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Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a tradition for my family. Nearly as much as spinach dip, deviled eggs find their way to every family function I go to. Up until just over three years ago, I had never met someone who had never heard of deviled eggs.

That all changed when Son and I started dating. He had grown up in Vietnam, so many of the foods that we assume to be common in the United States were unfamiliar to him. His first encounter with deviled eggs was on the Fourth of July in 2005. We had invited him to join our family barbecue, and set off fireworks afterward. (In our city, it is legal to set off fireworks.) We had our usual barbecue fare – spinach dip, beef teriyaki, hamburgers, potato salad… and deviled eggs.

One bite and Son was in love. (Should I be jealous? Maybe…) In fact, he adores deviled eggs so much that my mom will sometimes make deviled eggs just for him. (Every woman likes a man who loves her cooking.) Every time we have them at a party, he’s the first person we tell.

And what’s not to love? (Ignoring the lack of health benefits, of course.) Deviled eggs are perfectly-sized, creamy, and slightly salty finger food – the perfect party appetizer. I haven’t yet found a person who doesn’t love them, and it’s a recipe that is very easy to scale up to feed many. Sure, they may be slightly high in fat and cholesterol, but who goes to a party expecting to eat healthy food? I certainly don’t.

I think you’ll love this recipe that my mom uses from a cookbook called “Picnics & Tailgate Parties”.

Deviled Eggs

Makes 12 deviled eggs

Ingredients
  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
Cooking Directions
  1. Peel the eggs.
  2. Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
  3. Carefully remove egg yolks into a bowl; set egg whites aside.
  4. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
  5. Evenly fill egg whites with yolk mixture.
  6. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Old Fridgg Posts Recipes

Zucchini Bread

My mother is known for her zucchini bread. Every time she makes it, many of her friends and co-workers get a few slices, because she knows everyone loves it. Out of all the breads she makes, it has always been my favorite as well. I love the moist, cinnamon-y flavor, the faintest taste of zucchini, the texture and moisture that the zucchini adds to the bread.

When I was younger, I didn’t cook, I didn’t bake. I liked to eat, but otherwise I avoided the kitchen. I never would have thought that I would learn to love cooking and baking someday. And yet someday, I did. It was bound to happen eventually, but after I met Son, I began to enjoy cooking for him. My love for cooking grew by leaps and bounds, especially as I immersed myself deeper into the food blog world. To be around so many other people who loved food so much fostered a passion for food in my own heart… now I know more about food than I ever thought I would.

What does this have to do with zucchini bread? Three years ago, I would have never considered trying my mom’s zucchini bread. Too hard, I thought, and nothing ever turns out as well as mom makes it. Now, armed with my newfound cooking knowledge and love for food, I decided to try making zucchini bread with some zucchini I got in my CSA box. Like many of my cooking fears, the intimidation I had felt about making zucchini bread was just plain silly. Not only was it incredibly easy to make, but it ended up being delicious – Son’s co-workers loved it. Now to go conquer my fears of fish and pies…

Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
Cooking Directions
  1. Blend oil and sugar.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  3. Place zucchini in another bowl, then fold in the egg mixture.
  4. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder together.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture.
  6. Mix well.
  7. Pour into two greased 8×4″ loaf pans.
  8. Bake at 325F for 1 hour.