With eggs, the devil’s in the details. Try five tweaks to a classic, listed in corresponding order below. (Photo: Mary Jane Miller) By Mary Jane Miller Easter brings lilies, candy and baskets of hard-cooked eggs. But even the beloved deviled egg can get a bit dull after the first platter. Instead of serving eggs that are all the same, why not mix things up with different flavors and toppings? Let’s start with the actual boiling. I once had a lovely conversation about this with Julia Child, who developed a fool-proof technique. Her advice: Bring them to a boil and then turn off the heat, cover the pot and let them sit for 15 minutes. This works great if your eggs have some age on them. Since I have my own chickens and super fresh eggs, I usually prefer to bring an inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Then I drop in a steamer basket, add the eggs, cover the pot and cook it for 12 minutes. Then I let it cool and peel the eggs under cold running water. The gentle heat of the steam keeps the eggs’ inner membrane from adhering to the shell. The running water eases the peeling process and rinses off the bits of shell. From there, the basic recipe is easy. Cut a dozen hard-cooked eggs in half. Pop the yolks into a bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup of mayonnaise and a dash of hot sauce. Mash it all up with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper. Now, to mix things up, just trust yourself and taste the fillings as you go. Chipotle cilantro Take a little of your basic filling and add a pinch of ground chipotle chile and some chopped cilantro. Fill the eggs and garnish them with a cilantro leaf and a sprinkle of paprika. Caesar Take another few spoons of the basic filling and add a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, a bit of garlic powder, a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, and a smidge of anchovy paste. Mix it well and fill the egg whites. Garnish with some crushed croutons right before serving (so they don’t lose their crunch). Miso and black sesame To a few spoons of filling add a little bit of white miso paste and a drizzle of sesame oil. Fill the whites and garnish with black sesame seeds. I get both the miso and black sesame seeds at Asian grocery stores. Smoked salmon, dill and capers Top the filled eggs with a small piece of smoked salmon, a sprig of dill and a couple of capers. Blue cheese and smoked almonds Spoon or pipe the filling into the whites. Top each egg with crumbled blue cheese and a single smoked almond. To secure the slippery little devils on a platter, line it with a bunch of chives, parsley or lettuce leaves to keep them in their place. If you’re taking your eggs on the road, consider filling them at your destination. Just spoon the filling into a zip-top bag. Pack up the unfilled whites and the filling along with a pair of scissors and a platter. When you arrive, arrange your whites, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe away. A mix of differently filled eggs look pretty on a platter. You can use a Sharpie to write on the edge of your plate identifying what’s what, and a little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel will clean the marker right off. And always remember: If the shells refuse to come off cleanly, you can always make egg salad. ...read more read less