It had been a rough work week for Larry. I hadn’t planned on making dinner, but when he sent me an instant message at the end of the day declaring his need for something to eat and a glass of wine after work, I started to mentally inventory the pantry and refrigerator.

There wasn’t much there. Good, crusty bread, cheese. Winter squash, eggs, lettuce (thanks to our CSA), beans, chorizo. It was the eggs and lettuce that inspired me: I knew Larry wanted something simple (he could have been happy with cheese and crackers, as long as there was wine). I remembered a recipe in one of the cookbooks I’m particularly attached to, How to Eat Supper. It’s quite simple – just deviled eggs with a simple salad. The dressing contains a bit of the deviled egg mixture (genius – it’s and emulsified fat already), and the eggs are crisped up in a sauté pan after they’re stuffed. I love the eggs like this. Why don’t we eat deviled eggs more often? It seems like the recipe only comes out for parties. Add some garlic bread and a good glass of red wine, and it’s a perfect weeknight meal. Find the recipe at The Splendid Table.

• Pan-Crisped Deviled Eggs on French Lettuces (The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper, p. 146)
• Sourdough Batard with Sauteed Garlic Butter (Fine Cooking #43, March 2001, p. 49)

Wine: 2006 Unti Barbera (Dry Creek Valley, California). We love Barbera, and this is a particularly good vintage from Unti.