It’s picnic season here in Londontown. The many parks are fragrant and colorful, and even overcast days still feel green and healthy. But this glorious explosion of nature, paired with a good book, the right company, some fresh strawberries and a bottle of chilled champagne could be dangerous. Like the title character in Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote, too much exposure to romance could go to the head and cause one to go a bit crazy. That’s why it is of the utmost importance to pack some hearty snacks for a London picnic – so that the amorous surroundings (and a bit too much champagne) don’t get the best of you.

A dozen eggs

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 tbsp mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp chipotle powder (or more, to taste)

1 celery stalk

Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction:

1. Boil eggs for 8 minutes (from the time they come up to the boil). Remove and submerge directly in ice water (this stops the cooking immediately).

2. Carefully peel shell from eggs. Rinse eggs to remove any lingering bits. Slice eggs in half long-ways (for two symmetrical halves).

3. Separate the yolk from the whites. This is usually easy to do by gently squeezing the whites, but you can use a teaspoon as well.

4. Set whites aside to use as base for the deviled eggs. In food processor, combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, chipotle powder, salt and pepper. Fold in finely chopped celery; transfer to piping bag. Pipe yolk mixture into the egg white base.

Enjoy devilish deviled eggs with Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote, and check in at http://warandpeach.com for future recipes and book reviews!