When it comes to holidays or family gatherings everyone is quick to reply asking what should they contribute, if they can bring a tentative, surprise guest and somehow assigning themselves one way or another to a particular food item, course or cuisine that everyone may or may not want — but we’ll still all go with it. That being said, I am definitely a culprit of being the first one to offer up bringing deviled eggs. There’s no surprise guest, unidentifiable appetizer or outstanding question — it’s a statement: “I’m bringing deviled eggs.”

Let’s now clarify, regardless of the easy going, all-known, bite-sized treat I may be a culprit of throwing in a surprise garnish, a cameo from a different ingredient like wasabi or avocado but at the end of the day a deviled egg is just that – a deviled egg.

It’s known to pack a bite-sized punch. It’s there to be the unassuming “Pringles” of the appetizer cohort. Regardless of the ingredients used, once you taste you just can’t erase.

Why is that, you ask? How can that possibly be day in and day out is probably the better question.

Eggs are versatile. Eggs are rich. Eggs are complementary. They can be colorfully transformed as well as simply enhanced. They don’t require much but they do require care. Therefore, the devil is in the details of the egg.

Cook too long and it may be harder than you want. Cook too short and it may be too runny and not as tender as you want. I truly believe that my Grandma knew this as she would cook eggs for us as grandkids. She instinctively knew when the “key fit the keyhole”, let’s just say; when “it was ripe for the taking”. She didn’t need a timer and at the end of the day the details, she controlled – no one else.

She treated eggs with such care and I want to say that’s because she was serving them to her family, which she treated with even greater care. She knew the time, thoughtfulness and details that went into making the perfect egg, however anyone wanted it.

From her, I learned to take appreciation of these details and find my sweet spot in this egg-cellent cooking world. Her specialty was soft boiled eggs – mine was and still remains deviled eggs.

So, here are a few recipes to take pride in the details, honor the consideration that goes into the ingredients and, at the end of the day, have fun with the crowd-pleasing dish you serve.

• Get eggs at least a week before serving
• Night before turn eggs over in carton to make sure they’re perfectly centered (learned this from Trish Yearwood and even my Mom noted this)
• Place eggs in bottom of large pot and fill with cold to room temperature water and a splash of vinegar (to help with peeling) until an inch above the tops of eggs
• Place on stove on high until water starts to boil
• Turn off heat and remove once boiling and set timer for 12 minutes
• After 12 minutes, place eggs into an ice cold bath to stop cooking

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs (with a slight twist):

• 2 tablespoons ACV
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
• Salt & pepper
• Paprika or Cayenne, on top
• Tiny gherkins, if you want

Pesto Deviled Eggs:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt & pepper, if needed (but you shouldn’t)

Guacamole Deviled Eggs: 

• 1 avocado
• 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1-2 teaspoons red onion, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
• 1 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon diced tomato
• Chile powder to taste

Deviled Egg Spread:

• 2 tablespoons ACV
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (or any other mustard depending on your preference)
• Salt & pepper
• Paprika or Cayenne, on top
• Serve with butter crackers (or your favorite cracker)

BYODE (Build Your Own Deviled Egg):

• Mixture: Egg yolks, yellow mustard, mayo, S&P, vinegar
• BYODE Bar:
  • Radishes
  • Jalapenos
  • Chives
  • Cilantro
  • Paprika/Cayenne
  • Banana Peppers
  • Green chiles
  • Caviar, if you’re feeling really fancy

Egg bump (aka cheers)!

“This holiday means spending time with family. It means spending time with a family that is not a connection by marriage but connection by feeling and meaning and very special to be a part of.”

“It’s about the flavors, recipes and same flavors I’ve always known.”

“This holiday is about the chaos, the harmonious family noise and pie.”

Thanksgiving.

Can’t say I’ve ever loved this holiday. . . until today. Thanksgiving takes some maturity, but with the maturity comes perspective.

Perspective to understand the quirks and the timing and food and people. You may think you know everyone but today is the day it all changes. Today is the day where it’s only about the people. You have Christmas with Santa, Easter with the Bunny and 4th of July with the fireworks. You have Thanksgiving with love and family and sweet potatoes and homemade dressing and turkey legs and giblets and pecan pie and bottles to saber (caught you off guard, huh?). This is the time to decide what picture comes to your mind when you think of Thanksgiving. This is the time to decide the who, when, where, why and how.

Who: my family by choice and family by blood

When: I’ll take them any day of the week

Where: wherever they are

Why: because why not?

How: who’s house is the cleanest?

I’m thankful for them and that’s all.

As we all know, staying on the surface is safe. Staying on the top of things is all fine and dandy (both physical and mental/emotional) until you realize you need something more. You realize you need those who you didn’t think you needed.

I went into a situation wanting to learn more about food, be even busier than I may or may not have realized at the start and be a part of a different team that I could only get in one specific place. That place was a cooking school. That place was a second home. That place was way more than “just the tops”.

This place was a recipe in itself..

Serving size: ALL

Prep Time: Jump right in

Total Time: To infinity and beyond

Directions:

Work hard.

Be yourself.

Tell the truth.

Sing loudly.

Drink only the finest.

Eat only the best.

Notable tips:

Be prepared to fall in love with everyone you work with and never wanting to leave.

Recently, we said “so long, farewell, until we meet again” to a dear friend who moved from Denver to New Zealand. With his departure, it brought all of the great ingredients together again. We reminisced about the good ol’ days and moments to come, but it wasn’t until I realized this important ingredient was taking his last bite for a while with us and that it’s about the bottoms that matter most. Those ingredients, those people and those many songs you sang off-key together that build you from the ground up. Because, once again, it’s not just about the tops.

 

It appears to me that every interaction can be deduced down to a simple recipe. A dash of humbleness. A heavy pinch of sarcasm (and then some). A cup of “Dad jokes”. A tablespoon of empathy. Whatever the situation may be life is but a concoction of ingredients and life experiences that make us who we are.

Born in Colorado. A true native (hard to find nowadays). Youngest of three among a strong, motivated, driven and kind family. Grew up with the kitchen being the home base, the core, where the majority of memories stemmed from those who are not here but taught so much, where my Mom baked hundreds of cookies/muffins/caramel popcorn throughout our childhood, where morning coffee and coffee talks took place and, most importantly, where it all made sense.

The kitchen isn’t all about what you make, how you make it and what you’re doing to make it different. The kitchen is about the moments, the time you can’t take back, the experiences you have the opportunity to be a part of at the right time in the right place to continue to build out your perfect recipe.

I cannot wait to share the recipes, moments and experiences being created on my end but would like to thank you in advance for adding to my recipe and hopefully help add to yours!