In which Kate ruminates on egg salad

The first time I saw egg salad was probably in the sandwich of one of my elementary school peers. I thought it looked absolutely disgusting. I was not that fond of mayonaise anyway I still rarely use it. I have had jars of may go bad in my fridge from non-use. Turkey sammiches after Thanksgiving and tuna salad is about it. Anyway, and it just didn't appeal at all.

I love eggs. I make omelettes that I've had some fabulous feedback on. Nexx, who doesn't like scrambled eggs, gobbles them up when I make them. I've made a lovely green chile quiche (and lost the damn recipe, I will have to look into that). I've never been overly fond of cold eggs, though. I usually don't eat deviled eggs either. Call it a quirk.

But, once you've figured out the exact amount of time you need to make yourself a boiled egg, there is nothing like it. It's a simple thing, totally self-contained. You can, if you wish, simply peel, salt, and eat.

I took to making warm egg salads a couple decades ago. I didn't want to spend the fussing of making an omelette, and I wanted something simple and comforting. I soft-boiled the egg until the yolk was just set. Since your kitchen and your altitude are guaranteed to vary. I am not going to tell you how to boil an egg. I can tell you a story about a relative who needed a cookbook to fry one, but it's a short story and more sad than funny.

I've mushed an egg with the yolk not quite set with with black pepper and crackers and that was quite delightful. I've since moved on to various combinations of mushables. If you have some ideas let me know. Here are some of mine.

• hot sauce. One favorite of mine is called Jump Up and Kiss Me. Cajun Power garlic sauce is also awesome here.
• Sriahcha. Rooster power!
• Curry powder and minced onions (figure about 2 teaspoons of mince onion per egg. Curry powder to taste)
• Dried basil and parmesan cheese with a dab of olive oil (almost like pesto)
• Cheese, onion, and mustard. I have five kinds of mustard in the fridge, but some dry hot Chinese mustard in the cupboard. My sweetie has asked me not to buy any more for a while.
• Dried rosemary and crushed garlic (because I am lazy and keep garlic in a jar on hand)

Crackers are not necessary, though toast could also be delicious if you wanted to treat a warm egg salad as a spread. I tend to treat my egg salad as a dip and scoop it out of the bowl with the crackers. My current favorite crackers and made from lentils and corn. The brand name escapes me. I wouldn't go with too buttery of a cracker, it might overwhelm the egg.  Nexx found the lentil crackers in the gluten-free aisle and we find them delicious, though neither of us is medically required to avoid wheat.

If you try some these, let me know how you like them, or how you improved them!

and happy new year!