articles online: food & wine

Showing Off Their Shells
An online supplement to "Cracked Up" in the April/May 07 issue of Decatur Magazine.

• Crepe paper coloring
• Food coloring dye
• Tie-dyed eggs
• Spring Egg Salad (from Sherry Cluver)
• Finch’s French Toast (from Sherry (Finch) Cluver)
• (Grown-up) Green Eggs and Ham (from UIUC Extension Office)
• Creamed Eggs (from Becky Adams, Thistlebrae Farms)
• Breakfast Casserole (from Becky Adams, Thistlebrae Farms)

Brighten up Easter baskets this season with some different dyes and psychedelic shells!

Crepe paper coloring:

Different color crepe paper
Hot water
Small bowls or cups
Slotted spoon
Cooking oil
Soft cloth

Soak crepe paper in hot water in individual bowls or cups for each color. Add eggs and submerge in water until desired color is achieved. Remove with slotted spoon and dry. Polish with small amount of cooking oil and soft cloth.

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Food coloring dye:

Food coloring
Hot water
White vinegar
Small bowls or cups
Slotted spoon
Cooking oil
Soft cloth

For each color, measure 1/4 teaspoon food coloring in small bowl. Add 3/4 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to each color. Add eggs and submerge until they are the desired color. Remove with slotted spoon. Polish dry eggs with small amount of cooking oil and soft cloth.

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Tie-dyed Eggs:

A colander
10 hard-boiled eggs
½ cup white vinegar
Vibrant food coloring (McCormick Neon food coloring is recommended)

Place several hard-boiled eggs in a colander in the kitchen sink, and splash them with vinegar. Drip yellow food coloring on the eggs. Gently agitate the colander for a few seconds to help the color spread. Let the color set on the eggs for 30 seconds. Repeat these steps with up to two shades (any more and your colors may get muddy), allowing each to set for 30 seconds. After the last color has set, give the eggs a light rinse with water and let them drain for a minute or two. Air-dry on paper towels.

(Source credit: www.familyfun.com and www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Easter/Eggs)

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Several local egg connoisseurs check in with their favorite recipes:

Spring Egg Salad (from Sherry Cluver)

6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
3 T. nonfat salad dressing/mayonnaise
1 stalk of celery, chopped
Dill, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve on your choice of bread or crackers.

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Finch’s French Toast (from Sherry (Finch) Cluver)

3 eggs Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste Promise buttery spread
¼ cup milk 8 slices firm bread All-natural cooking spray
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pancake syrup to taste Powdered sugar

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and enough syrup to sweeten the mixture to your taste. One slice at a time, dip each side of the bread into the batter. Place the soaked bread onto a sprayed fry pan set at medium heat. Sprinkle bread with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste as it cooks for 1-2 minutes per side. Bread should be cooked until the egg coating is firm. Serve with butter, powdered sugar, and/or pancake syrup. (As a kid, I loved to make an icing-thick layer of butter and powdered sugar on each piece — and a big glass of cold milk was perfect for washing it down!)

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(Grown-up) Green Eggs and Ham (from UIUC Extension Office)

1 T. vegetable oil 4 eggs
1 T. chopped green onions 1 T. low-fat milk
1 T. chopped green peppers ¼ cup chopped spinach
¼ cup chopped ham Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet. Add green onions, peppers, and ham and sauté. Beat eggs and milk together and add to the vegetable mixture. Stir in spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture constantly until the eggs are set. Serves 4.

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Creamed Eggs (from Becky Adams, Thistlebrae Farms)

2 T. butter 1-¼ cup milk Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. flour 6 hard-cooked, sliced eggs

Melt butter in large saucepan and add flour. Cook until bubbly, but don’t let the flour brown. Add milk, salt, and pepper and simmer until sauce thickens. Add eggs and continue simmering until eggs are heated. Serve over toast or biscuit. Variation: Add sliced, smoked chipped beef and reduce eggs by two.

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Breakfast Casserole (from Becky Adams, Thistlebrae Farms)

1 dozen eggs 1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes -- thawed
1-½ cups milk 12 oz. shredded cheese of your choice
4 T. dried onion 1 lb. cooked sausage, bacon, or ham
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and coat a large baking pan with cooking spray. Crumble or chunk the meat. Place hash brown potatoes in a single layer in pan. Spread meat and onions evenly over the potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese evenly over the top. Beat eggs, milk, and Worchestershire sauce in a bowl and pour mixture over meat, potatoes, and cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Visit http://southernfood.about.com to find recipes for Eggs Benedict, Egg and Bacon Souffle, Delicious Deviled Eggs, and 23 more concoctions.

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This is an online supplement to an article which originally appeared in the April/May 2007 issue of Decatur Magazine.
It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher's consent.
© Copyright 2007 Decatur Magazine - First String Productions. All rights reserved.