Deviled Egg Day, November 2
One of my mother’s cooking specialties was her deviled eggs. Hers were not only delicious, they were all smooth uniform ovals. She’d serve them in a heavy glass deviled egg dish.
Mine taste okay, but they look like they’ve had a hard journey getting to the table. I admired Mom’s deviled egg plate, so I bought one–in case I’d ever went to the trouble of assembling the delightful morsels.
In 2015, Mom spent just the last six weeks and two days of her very long life at the Stuart Care Center. She’d lived with my sister Gloria on the farm for over a dozen years before that. Gloria still lived closer, so she did most of the care-taking even when Mom was in the nursing home.
I’d go out and stay with Gloria on the farm so I could visit Mom in Stuart two days in a row. What might she appreciate having that they wouldn’t serve for meals there?
I decided to make deviled eggs, just for her.
Mom’s eyes lit up when she saw them. She looked in my eyes and smiled. Those last days she didn’t talk very much, but you could tell she was glad to have us visit. She pointed to the eggs.
“No paprika?”
Paprika! How could I have forgotten the paprika! That and springs of parsley always dressed up her deviled eggs.
It’s just a poignant little memory, but never again will I forget the paprika. If I ever go to the trouble to make deviled eggs.
Mom's Deviled Eggs 9-10 eggs, hard-cooked 1/4 cup minced onion (red) 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet-dill pickles dash of pepper and celery seed minced parsley 1/c cup Miracle Whip paprika Garnishes: parsley springs or sliced stuffed olives Cut eggs in half lengthwise, put yolks into a small mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Add onion, celery, sweet dills, pepper, celery seed, minced parsley, and Miracle Whip. Mix. Add a little pickle juice or Miracle Whip is too stiff. Fill egg whites with rubber scraper until nicely mounded. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley sprigs or sliced olives.
Sweet-dill pickles, which Mom said are the secret to her recipe, are sometimes hard to find. I’ve used dill pickles which I’ve marinated in juice from sweet pickles for a week or so.
I’ve inherited Mom’s precious deviled egg dish. Just maybe I’ll practice making a batch of her recipe again.