Tarragon Deviled Eggs

I’m a fickle member of the Lit Happens Book Club.  Recently, they have hosted some books that I have had on my shelves forever.  Carnegie’s Maid  by Marie Benedict was one.  (My best friend loaned this to me so long ago that I am sure she’s written off ever seeing it again.)   Lit Happens gave me a great excuse to read it.

About the book:

From the bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room comes a mesmerizing tale of historical fiction that asks what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.

Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She’s not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest households. She’s a poor farmer’s daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the woman who shares her name has vanished, and assuming her identity just might get Clara some money to send back home.

Clara must rely on resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for and an uncanny understanding of business, attributes that quickly gain her Carnegie’s trust. But she still can’t let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future―and her family’s.

With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie’s Maid is a book of fascinating 19th century historical fiction. Discover the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie’s transformation from ruthless industrialist to the world’s first true philanthropist.

About the author:

Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms, who found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. She embarked on a new, thematically connected series of historical novels with The Other Einstein, which tells the tale of Albert Einstein’s first wife, a physicist herself, and the role she might have played in his theories. The next novel in this series is the USA Today bestselling Carnegie’s Maid — which released in January of 2018 — and the book that followed is the New York Times bestseller and Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick The Only Woman in the Room, the story of the brilliant inventor Hedy Lamarr, which published in January of 2019. In January of 2020, Lady Clementine, the story of the incredible Clementine Churchill, was released, and became an international bestseller. Her next novel, the Instant NYTimes and USAToday bestselling The Mystery of Mrs. Christie,  was published on December 29, 2020, and her first co-written book, The Personal Librarian, with the talented Victoria Christopher Murray, will be released on June 29, 2021. Writing as Heather Terrell, Marie also published the historical novels The Chrysalis, The Map Thief, and Brigid of Kildare.

What I thought….

I had previous read The Only Woman in the Room (loaned to me by the same friend).  It was interesting to learn about Lamarr’s early life and her contributions.   I only rated it a three.  Maybe that is why Carnegie’s Maid langured so long on the shelf.

The premise is an engaging idea for a novel and it was intriguing to look into the lives of the nouveau riche Carnegies.

I found Clara’s infatuation with Andrew a bit suspect from the start, especially with all the secrets that she had and the enormous duty to family.

I wondered often why she wasn’t seeing through Andrew’s character and with his mother’s sudden whims, she should have steered clear.

It was a quick read and I don’t regret it.  (I also rated it a three.)

The Food:

Numerous deviled eggs were mentioned at a picnic, and I specifically remember Tarragon Deviled Eggs. As I have fresh tarragon, I decided to try this and tweaked some of my own recipes.

Tarragon Deviled Eggs

Debra

Use any herb vinegar and herbs.

Ingredients

  • 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cooled
  • 1/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 t. tarragon vinegar
  • 1 t. Dijon
  • 1/8 t. fine sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • fresh tarragon for garnish

Instructions

  1.  Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl.  Place the whites on a serving platter.
  2. Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Mix until creamy.
  3. Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. (A small cookie scoop works great for this.)
  4. Top with fresh tarragon and serve.

Yield: 6

I also have Lady Clementine on my shelf too.   Let’s see how that one goes.

 

For more deviled egg recipes, check these out (Diablo Deviled Eggs, Olive Stuffed Deviled Eggs, Deviled Egg Tacos, The Perfect Deviled Egg and Spanish Deviled Eggs).

 

I’m linking up with Foodies Read.

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