a change of perspective

What to do with a world that seems to have turned itself on its side… again? 

One thing’s for sure people’s nerves are frayed, tensions are rising, civility seems at an all-time low. My infrequent outings are often greeted with toddler meltdowns by people who are old enough to be their parents or grandparents. Just the other day I was berated by a complete stranger at a grocery store because she felt I was taking too long to place my order at the fish counter. Yes, I was ordering many small quantity items (for my next post) but to my defense, no one was there when I got to the counter. And I was having a fun exchange with the fishmonger, which was making us both feel a little more normal, that was until Penelope Pandemic swooped in pushing her cart.

I’ve been striving to find balance, and to try to appreciate the abundant beauty in the world in an effort to keep my mind on a positive trajectory. When that fails, instead of letting myself get stuck on a retread of angry thoughts, I’ve decided to let myself be upset about something ridiculous, then spin my wheels on how to maybe do something about it.

One silly thing that has annoyed me for some time is the fact that deviled egg plates either come in sizes that hold twelve or twenty-four. Deviled eggs are one of my comfort foods, but I get miffed when they slip around the plate.  I want mine to have a little home in which to nest. During these trying times of minimal entertaining, I find three eggs halved are the perfect indulgence for two. 

Once I spied a little escargot plate with six divots. Which would have been perfect if the indents were oblong instead of circular. Annoying. 

Then two weeks ago bundled and masked up I flew to Utah to help my baby quietly celebrate her 30th birthday. We went to her favorite restaurant, Tupelo, to pick up dinner. While we waited, we ordered two things that were complete game changers. The first was a mezcal drink aptly named “naked in the street” and the second was a little plate of chili dusted deviled eggs. And guess what? The were halved crosswise, not lengthwise. Meaning they were circular, not oblong, which meant they would fit perfectly in that little escargot plate! 

Two things make the “naked in the street”. The first is blood orange puree. I just scooped out the flesh and juice.

Then pureed it with a hand blender.

The second is hot honey syrup. I did a little investigating and came up with an easy version. Two parts honey to one part hot water, then dashes of tabasco to taste.

Be sure to place any remaining syrup in a lidded container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

For two cocktails (because you probably don’t want to be “naked in the street” alone) combine three ounces mezcal, two ounces fresh lime juice, one and a half ounces each blood orange puree and hot honey syrup. Pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lime.

For a small plate version of deviled eggs, halve the recipe then slice the hardboiled eggs in half crosswise not lengthwise. With tongs place chilled eggs into a pan with one inch of boiling water. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low and steam the eggs for 13 minutes. Immediately plunge the cooked eggs into an ice bath until completely cool. 

Tap both ends of the egg until you find the air pocket. Then carefully peel under running cold water, sliding the egg away from the membrane and the shell it’s attached to. Place the peeled eggs in a paper towel lined bowl, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (this will make the yolks easier to pop out while keeping the cooked white intact). Halve the eggs crosswise.

Place the mustard, tabasco, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, pickle juice and softened butter in a bowl. Carefully pop out the yolks and place in the bowl. Whisk vigorously until smooth. 

Create a disposable pastry bag by placing a small Ziploc bag in a measuring cup. Spoon in the yolk mixture into the bag. Remove the air and seal. Snip a little off the corner. Pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Garnish with snipped chives. 

Here a little altitude attitude adjustment was all that was needed to create a much-needed shift in perspective.