I’m not quite sure what makes 2-36: California Egg Salad “Californian”. I think in the 1980s if you served something on lettuce leaves instead of on bread and used light mayonnaise instead of regular, it was now “healthy” and therefore “Californian“. 🌴☀️🏄🏻♀️
I like how their idea of “livening up” egg salad is adding Tabasco and mustard. Really living on the edge there, Simply Delicious.
Side note: The bottle in the back of the shot looks the tarragon vinegar they have you make in 19-7: Fresh and Dried Herbs.
I don’t know if my mom ever made this, and I definitely never have. Interesting, considering she and I both love egg salad and make it pretty often.
Ingredients. I went with regular (albeit lactose-free) sour cream over light sour cream as well as regular mayo instead of light because no one likes (or needs) light anything. I also went with regular bacon instead of lean (I assume that means turkey) bacon.
I have taken almost all of the “California” out of this egg salad. It’s a good thing we’re keeping the tomatoes and lettuce.
I used an egg slicer for my eggs–twice through (once and then again rotated 90 degrees) does a pretty good chop for an egg salad. My eggs were overdone (you can tell by the gray tinge)–I had forgotten about them when they were boiling. Refer to 5-12: Deviled Eggs for tips on how to do better eggs than these.
Sliced eggs with salt & pepper.
Mayo/sour cream/mustard mix–makes a good salad dressing in a pinch. Combined this with the eggs, Tabasco, & vinegar.
Microwaved my bacon instead of frying, because I’m lazy and I don’t want a greasy mess for just 4 pieces of bacon. I used a similar technique for another diner/deli-style dish, 1-18: Club Sandwich.
After microwaving and crumbling. Works just fine for this.
I tried to get fancy with my tomatoes like they did.
Leafed my lettuce. I used to do this for 4 dozen heads of lettuce on a near daily basis in the restaurant days (leafs for burgers, chopped the rest for salads).
Did a somewhat-fancy cut of my own for my green onions. The only instructions they give for the onions are to use them to garnish–no advice on how to cut them. They cut something that looks like green onions for the front picture, but left them WHOLE on the instructional pictures.
I don’t know what you want from me, Simply Delicious. Who eats whole green onions with their egg salad? Who serves it that way?
Here’s my attempt at California Egg Salad. It looks like a Jewish deli plate (86 the bacon first, though). Which don’t get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE me some Jewish delis (they’re my happy place), but I feel odd serving this outside of Bubbie’s or 1986. My advice? Reassemble this on some bread or into some sort of wrap and enjoy.
Grade: A-
