Make the most of what food is on hand

It started simply enough. I'd stumbled across a recipe for deviled eggs that apparently is so good the magazine that printed it offered to pay people the cost of the ingredients just to get them to try it.

That sounded great to me. I love deviled eggs. They have a bad reputation as a tired party food, something your grandmother would serve at a ladies' luncheon, but I love them.

The ingredients and method were easy enough - eggs, prosciutto, avocado, cherry tomatoes, a few seasonings, a splash of lime juice and a dash of hot pepper sauce. Perfect. And if it came out well, I could even use the recipe for my column.

Running late that day, I called my food photographer and asked him to pick up a few ingredients on the way to the shoot. He loves it when I do that.

"A dozen eggs. A couple avocados, a red onion and a pint of cherry tomatoes. Oh, and a quarter pound of prosciutto. Be sure to get the imported stuff. The domestic is horrid," I said, completely oblivious.

"Prosciutto? Are you sure," he asked. "As in the Italian ham stuff?"

I'm confident I sounded annoyed when I answered that I was indeed certain. I am a professional, after all.

To his credit, Larry dutifully bought everything I'd asked. When he arrived at the photoshoot, he placed the items one at a time on the counter, making a special show and flourish with the prosciutto. I remained oblivious.

"So what is it we're making?" he asked as I started boiling the eggs and unwrapping the prosciutto.

I explained the recipe, and even made a couple suggestions as to how we might style the eggs for the photo.

Larry seemed puzzled. "And how is that vegetarian?"

"Eggs? I didn't claim it was vegan. Eggs are fine!"

"No," he said, slowly for effect. "I'm talking about the pig flesh in your hands."

Oh. It finally sunk in. Prosciutto isn't vegetarian, is it? It's probably as not vegetarian as it gets. I started doing mental calculations. I could make the deviled eggs without it. But then, that defeats the purpose of the magazine's challenge.

So, as I said, in the kitchen it's all a matter of what you make with what you have, not what you want.

Egg Salad

(Preparation 5 minutes)

1/2 medium red onion

Small handful fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons relish

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Combine the onion and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until very finely diced. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Add the relish, mayonnaise and mustard and stir well. Add the eggs, whole, then use a wooden or other large spoon to break up the eggs and stir them into the other ingredients. Stir gently to keep eggs from breaking apart too much.

Season with salt and pepper, then top with paprika.

Makes enough for 6 to 8 sandwiches.