I wonder why egg salad hasn’t had a dramatic revival in recent years. With the re-embrace of eggs from a health perspective (not to mention its being an eggcelent protein for economy’s sake), it seems eggs can do no harm poached, fried, or hard-boiled on even the finest restaurant plates. But egg salad? Perhaps the pale-yellow deli standard could use a little perk.
The last time I ventured into this staple American sandwich stuffer, it was studded with piquant capers and spruced up with plenty of fresh lemon juice and herbs. But heading east from the Mediterranean, we come to a vibrant palette of flavors to awaken it also. I’m talking curries. You know–spicy, sweet, sour, salty, something. Oh it’s winter alright, but you can be in a tropical place quickly with a can of Thai green curry paste. I’m not even opposed to the yellow mustard deli standard egg salad, but I am opposed to doing the same thing every time the same way for no good reason.
Armed with cilantro to add as fresh garnish (and lots of garishly blue flowers from a bodega), I arrived at the baby shower’s venue, my friend Kara’s place. After arranging some of those flowers into vases, I settled into the kitchen to assemble the triangle-shaped bites. (Our hostess’ cat seemed to approve this decision, defiantly claiming the bags I had brought the flowers in as his makeshift bed.) Karol arrived and helped me to prepare a large stack of tuna salad tea sandwiches, which I decided to add just in case people were really hungry. She also brought a picture-perfect savory tart with sweet potatoes and goat cheese. Then Melissa came with a cardamom-spiced butternut squash soup, replete with a squirt bottle of herbed sour cream to drizzle on top. Jennie made Special K bars, a riff on Rice Krispies treats, for dessert. Those along with the other delicious offerings from friends grounded our spread in a distinctly nuanced yet traditional direction that I thought couldn’t be more fitting for our guest of honor, the baby-bloated Jordan.
