The Craving

Do you ever get a food craving that just sticks with you?  One you can't shake?

Usually I find that, if I ignore a craving, I’ll get distracted by something else and it will go away.  This week, though, I was craving an egg salad sandwich and the craving just wouldn’t leave me alone.  The longer I ignored it, the stronger the craving got.  It grew in particularity too, until I could literally taste the bread, the egg, the mayo, every time I thought about it.

This morning I decided to give in to my craving and to cater to all its particularity.   

First came the bread.  I baked some whole wheat loaves with molasses; dark, substantial, and ever-so-slightly sweet.   

Next I boiled the eggs.  Not just any eggs either; speckled, brown, free range eggs from a local farmer.  I put the boiled eggs in the fridge to chill.  

Then I made the mayo.  I used two more of my beautiful eggs, Keen’s mustard powder, sea salt, canola oil and—because I wanted the extra flavour—juice from my bread and butter pickles in place of regular vinegar.  I put the mayo in the fridge to chill too.

When the bread had cooled and the ingredients were all chilled, I set about making my sandwich. 

First I made the egg salad, with my boiled eggs, chopped green onions, celery, and mayo.  No fancy stuff...I was craving plain and simple. 

Then I toasted the bread.  I buttered it, spooned on a generous amount of egg salad, seasoned it with salt and pepper, topped the egg with lettuce, and put the lid on my sandwich.  It was a thing of beauty.

I set the table, and sat down to enjoy my treat.  It took five hours from start to finish to make that sandwich and it was worth every single minute.  Rarely has a sandwich tasted so good to me, and now that nagging craving is gone.  Sometimes the simple things really are the best.