker can reduce the acid, change the flavor by adding sweetener (sweet and sour), mask the taste by adding other flavors or neutralize acid by adding a base. If a formula is too bitter, you can reduce the base, change the taste by adding sweetener (bitter-sweet), mask the flavor by adding other flavors or neutralize the base by adding an acid.

Klaus Tenbergen is certified as a Master Baker in Germany, South Africa and the United States. He is currently an assistant professor at California State University in Fresno, teaching classes in Culinology®-the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. For more information, call 559/278-2164 or contact Klaus Tenbergen at ktenbergen@csufresno.edu.