Deviled eggs competition metrics
We are having a deviled egg competition at our memorial day cookout tomorrow. I need some help coming up with metrics by which to judge the entrants.
The short list I'm starting with is:
Looks: 1 - 5
Texture: 1 - 5
Overall First Impression:
Classicness?: 1 - 5
Creativity: 1 - 5
I'm figuring that some people will score well on being classic and some will be high on creativity.. and maybe every now and then someone will score well on both.
I'm also considering picking a 'touchstone' egg for each category and judging the rest in comparsion to the best from each category.
Any tips you experts can give would be greatly appreciated.
katsmp3
May 24, 2008 09:58AM
Taste?
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ah yes. Taste.. good thinking..
(i could have sworn i'd typed that :))
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why dont we start with What is a classic deviled egg?
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Agreed. Sounds like you are going for the best "classic" deviled eggs. Does that mean paprika sprinkled on top or a morsel of cavier? The creativity category might seem to conflict with "classic" one.
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Yeah, I was going to same the same thing. Plus, perhaps you might keep the metrics simple or it could get confusing at the judges table. I'd keep it to:
-Looks or (Presentation)
-Texture (although I think even this could go - the judges should be able to tell between good and bad)
-Creativity (If you're going to put this in there, then you are really saying, "out with the classic." If you want classic, I'd lose this category and just call the contest "Classic Deviled Egg Contest")
-Taste
Just my two cents. Sounds fun, I love deviled eggs. Making themand eating them.
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Let's get back to "what is classic?". Your "classic", if you're an upper-middle-class resident of Nashville, will have curry powder in it. Mine has mayonnaise and dry mustard, plus a dash of vinegar. So maybe you should just forget about the preconceptions and judge on (my priorities here):
1. TASTE!!!
2. Presentation
...and that's it. Criterion #1 will eliminate any that are dull, boring, ill-conceived or badly made (overcooked, bits of shell in there, stuff like that). Criterion #2 covers the creativity part. As an inveterate Deviled Egg Fanatic, some of my favorites have come from the unlikeliest places and exhibited rather subtle charms: there was an Italian deli on El Camino in Sunnyvale whose eggs contained a small amount of finely-chopped celery, which to me made them utterly addictive, especially at 35¢ apiece.
And as for Veggo's bid, I'll go $100...
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Will, I get the difference between the "classics." I've got no problem eliminating that aspect and going for your two criteria. By the way, my classic is like yours.
As for the both of you, I'm in for $150!
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FWIW (Oooh, I can't believe I actually typed that! So tacky!), my current method kinda jumps right over all those ingredients and uses just egg, a bit of salt, and Trader Joe's wasabi mayonnaise. Stunningly good. It also comes out a lovely delicate green, so if you wanna get oldfashioned and sprinkle on some paprika, it looks very cool.
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Tacky indeed! Just kidding. Delicate green...nice. I'm still into the vinegar/mustard type, but I like adding things like olives, chives, fresh bacon bits, crab. Really anything you can add to breakfast eggs I like to try it because I use the deviled egg as a easy replacement for cooked eggs in the morning. Paprika is a must for me!
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I REALLY, REALLY like deviled eggs and I could be an impartial, objective judge for a fair price. I could afford to pay in the range of $50.
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Maybe you need separate categories like Traditional, Non-Traditional, Odd But Good, and What Were You Thinking (or something nicer..). Then you could have your judging re looks, taste, etc. for each category. At my last Senior Fitness group's pot luck there were a zillion different platters of deviled eggs.. Some were addictively delicious and there were many variations on the theme that could be called "classic" .. like using everything from yellow mustard to Dijon and seeded mustards. Some were spritzed through a fluted nozzle, others slopped into the eggs.. but fancy presentation didn't necessisarily mean delicious. I was amazed at the odd variations on the theme with additions like relishes, minced celery and onions and/or olives both black and green; and toppings from paprika to parsley. The only ones that I had trouble with were made with an odd combination of relish and smoky BBQ sauce.. borderline nasty.
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Who won? & Why?
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