We've all been at a potluck where there were several different trays of deviled eggs. Some taste fantastic... and some? Yikes. Why aren't they good?

I'm about to explain what makes a delicious deviled egg, plus tell you how you can make the best deviled eggs ever.

You'll also find helpful hints for:

* the easiest way EVER to put the stuffing into the egg white halves

* how to make them look beautiful on the tray

* fun ways to decorate your deviled eggs... and

* a nifty trick for transporting deviled eggs from your kitchen.

Think you know how to boil an egg? Think again! Even the most famous cookbooks (including The Joy of Cooking) have it all wrong. They tell you to cover the eggs with cold water.

This is all wrong. Bring your water to a boil FIRST, then add your eggs. The easiest way to do this is to use a soup spoon -- put the egg into the spoon, then lower it carefully into the boiling water.

Why boil the water first? Because when you put your eggs into boiling water, the hot water will cause the interior of the egg to shrink away from the shell, which makes it really easy to peel.

And isn't peeling boiled eggs the hardest part? Now you know how to boil an egg -- and peel it with ease -- every time!

For boiling 10 eggs: after you bring a large pot of water to boil, lower your eggs into it using a soup spoon. Then set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and add COLD WATER to cover the eggs.

After a few minutes, pour off this water and add more cold water. In about 8 minutes your eggs will be cool enough to handle, and they'll peel perfectly every time.

The following recipe is for making 20 deviled eggs -- that is, 10 boiled eggs. Most deviled egg plates hold 18 deviled eggs. Make an extra 2 in case one of the egg white halves tears... or just to have as a treat for the cook.

10 eggs (boiled per the instructions above)

4 oz. cream cheese

3 tbsp. sour cream

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

3 tbsp. onion, minced

2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

milk (usually a few tablespoons -- this will be explained in the recipe that follows)

salt and pepper to taste

For the boiled eggs: use a sharp knife and slice each boiled egg in half.

Use a teaspoon to carefully scoop out the hard yolk, and place the yolks in a small mixing bowl.

Put the white halves onto your deviled egg platter. (If you don't have a deviled egg platter, then you can cover a standard plate with lettuce leaves and put your eggs on them. The lettuce leaves keep the deviled eggs from sliding around.)

To your yolks, add the cream cheese, sour cream and all other ingredients. Use your hand mixer to beat them. Using a mixer makes the stuffing creamy -- and it's a lot easier on your arms than smoothing out the yolks and ingredients using a wooden spoon!

Add salt and pepper to taste. (The mustard and Tabasco add a bit of bite, so add only a little salt at first, taste, then add more if necessary. It's easier putting salt in than it is taking it out!)

About that milk listed in the ingredients: add it in, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Many people don't realize how important the texture is for making excellent deviled eggs. Think about it -- too many people make gummy deviled eggs. The best ones are creamy -- and adding the milk will give you this creamy consistency.

Spoon your yolk mixture into a quart freezer bag (not a sandwich bag, which isn't strong enough) then use scissors to snip off the corner. You only need to snip off a quarter inch.

Now you've made a wonderful (and inexpensive!) dispenser for your deviled egg stuffing.

Simply squeeze the stuffing out of the small hole in the quart bag into the egg white halves. This makes it easy to make really attractive deviled eggs.

If you have some yolk mixture left over after all the eggs have been filled, the mixture makes a delicious topping for crackers for an afternoon snack.

Here are some quick ideas for decorating your deviled eggs:

1. Snip a small bit of the fresh dill, and place it on top of each deviled egg;

2. Cut tiny strips from red or green bell peppers, and lay them in a criss-cross pattern on top of each deviled egg;

3. Snip chives and scatter them on top of each deviled egg;

4. Use a black pepper mill to grind pepper on top;

5. Slice (thinly) pimento-stuffed olives, and lay one on each egg.

6. Mince parsley and scatter it over the tops of the deviled eggs.

Be creative!

Here's the easiest way to transport deviled eggs to a party or potluck:

After you've finished making and decorating your deviled eggs, stick toothpicks in the tops of the eggs around the edges.

Now cover the eggs with plastic wrap. The toothpicks will keep the wrap from touching the eggs, and you'll arrive at your destination with your eggs looking as beautiful as the moment you finished making them.

Enjoy!