Martha Stewart: Peeling eggs: The deviled made me do it

Dear Martha: Whenever I peel hard-boiled eggs for deviled eggs, bits of white come off with the shell, making for a poor party presentat-

ion. What's the secret to making perfect deviled eggs?

A: It starts with quality eggs. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week, but any longer than that and they will lose their freshness. The morning of the party, take the eggs out of the refrigerator, and let them come to room temperature.

Then put them in a pot and cover them with cool water, making sure that the eggs are not too crowded.

Bring the water to a rapid boil. Turn the stove off, cover the pot, and keep the eggs submerged in the hot water for 11 minutes to 12 minutes. Prepare an ice-water bath while the eggs cook.

Once the time is up, transfer the eggs to your ice-water bath to stop the cooking process, which can lead to discoloration.

Start peeling them under cool tap water. The eggs should slip right out of their shells. To cut the peeled eggs cleanly, use a sharp paring knife, wetting the blade with water between cuts.

The yolks should slip out of the whites easily, too. Then proceed with your favorite deviled-egg recipe. One last tip: For an extra-rich and delicious yolk filling, try adding a little melted butter.

Dear Martha: Do you have any suggestions for encouraging people to RSVP?

A: It's unfortunate that people need encouragement at all, but rules of etiquette can only be observed, not enforced. It's perfectly acceptable, however, to follow up your invitation with a phone call once the RSVP date has passed. To keep the conversation pleasant, you might say you wanted to be sure the invitation didn't get lost in the mail.

Another option is to make the RSVP for regrets only, which means only those invitees who can't attend will need to reply.

This may result in a slightly less accurate guest count, but it will save you the aggravation of having to chase after replies. Other than that, all you can do is set an example by responding to invitations you receive in a timely fashion.

Dear Martha: My whole house is being redecorated. Can you recommend any window coverings that are efficient, affordable, and attractive?

A: I'm a big admirer of roller shades, in particular those with a translucent material that lets light filter through but provides protection from the hot sun. They're great looking and less expensive than many other types of window treatments.

During a recent redecorating project of my own, I found a relatively new material that I really love. It's 100 percent polyester, but it has been sprayed with a vinyl stiffener, which gives the shade body and allows it to be cleaned with a damp sponge and a mild household cleaner. *

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036, or by e-mail at mslletters@marthastewart.com.

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