You Devil You

I love deviled eggs, but the rest of my family doesn’t. So, as a consequence, if I make a batch, I have to eat them all … no problem. I guess I relish them so much because they remind me of my childhood picnics … and I also enjoy their taste and convenience. So here is my take on them.

First the eggs … place six eggs in a pot of cold water to cover. Bring this water up to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Let stand and cool in this water for at least 15 minutes. Then run cold water in the pot, cracking the eggs on the side so that some of the cold water gets inside the shells. This should make the job of peeling the eggs a breeze … and also keep the yolks from forming a green ring. Now cut the eggs in two longitudinally and ease out the yolks into a separate bowl … placing the 12 half eggs on a serving plate. Mash the yolks well with a fork and add:

- two well-minced shallots
- a tablespoon of good Dijon mustard
- a heaping tablespoon of Hellmann’s mayonnaise
- a tablespoon of chopped capers
- a big pinch of salt
- five grinds of fresh pepper
- a few squirts of Tabasco sauce (optional, but they are called “deviled” eggs)
- a tablespoon of sweet pickle relish (optional)
- a teaspoon of well-chopped parsley (optional)

Now mix well, taste for seasoning, and spoon into the yolk craters in the egg whites. (There is no need to use a pastry bag for this process unless you double or triple this recipe.) Finally, sprinkle some paprika on top and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Pop them in your mouth in between bites of crispy fried chicken.

The Blodget Sandwich

With thanks to Peter DeVries (for the appellation only).

Please heed the following somewhat obvious advice in making this mouth-watering midnight feast -- the fresher and higher-quality the ingredients the finer the end product:

• Take 2 slices of reasonably firm, fresh rustic white or whole-wheat bread.
• Cover the bottom slice with a swath of good brown mustard like Kosciusko ... not yellow mustard.
• Now add the following cool or cold ingredients (except where indicated), in the approximate order stated:
- Two slices of baked Virginia ham (preferably fresh-cut with edge-fat included),
- One or two slices of room-temperature Swiss cheese (Emmental, if possible),
- Some fresh sweet pickle relish (to taste ... at least one heaping teaspoonful),
- Two or three thin slices of Bermuda onion (halved scallions may be substituted),
- Three or four thin slices of a lean and tasty Genoa salami,
- A full spreading of sharp Jewish horseradish (neglect this, and it’s no Blodget),
- Two crisp leaves of Boston or Bibb lettuce (Iceberg only as a last resort),
- Two or three rounds of a fresh, red, ripe tomato (skin peeled off), and
- A slathering of Hellmann’s real mayonnaise (on the tomato, NOT on the top bread).
• Cover with the other slice of bread, slice the finished sandwich on the diagonal, and hold each half together with a long toothpick, topped with a Colossal green pimento olive or a sweet gherkin (or both).
• Place a dish towel into your pajama-top neck, as a bib.
• Pour yourself a tall, cold glass of milk and find a good old movie on TV.
• Enjoy!  (And don't call it a Dagwood!)