HELOISE Egg board gives advice for hard-cooking

Dear Readers: We thought we would share with you the way that our friends at the American Egg Board say to hard-cook eggs (not boil, even though most of us say "hard-boiled") for egg salad, deviled eggs and the like.
Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough tap water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs. Cover and rapidly bring just to boiling.
Let stand, covered (remove from heat if using an electric stove), in the hot water for the proper amount of time: For large eggs, 15 to 17 minutes, and then simply adjust the time up or down approximately 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller. Cool immediately and thoroughly in cold water to prevent a dark surface on yolks.
See the next letter for a deviled-egg hint. Heloise and Heloise Central
Dear Heloise: In your column, you asked about ingredients readers added to deviled eggs. I add bacon bits and chopped celery, along with my usual mayonnaise, pickle relish and a tiny bit of mustard. The bacon bits and celery make them crunchy, and guests are always telling me they're delicious and asking what I put in them. We also like to eat ours while they're still warm. Pat Whitworth, Madison, Ala.
Dear Heloise: When I made a 1-quart slow cooker of small, appetizer-size meatballs to take to our family dinner, I discovered I didn't have enough toothpicks.
I found that pretzel sticks worked very well, and their flavor complemented these tasty treats. Ruth Quinn, Temple, N.H.
These edible toothpicks would also be good to use for cheese cubes, olives and small sausages. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Does anyone else end up with chewy or hard caramel chocolates left in the box? These can be hard on the teeth, but I found a way to enjoy them: Put one caramel chocolate on a graham cracker and microwave for a few seconds, until soft. Eat it open-faced or make a sandwich with another cracker on top. Much better than throwing them away! Kathy Whiteside, Delburne, Alberta, Canada
This reminds me of being a Girl Scout and making those delicious s'mores on campouts! At home, make them by melting chocolate and marshmallows between graham crackers in the microwave for just a few seconds. They are simply delicious! Heloise
Dear Heloise: I, like your reader, also make use of the microwave turntable from my first microwave, which I have long since replaced. I use it as a cookie tray during the holidays. It also is a perfect size for jellyroll cakes. Ann, Via E-mail
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate