White rabbits ... and KISS

The Girl has proclaimed her passion for white chocolate.

Whatever. More of the good stuff for me.

She said weeks ago that she wanted a white chocolate bunny for Easter. Do you know how hard it is to find a white chocolate bunny? Most of them either are "milk flavored" (pass the puke pan, please) or stuffed with peanut butter. The latter sounds like a winner to me, but no go for The Girl, who is a white chocolate purist.

Finally -- FINALLY! -- on Friday, I found it. At Wal-Mart, The Evil Empire (and the closest of any empires to my home). There were two left -- one was broken, the other teetering on its base. I opted for the latter, and paid for the cheap thing.

Yeah, I said cheap. I love a bargain -- except when it comes to chocolate. I'm a chocolate snob. If it's inexpensive, it's most likely lousy chocolate. Experience plays on my side in this.

As Easter morning dawned cold as Christmas and clear, The Girl discovered her Easter basket on the kitchen table. She loved the Little Miss Sunshine DVD, was ecstatic over the black bunny I managed to snag -- and was over the moon giddy about her white chocolate bunny.

Whatever. Pass the Cadbury's, please. And they'd better be milk chocolate.

* * *
When it came to getting rid of Easter eggs -- the real, hard boiled ones, that is -- God said, "Let there be deviled eggs!" (God would never say "stuffed eggs," regardless of what the religious right would have you believe.)

And it came to pass, and they were good.

Then Man (and Woman) started "improving" them.

Like all things Divine, humans have messed up deviled eggs. The simplest culinary concoction there is, and humans have to "perfect" them.

Deviled eggs, in their purest form, are perfect. Like my mother and grandmother, I don't measure anything when it comes to making them, but here's the rough idea:

Desired quantity of hard-boiled eggs
Mustard, to taste
Mayo, to taste
salt, to taste
Paprika

Slice eggs vertically, then scoop out yolks. Smash yolks, adding desired amounts of mustard, mayo and salt. (I go light-handed on the mustard.) Put mashed-up concoction into a Ziploc bag, and snip off one of the corners of the bag. (Cook's note: It's less messy if you snip off a corner where the concoction doesn't lay.) Squirt concoction through snipped corner into hollow egg whites, filling to top. After filled, sprinkle eggs with paprika. Refrigerate, and consume at will.

Now, how hard is that?

I love shrimp, pickle relish, onions, vinegar and other flavorings, but they have no business in deviled eggs. Save the relish and onions for a hot dog, use the vinegar for one of the many reasons God intended, and grill the shrimp on the Barby. Just KISS.

***
Have a blessed Easter, everyone!