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Easter Egg Salad Sandwiches

Started by Jamie D, April 08, 2012, 04:43:34 AM

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Jamie D

In America and several other countries, for reasons absolutely unknown to me, there exists a tradition of dyeing hard boiled eggs bright colors.

If you are like me, when you boil a dozen eggs, no matter how careful you are, there are always a few eggs that will crack during the cooking process, rendering them unfit for the dyeing process.  Also, a few days out from Easter, when the candy and other treats have all been consumed, you might still have a few oddly-decorated eggs left in the refrigerator.

In any case. whether your eggs are leftovers or cracked, here is a recipe for egg salad sandwiches, with a little bit of a kick.

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown or dijon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons finely diced white or yellow onion

Leaf lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Chili powder, cayenne pepper, or paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice

Coarsely chop your cooled, hard boiled eggs
In a separate bowl, combine your mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, vinegar, and onion.  Fold that into the chopped eggs.
Add a dash of salt and black pepper, if desired.
Chill until cold.

To prepare your sandwiches, lightly toast your bread (I prefer either a whole grain wheat bread or California sourdough bread).

Spread with a light coat of mayonnaise on each side and layer with lettuce, sliced tomato, and sliced avocado on one half, the egg salad mixture on the other.  Sprinkle with chili powder or paprika (or cayenne pepper if you are brave).

This makes two sandwiches of generous proportions.  It is easy and inexpensive.
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Cindy

In Australia this is a practice among the Greek community (It may be Italian as well).

My sister in law from the USA has produced these coloured eggs for ever at Easter. It seems strange. I'm not sure of the background, she also decorates the eggs with little pictures etc.

Greek (Orthodox) Easter is next week and a totally different festival.
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Devlyn

I had some tie dye devilled eggs today. Thinking we should rename them Devylled eggs! Hugs, Devlyn
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tekla

Though not exactly perfect, the US does try to absorb immigrant populations by absorbing traditions (or like St. Paddy Day, creating them out of whole cloth, or like Cinco de Mayo wildly inflating them -  both BTW with the help of the immigrants) and making them our own.  I'm pretty sure the colored egg deal comes from Eastern Europe, and the US has significant Polish and Bohemian populations in some areas - mostly catholic - and people liked it and adopted it and it spread.  Just like the American Xmas traditions are a mix of German/English/and our own American created ones with a few Mexican traditions tossed in out West.
FIGHT APATHY!, or don't...
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Rubberneck

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Rubberneck

Quote from: tekla on April 08, 2012, 08:34:23 PM
Though not exactly perfect, the US does try to absorb immigrant populations by absorbing traditions (or like St. Paddy Day, creating them out of whole cloth, or like Cinco de Mayo wildly inflating them -  both BTW with the help of the immigrants) and making them our own.  I'm pretty sure the colored egg deal comes from Eastern Europe, and the US has significant Polish and Bohemian populations in some areas - mostly catholic - and people liked it and adopted it and it spread.  Just like the American Xmas traditions are a mix of German/English/and our own American created ones with a few Mexican traditions tossed in out West.

Yeah but it's a nice salad!

And why do immigrants have to be forced to be absorbed? Why can't they just be appreciated for their own diverse cultures? Can't you just make the dam salad and eat it instead of making up weird stories?

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Devlyn

I'm picturing Santa Claus in a low rider sleigh! Hugs, Devlyn
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Jamie D

Quote from: Devlyn on April 08, 2012, 08:06:37 PM
I had some tie dye devilled eggs today. Thinking we should rename them Devylled eggs! Hugs, Devlyn

So it is written.  So it shall be done.
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tekla

Well if they didn't want to be absorbed, they could have stayed home and saved the expense of the boat trip - except for the African population of course.  But other than slavery no one was 'forced' to come here, they chose it - for whatever reason.

Many came here expressly to escape a lot of the aspects of their own diverse cultures.  Which of course is not exactly right, they wanted to get out of their society without giving up all their culture.  Russian immigrants didn't want to stop being Russian, but they sure as >-bleeped-< wanted to stop being serfs.  And while it's always been fine to absorb/celebrate bits of culture, we expressly did not want to incorporate aspects of their home societies.  So a little give, a little take - some of this, none of that...

And even then it's not universal.  There exist several unique and separate societies and cultures in the US.  The Amish and Mennonite communities, the Cajuns, and the entire Western Cholo/Atzalan deal are pretty separate, as are many of the native tribes.

And it's not forced by American society and culture, it's something that happens over time, it's generational, and often, it's done out of a mixing of nostalgia, pride, and belonging.  It's not all that unique - quite common in fact - to go to an Indian neighborhood and see grandma walking in her sari, the daughter in more contemporary western garb but with the bindi, and the granddaughter in the same hip-hop stuff all her classmates wear.  But though she is not going to be sporting a sari, or a bindi, she'll still like some aspects, music, food, faith - of the heritage culture, and she'll incorporate them into her life, and in fact, help spread them.

So now, back to Easter eggs... no doubt as the immigration with the tradition moved into their neighborhoods they were right up against other immigrant populations, they shared space in housing and probably more importantly in church.  So when the Irish kids saw the Polish kids with the cool eggs they started doing it themselves, and no doubt the Polish people where happy to share it with them.  Just like the Indian granddaughter, who has learned to cook some of the old country dishes will share them with her friends, or her friends will come over to dinner (or she'll just open a restaurant, one of the great American traditions, using your ethnicity to your advantage) and go 'Damn, that curri is good.'  Or like all the people I know who do luminaria after seeing Hispanic houses do it.
FIGHT APATHY!, or don't...
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