A Deviled Egg EXTRAVAGANZA at Supper restaurant in Philadelphia

This column (http://tinyurl.com/kryvlq), which recently appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer food section, contains one line that makes me smile like I have never smiled.

Mitch Prensky, owner of Supper restaurant in Philadelphia (http://www.supperphilly.com/), says, "Nobody doesn't like a deviled egg." Well, Mitch, that's the premise of this blog - everyone loves deviled eggs, there are an infinite number of possibilities of deviled egg recipes, and we want to find the BEST one.

Mitch even goes into detail about how to hard-boil an egg, differing only slightly from TheBestDeviledEgg technique we discussed when we began this blog. He then, much like we have said, claims that the basic deviled egg recipe is the "mother sauce" to which any taste can be added, tweaked, or altered to taste.

But here's where Mitch becomes the hero of TheBestDeviled Eggs. Mitch has created 12 different varieties (see above), all of which are available at Supper, and he launched his deviled egg-stravaganza on July 1 with some amazing promotions ($1 per egg, or all dozen for $9).

Throughout the rest of July, this promotion will be $6 for 4 deviled eggs, appearing on a rotating basis.

Three recipes are included in the Philadelphia Inquirer article (Mitch's Classic Deviled Egg recipe, his Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Egg recipe, and a recipe for Chevre Deviled Eggs with Asparagus) and TheBestDeviledEggs will taste and review all three. Perhaps Mitch will be so kind as to share the other 9, so then at least we can determine which of HIS dozen recipes represents TheBestDeviledEggs.

Deviled Eggs in the New York Times

Deviled Eggs are HOT! More and more restaurants are featuring deviled eggs as part of their menus, and more and more food industry insiders are taking note. Many restaurants have expanded their appetizer menus, often including small-plate tapas as part of their offerings, and deviled eggs are PERFECT for a tapas menu. Inexpensive, relatively simple-to-make, bite size, and redolent of a simpler time, deviled eggs have begun to emerge in the mainstream food world as a legitimate attraction for "foodies." In addition, these challenging economic times, some people theorize, have pushed Americans into a mindset where they embrace nostalgia, relics of a more comfortable, worry-free time. Read: deviled eggs that Grandma made for those hot summer picnics of yore.

And as the popularity of deviled eggs has begun to skyrocket, the focus of this blog will also change. Rather than just tasting and testing dozens upon dozens of deviled egg recipes (and simultaneously redlining our cholesterol), The Best Deviled Eggs will now add links to articles that discuss deviled eggs. As the popularity of deviled eggs on restaurant menus has increased, so has the popularity in the blogosphere and the rest of the web world.

In fact, Melissa Clark of the New York Times has a story (linked here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/dining/01appe.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimesdining) out where she ponders the perfect warm-weather sustenance for both her "nostalgia and appetite" and concludes that deviled eggs fit this description perfectly. Without a recipe to satisfy her craving, Melissa sought to conceptualize her own deviled egg recipe that fit the description of "deviled", and settled on fashioning a deviled egg recipe that would be both spicy and red. Thus was born her recipe for "Smoky Red Deviled Eggs", linked here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/dining/011arex.html?ref=dining.

Certainly creative, Melissa adds tomato paste to make the filling red, then tops her deviled eggs with one of our favorites - smoked paprika. Besides a little garlic and some red wine vinegar, Melissa keeps her recipe pretty uncomplicated. Sounds like a good start, but we have yet to try her recipe.

Look at how RED Melissa's eggs are.

A complete review of Melissa's recipe will be posted on TheBestDeviledEggs later this week.