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<< Previous   of   Next >> Photo by David Prince  (click to enlarge) Make perfect deviled eggs, the perfect party snack.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, April 24, 2008 Simple steps will guarantee great deviled eggs Martha Stewart Living Magazine Whenever I peel hard-boiled eggs for deviled eggs, bits of white come off with the shell, making for a poor party presentation. What's the secret to making perfect deviled eggs? It starts with quality eggs. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week, but any longer than that and they will lose their freshness. The morning of the party, take the eggs out of the refrigerator, and let them come to room temperature. Then put them in a pot and cover them with cool water, making sure the eggs are not too crowded. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Turn the stove off, cover the pot, and keep the eggs submerged in the hot water for 11 to 12 minutes. Prepare an ice-water bath while the eggs cook. Once the time is up, transfer the eggs to your ice-water bath to stop the cooking process, which can lead to discoloration. Start peeling them under cool tap water. The eggs should slip right out of their shells. To cut the peeled eggs cleanly, use a sharp paring knife, wetting the blade with water between cuts. The yolks should slip out of the whites easily, too. Then proceed with your favorite deviled-egg recipe. One last tip: For an extra-rich and delicious yolk filling, try adding a little melted butter. Do you have any suggestions for encouraging people to RSVP? It's unfortunate that people need encouragement at all, but rules of etiquette can only be observed, not enforced. It's perfectly acceptable, however, to follow up your invitation with a phone call once the RSVP date has passed. To keep the conversation pleasant, you might simply say you wanted to be sure the invitation didn't get lost in the mail. Another option is to make the RSVP for regrets only, which means only those invitees who can't attend will need to reply. This may result in a slightly less accurate guest count, but it will save you the aggravation of having to chase after replies. Other than that, all you can do is set an example by responding to invitations you receive in a timely fashion. What is a creative way to make glass identifiers for a cocktail party? Wineglass charms, those little dangling identifiers at the bottom of stemware, help your guests keep track of their drinks. Aside from helping parties run smoothly, charms will help guests hold onto their glasses and limit the number that need washing afterward. They are sold at many craft and party stores, but handmade ones will lend a more festive, intimate feel to your gathering. Charms can take any form, provided there's a way to attach them to glasses. Try silk flowers, which come in dozens of floral varieties, so you'll have no trouble matching them with the colors and motif of your party. Look for flowers with wire stems, which are a cinch to twist around glass bases. Vary the blooms by color, size and type to avoid repeats. Buttons are also great for homemade charms. Select materials that are easily distinguishable from one another, such as mother-of-pearl, wood and metal, and then thread the buttons with silk or satin ribbon in a coordinating color. For truly personal charms, consider metal-rimmed tags with your guests' initials written on the paper centers. Office-supply stores sell simple round tags, but you can find more interesting shapes at crafts stores. For a more finished look, tie the tags to glass stems with ribbon. My whole house is in the process of being redecorated. Can you recommend any window coverings that are efficient, affordable and attractive? I'm a big admirer of roller shades, in particular those with a translucent material that lets light filter through but provides protection from the hot sun. They're great looking and less expensive than many other types of window treatments. During a recent redecorating project of my own, I discovered a relatively new material at Manhattan Shade and Glass (www.manhattanshadeandglass.com) that I really love. It's 100 percent polyester, but has been sprayed with a vinyl stiffener, which gives the shade body and allows it to be cleaned with a damp sponge and a mild household cleaner. Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036. E-mail to mslletters@marthastewart.com. © 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.

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