Widow's Walk chapter 43

Susan is preparing lunch and showing Spenser the proper way to make egg salad sandwiches.  He finds the result to be rather good.

5 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
5 leaves Bibb lettuce
10 slices white bread

Put eggs in bowl, add Miracle Whip and celery, stir to mix.
Spoon mixture onto five slices of bread, top with a lettuce
leaf and another slice of bread.

For proper presentation cut each sandwich into attractive quarters
and lay out on a platter, artfully garnished with cherry tomatoes 
and cornichons. Serve with a chilled Riesling. Makes enough for 
two people and one aging German shorthair pointer.

Spenser's Egg Salad

Substitute mayonnaise for Miracle Whip
substitute chopped bell pepper for celery
snip in a few chives
and use a heartier bread, perhaps whole wheat.

Bullets and Beer Egg Salad

Susan has pretty much the right idea but it could be a little spicier.
Start by putting 1/4 tsp dry mustard in the bowl. Add a small amount 
of water and mix to form a watery paste. Add eggs, Miracle Whip, 
and 1/4 tsp salt. Lose the crunchies; egg salad should be smooth.
Substitute sweet pickled gherkins for the cornichons.

BTW: "cornichon" is the French word for "gherkin"; a very small cucumber 
selected for pickling. I found a bottle (packaged in Turkey) on the 
imported food shelf at my local supermarket. They are rather like dills
but a bit more sour; not at all what your average American expects of 
miniature pickles but an interesting variation.