Old-Fashioned Deviled Eggs

Makes 8 egg halves

•  4 large eggs, hard-cooked (see my diary item on perfect hard-cooked eggs), peeled and halved lengthwise
• 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

 Carefully remove the yolks from the whites. Place the whites cut side up on a plate.

 With the back of a spoon, press the yolks through a sieve into a small bowl, or mash them in the bowl with a fork until blended.

 Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mash with a fork until blended. Add hot pepper sauce, 2 to 3 dashes at a time until the heat is the level you like. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy, then add salt to taste and a grinding of pepper.

 Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff the whites with the yolk mixture, mounding the tops. Garnish the stuffed eggs generously with chives. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

 Another fabulous recipe for deviled eggs – not at all the classic — can be found in The Best American Recipes 1999compiled by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin.

 Parsi Devilled Eggs

Makes 12 egg halves

•  6 large eggs, hard-cooked
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 jalapeo chile, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

 Shell the eggs, cut them lengthwise in half, and put the egg yolks in a small bowl. Set the egg whites aside.

 Add all of the remaining ingredients except the mayonnaise to the yolks, mashing well with a fork. Be sure the honey is well distributed. Stir in the mayonnaise and taste for lime and salt.

 Spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and let sit for 2 hours or overnight, in the refrigerator Bring to room temperature before serving.

 Chocolate Mousse Sponge

Serves 12

 It was not meant to be a Passover cake, but since it contains nothing one can’t use on Passover, it serves well for the holiday. Find the best chocolate you can, and use the new kosher-for-Passover confectioners’ sugar (made with potato starch instead of cornstarch) that is now available in stores fully stocked for the holiday.

 This serves so many because it so rich you shouldn’t eat more than a small wedge.

• 8 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Callebaut or Valrhona) 
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat sides of an 8 1/2 inch springform pan with nonstick vegetable spray (or rub with vegetable oil) and line bottom with waxed paper.

 Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and keep chocolate warm over the water.

 Separate egg whites from yolks while eggs are cold from the refrigerator. Then allow them to come to room temperature. Whisk yolks until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes with a standing mixer or 4 minutes with a hand held. ( Do not beat to ribbon stage.) Fold chocolate into yolks.

 Using thoroughly cleaned beaters, beat whites with 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt, until they just hold soft peaks. Fold one-fourth of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

 Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven, 25 to 30 minutes, just until cake is almost set but still trembles slightly in center when shaking gently. Do not cook it beyond this stage, or you won’t get a mousse-like center. Cool cake on a rack (it will settle as it cools) and chill (still in pan), covered at least 6 hours.

 Let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Run a small, thin-bladed knife between side of pan and cake. Open springform and remove side of pan from cake. Dust with confectioners sugar.