As a child, I had a friend who wouldn’t eat deviled eggs because she was certain they would make her go to hell. She went to a tiny Baptist church as far out in the country as one could get without crossing the border into Alabama. I went to Easter services with her one year, but nearly ran out during the third verse of Standing on the Promises. My panic was prompted by Pastor Darnell, who pointed directly at us several times while shouting about 50 various behaviors that would lead to eternal damnation. Unfortunately, I had done about 20 of those in the past two days, and I was only 11 years old. This was quite a contrast to the Methodist church that I attended. Our church ladies and gentlemen knew that Sunday morning attendance followed by a pot roast lunch with mashed potatoes, green beans, and deviled eggs would atone for all of Saturday’s revelry.

A Taste of Heaven

Art Smith, the famed chef who owns Disney Springs popular Homecomin’ eatery, grew up attending a Southern Baptist church in extreme northern Florida. Of all the celebrity chefs who specialize in southern cuisine, his recipe for deviled eggs is among the most authentic and perfect. With its simplicity, it is almost exactly like the one that my grandmother taught me to make many years ago, with slight adaptations in the ingredient amounts. I use slightly less salt and an extra tablespoon of sweet pickle relish, enhancing the level of gluttony and sin.  Now, the biggest problem with 90 percent of deviled eggs is the addition of vinegar (don’t do it) or an overabundance of mayo or mustard.  And proper toppings for deviled eggs are not caviar or sriracha, but good ol’ paprika (also known as deviled egg sprinkles). At Homecomin’, they are artfully served in the vertical style, but I still like the ones that lay on their backs.