I have to day I feel rather betrayed today...Betrayed by the national media and local news sources as well. You see...today is National Deviled Egg Day! That's right...the day the United States set aside to honor (and enjoy!) one of the best recipes EVER CREATED, the Deviled Egg. Not only was there no fanfare whatever on any of the major networks, but deviled eggs were not featured at the cafeteria inside my place of employment. In fact, deviled eggs were available AT ALL!!
Granted, the nation (or parts of it, anyway) were still all excited that the Houston Astros won the World Series last night, but still...I mean we need to keep the proper perspective of a mere baseball game...after all, it was only a game. But...not featuring deviled eggs today! Really!! What a faux pas!! By the way, shouldn't the "deviled" in deviled eggs actually be spelled DEVILLED? The rule in proper English would be to double the last consonant then add "ed." Shouldn't the word "deviled" rhyme with the word "reviled"? But I digress...
I would like to take just a few minutes to honor the Deviled (or Devilled) Egg, and to lick my chops while wishing I had at least a dozen deviled eggs waiting for me in my refrigerator. It seems that spiced-up, boiled eggs were served at least as far back as the early Roman Empire. Richer dining patrons were served spiced egg yolk replaced into the boiled egg, although a more expensive version included small birds called fig-peckers in the egg yolk mixture. I...er...would have to pass on that particular variation. (ummm...BARFFF!!)
The spiced-egg spread from the Roman Empire across western Europe, finding its way to England and France by the 1300's. To the spiced-egg yolk people began to add paprika and mustard, and many different kinds of herbs. By the end of the Dark Ages, the deviled egg was beginning to take its modern form, the delicacy with which many of us are familiar in this very day. But where did the term "deviled egg" first appear?
It is believed that the first use of the term "deviled eggs" was in British cook books published around the year of 1786. "Deviling" became a verb that meant to add spices and other herbs and flavors to foods to make these dishes more exciting. Hence the term "deviled eggs," which referred to mixing boiled egg yolk with various spices, herbs, and mustard, and replacing this mixture into boiled eggs. Thus one of the most popular food items and picnic essentials of all time was created for our culinary pleasure. By the way, prior to the turn of the 19th Century, some faithful Christians refused to use the term "deviled" eggs, much preferring more innocuous titles such as "stuffed eggs," "dressed eggs," or even "salad eggs," especially if the eggs were served at religious functions!
So I missed National Deviled Egg Day this year. No matter. I have worked up such an appetite for deviled eggs while writing this brief post that I will definitely purchase a dozen eggs tomorrow and try my hand at making some of those tasty little morsels this weekend.
Remember, it is ONLY 364 days until National Deviled Egg Day!
Until then...stay deviled, my friends!
Granted, the nation (or parts of it, anyway) were still all excited that the Houston Astros won the World Series last night, but still...I mean we need to keep the proper perspective of a mere baseball game...after all, it was only a game. But...not featuring deviled eggs today! Really!! What a faux pas!! By the way, shouldn't the "deviled" in deviled eggs actually be spelled DEVILLED? The rule in proper English would be to double the last consonant then add "ed." Shouldn't the word "deviled" rhyme with the word "reviled"? But I digress...
I would like to take just a few minutes to honor the Deviled (or Devilled) Egg, and to lick my chops while wishing I had at least a dozen deviled eggs waiting for me in my refrigerator. It seems that spiced-up, boiled eggs were served at least as far back as the early Roman Empire. Richer dining patrons were served spiced egg yolk replaced into the boiled egg, although a more expensive version included small birds called fig-peckers in the egg yolk mixture. I...er...would have to pass on that particular variation. (ummm...BARFFF!!)
The spiced-egg spread from the Roman Empire across western Europe, finding its way to England and France by the 1300's. To the spiced-egg yolk people began to add paprika and mustard, and many different kinds of herbs. By the end of the Dark Ages, the deviled egg was beginning to take its modern form, the delicacy with which many of us are familiar in this very day. But where did the term "deviled egg" first appear?
It is believed that the first use of the term "deviled eggs" was in British cook books published around the year of 1786. "Deviling" became a verb that meant to add spices and other herbs and flavors to foods to make these dishes more exciting. Hence the term "deviled eggs," which referred to mixing boiled egg yolk with various spices, herbs, and mustard, and replacing this mixture into boiled eggs. Thus one of the most popular food items and picnic essentials of all time was created for our culinary pleasure. By the way, prior to the turn of the 19th Century, some faithful Christians refused to use the term "deviled" eggs, much preferring more innocuous titles such as "stuffed eggs," "dressed eggs," or even "salad eggs," especially if the eggs were served at religious functions!
So I missed National Deviled Egg Day this year. No matter. I have worked up such an appetite for deviled eggs while writing this brief post that I will definitely purchase a dozen eggs tomorrow and try my hand at making some of those tasty little morsels this weekend.
Remember, it is ONLY 364 days until National Deviled Egg Day!
Until then...stay deviled, my friends!
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