With Easter egg season just around the corner, Southern Season is holding a book signing Saturday for Debbie Moose’s first book “Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy.”
The book, published in 2004 and devoted exclusively to variations of deviled egg recipes, has enjoyed a fair amount of success.
Moose said more than 55,000 copies of her book have been sold.
“People just love deviled eggs,” she said. “If you take them to a party, people get so excited about them — they’re always the first things to go.”
Deviled eggs actually were an unlikely topic for her first cookbook because Moose said she rarely ate eggs as a child since her mother was allergic.
Moose, a graduate of the UNC School of Journalism, is a freelance food writer and the former food editor of the News and Observer.
Moose said one recipe, which includes bacon and blue cheese, made a lasting impression on Roy Williams due to its name — the Blue Devil.
“I sent him a copy, but I never thought he’d remember,” she said.
Later, Moose said she saw Williams at a UNC basketball event.
“He gave me such a look and said, ‘I saw what was on page 39,’” Moose said.
“If I were one of his players, I would hate to miss a pass,” Moose said.
The event at Southern Season will feature samples of a recipe from the book, Moose said.
Jan Kelly, the executive director of the North Carolina Egg Association, which advocates for the state’s egg industry and farmers, said the popularity of Moose’s book is in part due to the versatility of eggs.
“Eggs are really the basis of all cooking,” Kelly said.
“That’s the first thing chefs learn in school: 100 ways to cook an egg.”
While she was writing the book, Kelly said she gave Moose tips on recipes, which foods pair well with eggs and how to avoid overcooking an egg, Moose said.
Moose has written four other specialized cookbooks since “Deviled Eggs,” including her most recent, “Buttermilk: A Savor the South Cookbook.”
Kelly said Moose’s food expertise and humor are what make the book such an enjoyable read.
“I loved her book and I love her articles in the newspaper,” Kelly said.
“She doesn’t just write about food. Her food always has a story that goes with it.”
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