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    Post #1 - February 10th, 2014, 3:34 pm
    Post #1 - February 10th, 2014, 3:34 pm Post #1 - February 10th, 2014, 3:34 pm
    I heart egg salad as I love tuna salad; the simpler the preparation, the better. Both recipes are remarkably similar. Mayo(never homemade)Hellman's/yellow mustard, or Dijon/just a soupçon, a squeeze of lemon/kosher salt/fresh-cracked black pepper/the tuna gets a splash of Chipotle Tabasco, maybe rinsed salted capers/ but, the egg salad, the egg salad is a ne plus ultra of reductionism. A good egg hardboiled by one experienced in these matters, Hellman's, mustard, salt, pepper, I like the juice of the bruised lemon enveloping the S&P, enrobing, offering succor to those elemental, sometime bitches of seasonings. I cut my whites separate of my yolks, though one interesting iteration is to press them through a bakery rack(thank you, The Chew). I heart egg salad and my question is to you: why do some recipes suggest mustard POWDER as opposed to mustard? My egg salad when on point sings of my mother's hugs, an elementary school lunch box(and thermos full of fruit punch)...an amelioration of everyday bruises, you look at your knee and say, "how did that get there?" That horrible violet schmear. An egg salad sandwich cures. As does a tuna, when I add my secret ingredients. Yes, love, but whatever else made such an impact on this world; macaroni and cheese?
    So, I ask you: why mustard powder instead of a squirt of ballpark's best?
    Last edited by Christopher Gordon on February 11th, 2014, 1:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #2 - February 11th, 2014, 12:46 am
    Post #2 - February 11th, 2014, 12:46 am Post #2 - February 11th, 2014, 12:46 am
    I don't know. This might keep me awake tonight.

    The best egg salad sandwich I ever had included two thick strips of bacon. It was one of those "WHY hasn't anyone thought of this before?" moments.
    “Assuredly it is a great accomplishment to be a novelist, but it is no mediocre glory to be a cook.” -- Alexandre Dumas

    "I give you Chicago. It is no London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from tail to snout." -- H.L. Mencken
  • Post #3 - February 11th, 2014, 10:56 am
    Post #3 - February 11th, 2014, 10:56 am Post #3 - February 11th, 2014, 10:56 am
    I also heart egg salad but not so much tuna. Mustard is not necessary in my version of egg salad but I sometimes put it in. I prefer something like Grey Poupon. Hellman's mayo and finely chopped onions and celery are a must. I hate egg salad with just mayo, it lacks flavor dimension and crunch. Fresh ground black pepper and a few shakes of salt. I also like dill weed or fresh dill in egg salad as well. I think if you do like to add mustard, its up to you what kind you prefer, but many recipes for egg salad do not include it.
    Toria

    "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - As You Like It,
    W. Shakespeare
  • Post #4 - February 11th, 2014, 11:04 am
    Post #4 - February 11th, 2014, 11:04 am Post #4 - February 11th, 2014, 11:04 am
    Love egg salad but i don't indulge much. when i do prepare it, i agree that celery and onion are needed for crunch factor. i usually use mayo (not miracle whip), and add whatever mustard i have on hand which is usually standard yellow mustard. i've never thought about mustard powder. i might have to try it to see if it makes a big difference. Bacon sounds wonderful with it, as does a nice ripe tomato and some butter lettuce.

    my big question, what type of bread do you like it on? i prefer a nice white bread so that i can really taste the filling.
  • Post #5 - February 11th, 2014, 11:40 am
    Post #5 - February 11th, 2014, 11:40 am Post #5 - February 11th, 2014, 11:40 am
    I'm going to have to give this a try. My grocery buying goes through cycles, so I either have too many or not enough eggs in the house; a little egg salad sounds like just the thing for me. I'm leaning towards diced red bell pepper instead of celery, though.
    "I've always thought pastrami was the most sensuous of the salted cured meats."
  • Post #6 - February 11th, 2014, 11:57 am
    Post #6 - February 11th, 2014, 11:57 am Post #6 - February 11th, 2014, 11:57 am
    Hi,

    When I make egg salad, it is usually a signal I want to get rid of those eggs or I cooked extra eggs when making potato salad.

    I grate the eggs in a medium grater. I add just enough mayo to bind it together: Duke's if I have it or make-my-own. Salt and freshly ground pepper.

    Tuna salad is a whole different bag with minced onion and celery, capers from the jar, chopped parsley or dill or scallion greens (and possibly the white end, too).

    Bread, whatever we have is fine. I have stuffed egg salad into an odd hot dog or hamburger bun hanging around. I can eat it as-is or on top of some greens.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #7 - February 11th, 2014, 12:26 pm
    Post #7 - February 11th, 2014, 12:26 pm Post #7 - February 11th, 2014, 12:26 pm
    Quick question - do you let the eggs cool completely before mixing it in with the other ingredients?
    "I've always thought pastrami was the most sensuous of the salted cured meats."
  • Post #8 - February 11th, 2014, 12:52 pm
    Post #8 - February 11th, 2014, 12:52 pm Post #8 - February 11th, 2014, 12:52 pm
    I cool the eggs completely post boiling after the method I learned from Julia Child's The Way to Cook. I don't want crunch in my egg salad as per other additions. I vacillate between a virtual puree' and something chunkier. Upon considering the great mustard powder vs. prepared mustard quandary, it's suddenly apparent; vinegar. Some acidify their egg salad, others don't. I'm not seeking a big mustard punch, I'm after complexity. Contradiction noted-really, I appreciate the egg salad's ability to exemplify simplicity itself. By all means gussy it up, but admire it's humble origins as one means to an end, "what am I going to do with those eggs?" Now, mayo, containing lemon and/or vinegar is an acidifying emulsion, right?
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #9 - February 11th, 2014, 1:52 pm
    Post #9 - February 11th, 2014, 1:52 pm Post #9 - February 11th, 2014, 1:52 pm
    Christopher Gordon wrote:Now, mayo, containing lemon and/or vinegar is an acidifying emulsion, right?

    If you mean is lemon and/or vinegar the emulsifier, the answer is no. The emulsifier is the lecithin in the egg yolk. The lemon and/or vinegar are there for flavor. Emulsification is a physical process, not a chemical reaction.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #10 - February 11th, 2014, 2:32 pm
    Post #10 - February 11th, 2014, 2:32 pm Post #10 - February 11th, 2014, 2:32 pm
    No, I meant rhetorically, that mayo is an emulsification with an acid component. Which is possibly why some cooks use mustard powder as opposed to prepared mustard(which offers additional acidity).
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #11 - February 11th, 2014, 2:43 pm
    Post #11 - February 11th, 2014, 2:43 pm Post #11 - February 11th, 2014, 2:43 pm
    Hi,

    I want my egg salad to taste of egg. I never thought of adding mustard. On this dish, I am pretty plain Jane.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #12 - February 11th, 2014, 3:04 pm
    Post #12 - February 11th, 2014, 3:04 pm Post #12 - February 11th, 2014, 3:04 pm
    My mom always made egg salad with mustard. It's just one of those dishes where, I might think out of the box.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #13 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm
    Post #13 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm Post #13 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm
    Christopher Gordon wrote:So, I ask you: why mustard powder instead of a squirt of ballpark's best?


    Using readymade mustard totally ruins the consistency.
    fine words butter no parsnips
  • Post #14 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm
    Post #14 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm Post #14 - February 11th, 2014, 3:25 pm
    Call me crazy, but I tend to include some diced kosher dill pickles (spicy, if I have 'em) to my tuna salad. Sometimes I'll add them in smaller amounts to egg salad as well. The pickles not only add an acid punch, but some crunch, too.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #15 - February 11th, 2014, 3:45 pm
    Post #15 - February 11th, 2014, 3:45 pm Post #15 - February 11th, 2014, 3:45 pm
    I LOVE dill pickles in egg salad. Along with some fresh chive or, if I don't have any chives, finely chopped green onion. A touch of mayo (don't need much at all if the eggs are the right consistency), a dab of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Done. I think where most egg salads get screwed up is in the consistency of the eggs--rubbery hard boiled will NOT do. I like it best when it's just barely at the point of hard boiled--a "set" yolk, an opaque, firm white but not to the point of it being chalky and hard with the grey ring around it. If the egg is at the right consistency, the salad should be pretty creamy with just a bit of mayo and and even smaller dab of mustard. I think my ratio is something like 4 eggs to 1 tbsp. mayo, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, a tbsp of green onion/chive and a tbsp of finely chopped dill pickles. Mmmmm....now I want egg salad for dinner ;)
    Last edited by boudreaulicious on February 11th, 2014, 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #16 - February 11th, 2014, 4:43 pm
    Post #16 - February 11th, 2014, 4:43 pm Post #16 - February 11th, 2014, 4:43 pm
    Pretty basic egg salad done at my house, easy and fast worknight supper - eggs, mayo, salt, black pepper, dash of paprika, touch of mustard(grain or dijon), and some sweet pickle relish. On squishy white or wheat bread, with a dill pickle spear on the plate.
  • Post #17 - February 11th, 2014, 7:01 pm
    Post #17 - February 11th, 2014, 7:01 pm Post #17 - February 11th, 2014, 7:01 pm
    Most of the time, I like a pretty simple egg salad. Mayo, S&P, dash of salad mustard, L&P and tabasco. Once in a while I'll add finely minced celery and/or some sweet pickle relish or juice.

    At work, I love making tea sandwiches of all types, but egg salad is one of my favorites. I spread a thin layer of softened unsalted butter on the insides of the bread for these, and for me, that's what elevates this very simple egg salad to a higher level.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #18 - February 11th, 2014, 8:34 pm
    Post #18 - February 11th, 2014, 8:34 pm Post #18 - February 11th, 2014, 8:34 pm
    Eggs and mayo, for sure -- and if I'm up to it, diced celery or onion if I don't have celery.

    Independent George: My grandmother never cooled the eggs, and I recall really liking warm egg salad. It almost seems more fresh that way, even though it's really not.

    I'd love to know more about how much mayonnaise people use; I feel like maybe that's the X factor that, if tinkered with, could make my egg salad better (?) Or maybe it's the size of the dice of the celery? I have to say, when I make egg salad, I enjoy it enough, but it never reaches the status of comfort food for me, and I'm always left feeling like I didn't prepare it quite right. Thanks to Independent George, though, I'm now reminded to mix the eggs in while warm.
    Last edited by rehorn on February 11th, 2014, 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #19 - February 11th, 2014, 8:59 pm
    Post #19 - February 11th, 2014, 8:59 pm Post #19 - February 11th, 2014, 8:59 pm
    Evil Ronnie wrote:Most of the time, I like a pretty simple egg salad. Mayo, S&P, dash of salad mustard, L&P and tabasco. Once in a while I'll add finely minced celery and/or some sweet pickle relish or juice.

    At work, I love making tea sandwiches of all types, but egg salad is one of my favorites. I spread a thin layer of softened unsalted butter on the insides of the bread for these, and for me, that's what elevates this very simple egg salad to a higher level.

    I'll bet you cut off the bread crust, too. It makes for a more tender and dainty sandwich.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #20 - February 11th, 2014, 9:24 pm
    Post #20 - February 11th, 2014, 9:24 pm Post #20 - February 11th, 2014, 9:24 pm
    tender and dainty; ain't that the raison d'être? In a world less coarse, egg salad sandwiches would be in everyone's lunch boxes.
    Last edited by Christopher Gordon on February 12th, 2014, 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #21 - February 11th, 2014, 9:56 pm
    Post #21 - February 11th, 2014, 9:56 pm Post #21 - February 11th, 2014, 9:56 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:
    Evil Ronnie wrote:Most of the time, I like a pretty simple egg salad. Mayo, S&P, dash of salad mustard, L&P and tabasco. Once in a while I'll add finely minced celery and/or some sweet pickle relish or juice.

    At work, I love making tea sandwiches of all types, but egg salad is one of my favorites. I spread a thin layer of softened unsalted butter on the insides of the bread for these, and for me, that's what elevates this very simple egg salad to a higher level.

    I'll bet you cut off the bread crust, too. It makes for a more tender and dainty sandwich.

    Regards,


    Cathy,

    Of course I do. Much nicer. I could eat them all day.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #22 - February 11th, 2014, 10:33 pm
    Post #22 - February 11th, 2014, 10:33 pm Post #22 - February 11th, 2014, 10:33 pm
    My mom added pickles or relish to egg salad, I don't. I like my eggs warm, only real mayo, sometimes use a lemon garlic seasoning along with S/P. I also like to add hard boiled eggs to my tuna salad - the best of both worlds.
    Ms. Ingie
    Life is too short, why skip dessert?
  • Post #23 - February 12th, 2014, 12:18 am
    Post #23 - February 12th, 2014, 12:18 am Post #23 - February 12th, 2014, 12:18 am
    i've always loved egg salad sandwiches. but recently i found the missing ingredient that makes it perfect- cilantro. i've never tried it with pickles of any sort, i might give that a try.
  • Post #24 - February 12th, 2014, 4:34 pm
    Post #24 - February 12th, 2014, 4:34 pm Post #24 - February 12th, 2014, 4:34 pm
    I like to add some fines herbes.
  • Post #25 - February 12th, 2014, 6:02 pm
    Post #25 - February 12th, 2014, 6:02 pm Post #25 - February 12th, 2014, 6:02 pm
    Man, we are missing the good ways.
    1) Mayo, a bit of mustard, cumin, paprika, wasabi powder, S&P.
    2) Mayo, a bit of mustard, fresh horseradish, S&P.
  • Post #26 - February 12th, 2014, 6:38 pm
    Post #26 - February 12th, 2014, 6:38 pm Post #26 - February 12th, 2014, 6:38 pm
    wasabi
    Last edited by Christopher Gordon on February 13th, 2014, 9:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #27 - February 13th, 2014, 8:11 am
    Post #27 - February 13th, 2014, 8:11 am Post #27 - February 13th, 2014, 8:11 am
    I was just wondering if there is some reason why it wouldn't work to skip the whole peeling thing by using hard-poached eggs.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #28 - February 14th, 2014, 8:44 am
    Post #28 - February 14th, 2014, 8:44 am Post #28 - February 14th, 2014, 8:44 am
    I made some last week and threw in zaatar blend from The Spice House - sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, oregano and hyssop. It's not pretty but it's delicious!
    I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love

    There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach

    I write stuff.
  • Post #29 - February 14th, 2014, 8:46 am
    Post #29 - February 14th, 2014, 8:46 am Post #29 - February 14th, 2014, 8:46 am
    jimswside wrote:Pretty basic egg salad done at my house, easy and fast worknight supper - eggs, mayo, salt, black pepper, dash of paprika, touch of mustard(grain or dijon), and some sweet pickle relish. On squishy white or wheat bread, with a dill pickle spear on the plate.


    now that I think of it, I do from time to time add a little yellow curry powder to a batch.
  • Post #30 - February 14th, 2014, 9:21 am
    Post #30 - February 14th, 2014, 9:21 am Post #30 - February 14th, 2014, 9:21 am
    I had some egg salad from Kaufman's at a funeral I attended yesterday. It was a very simple but good preparation. Mostly completely mushed eggs, with bits of white and celery. It didn't seem overly mayoed. I liked it a lot. I also has some of their tuna salad which remains my favorite store bought tuna salad anywhere.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven

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