Tag Archives: CFIDS Association

A few things happened over the weekend. I had a delightful lunch with a friend, which is partly why I’m posting on Tuesday instead of Monday and owe everyone emails. I made some experimental and ultimately yummy egg salad. And I unsubscribed from the CFIDS Association’s Facebook page.

This last should bring some relief to those of you tired of my ranting about CFS patients and the Holy XMRV Grail. I’m not saying I’m done hammering that nail, because it still catches on my clothes and gets under my skin, but I’m putting a moratorium on entering any CFS-related forums or groups for now. I know I want to do something, but I don’t really know what that is, and so I just get frustrated with my fellow patients without having anything especially productive to add, since we’re way past “XMRV isn’t science yet” at this point. It’s easy for some people to leave their woo groups behind when they become a skeptic, but I need to stay plugged into chronic illness and especially CFS information at least to some extent. And those communities are filling up with bad science now even more than before the WPI’s study, and it’s just too deep for me. I’ll get back to this.

So instead I am posting the recipe for that egg salad. “Recipe” is actually too generous of a word. It’s a map to your destination, not directions, because my experimental process is extremely sloppy. My usual measuring amount is “about this much ought to work.” You can consider everything in this recipe “to taste.” I call it Skeptical Egg Salad because I was, as you may be after reading the ingredients, not sold on the results of the experiment until I tasted the proof. And it was good.

Wrong eggs, but 'tis the season, amirite?

Ingredients:

6 to 8 hardboiled eggs, peeled and rinsed
3 to 5 strips of bacon, chopped into lean crumbles
A dollop of light mayonnaise or similar
Fresh dill, finely chopped
Fresh celery, finely chopped
Pine nuts
Capers
Old Bay seasoning
Celery seed
Dried dill weed
Paprika
Salt and pepper

Mash up the eggs real good-like. Put in as much of everything else as you like. Stir and refrigerate overnight. Eat on Triscuits.

Notes:

• Because you’re putting so much texture into this salad, the egg base should be very smooth. I’ve found a potato masher to be my implement of choice. If you’re looking for a psychological as well as a taste sensation, try visualizing each egg as the skull of a person you’d like to see smushed. Cathartically mash it into minced-up goo. (Note: if you find yourself making egg salad on a daily basis, you may wish to consider therapy.)
• Yes, I did mean to include both fresh and dried dill. I like my dill salad with a little egg in it. The dried dill and other spices are the reason to refrigerate it overnight, to let the flavors sink in. However, the bacon will be sexier if you serve it right away, so it’s up to you.
• Be sure all your washed ingredients are very dry before you mix this together. It’ll get a little watery eventually because of the celery and dill, but avoid this initially by patting down the eggs and veggies. If you’re particularly suspicious, go ahead and give them a good frisking, but make sure someone else is present if you decide to do a strip search.
• Traditionally I think I’m supposed to provide a photo of the finished product but, you know. It’s egg salad. Plus, I ate it all.