The Devil in My Kitchen

For the whole story about Megan's Bridal shower... click here.

So here's the thing about my experience with Deviled Eggs - people hate to love them. You will never have many left-over deviled eggs at a party. But people will not request them, or comment on them. But they will lick that plate clean. Seriously. And it may be a regional thing - I don't know how people in the South act about them (my research tells me that it's serious business), but in the West, they're not really sought after. But if you make them... they will come. It's like a good egg salad sandwich. You don't normally tell people that's your favorite. You lie and say it's something passe like turkey. Because only 10 year olds love an egg salad sandwich. On some lightly toasted rye. And maybe some lettuce. And a little bacon if you're feeling crazy. Alright - maybe I'm 10 at heart. I love eggs to the same capacity that my dad hates them. That's okay - I'll eat his.

Some history: yes, I actually researched before the shower. Back to the trend in the mid century: stuff things into other things. Deviled eggs? Whole lot of egg-ception right there. An egg stuffed with ITSELF. Apparently, these things have been around in some form for centuries. And for the last century, they've been quite the international traveler and remaining quite popular in most of Europe.

Deviled eggs remain a beautiful platform for many other things. Very versatile... You can make the filling with onion, celery, and/or diced olives. You can add heat with jalapenos, flair with curry, or tang with pickles. Top with salsa, brisket, or caviar. Infuse with flavors from Caesar salad, barbecue, or sushi. And then when you're full that day, try something else! Seriously guys - these things are freaking amazing.

And obviously I made them for the shower. They were a little plain, but more purest than anything. But here's the problem I always have with making deviled eggs... recipes for them are the worst! Different eggs have different moisture content - so they'll need different amounts of fillings to reach the desired consistency.

So you will find below the ingredients that I used. The yolk mixture is so easy to taste along the way. I always start with the mayonnaise and mustard to get the main consistency right. I'm not a huge fan of relish in the eggs, but I love the texture of minced celery. I like to top sprinkle the top with just a bit of paprika and seasoned salt for both color and they brighten the flavor profile. For this special occasion, I also topped with minced parsley, though you can omit this. You can make these in any quantity - from one egg up to your army-sized needs. I find that 6-12 eggs (making 12-24 servings) is enough for most parties. Finally - I piped the filling. There is no shame in using a spoon. But even if you don't have a piping tip, I just think it's easiest to put all the filling in a zip-top bag, trim the end, and fill that way. You almost always need with 2 spoons, or a messy finger, and I lose the least amount of filling by using the bag method.

That's it!

1. Eggs
2. Mayonnaise
3. Mustard (I like Dijon)
4. Finely minced celery
5. Seasoned Salt
6. Paprika (if you're feeling spicy)
7. Lemon pepper (if you're feeling zesty)
8. Other things to add-to-taste: Relish, salsa, caviar (on top), or pesto.