Hello Friends,

I'm in Tucson as I write this, a low-rise sprawl of a town with wispy clouds, cactus, and sweet acacia trees in full bloom dotted with deep yellow. I'm here for my cousin's memorial. A friend and I are laying out the memorial spread. We all have people who matter in our lives. Friendship comes in all forms. It turns out my cousin Norma married a man who would become one of my best foodie cook friends. His was a cooking skill born of curiosity, a good palate, and precision.

Robert "Bobby" Delano Gentry was a systems engineer for an Arizona utility company, but his heart lay in his kitchen where, over decades, he honed his skills. Known for his prowess with the smoker, his salmon was legendary. He was a hot sauce tinkerer who found his way to gardening through habaneros. I've never seen peppers as beautiful as his. His goal was to create a sauce that was as flavorful as it was hot. One iteration of habanero-carrot salsa will live forever in my memory of tastes. His wife, my cousin Norma, has been a stalwart of restaurant/food PR in Tucson for decades, so Bobby had an "in" to learn from chefs. He leaves behind so much well-used equipment. When I arrived at their house and opened his equipment cupboard, I teared up at the canners used for intensely flavorful jams and chutneys and the pressure canners for making fresh-off-the-boat tuna (a revelation!), but it was his sous vide equipment that made me chuckle. I got so much pleasure ribbing him about his love of that technique. The last thing Bobby cooked for me was one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. It started in sous vide, then finished on the stovetop with a perfect crust, properly peppered. I will miss him and his lovely, soft Alabama drawl. There is a robust, extremely successful school garden workshop program in Tucson connected to the University of Arizona that Bobby was particularly attached to. Now one large middle school garden with a commercial kitchen and greenhouse is being planned that will bear his name.

Somehow it feels that this egg-focused is particularly relevant. Eggs are one of humanity's ultimate symbols of life and continuity. In honor of spring and all the festivals, we've put together a show of some of our favorite egg segments.

From a look at the performative identity involved in the Filipino beloved snack Balut, into raising chickens for their eggs and nutty personalities, to a deep dive into the egg's symbolism and personal meaning for one writer, and a look at our new love of deeply orange yolks. We end with a description of how to make the perfect omelet. The omelet at Petit Trois is justifiably famous. It's a dish that one craves. Scroll down for more information on each of the segments. 

It's not too late to enter a pie for PieFest or RSVP for first access to tasting tickets! Here is all the information you need.

Evan, the Cook

Now that yolks seem to be permissible in a healthy diet, egg yolks have reached the next level in a spectrum of color from mellow yellow to electric orange. Writer Marian Bull ponders why Orange Is the New Yolk in a recent story for Eater.

A perfect omelet should be very, very moist. Like you almost don't feel it in your mouth," says chef Ludo Lefebvre, who has perfected the egg dish at his restaurant Petit Trois. Texture and garnish are key. His version, with Boursin cheese and chives, has been a favorite since childhood. 

Lisa Steele grew up in a family of chicken keepers but headed to Wall Street before packing up her briefcase to fulfill her destiny. Now living in Maine, Steele raises fowl and writes Fresh Eggs Daily, a blog that has been viewed more than 50 million times.

Raising your own chickens was once fairly common in the United States. But as our food systems changed and people moved out of rural areas, the practice declined. Until recently. Raising chickens in your backyard has once again become a thing. In some places, backyard chickens can be a status symbol. Journalist, Tove Danovich, describes her journey to becoming a backyard chicken farmer in her new book, Under the Henfluence.

Independent scholar and folklorist Dr. Margaret Magat says she wrote Balut: Fertilized Eggs and the Making of Culinary Capital in the Filipino Diaspora to set the record straight after seeing the food — an embryonic egg enjoyed across the Philippines — as a challenge on Fear Factor. She says eating balut is an exercise in performative identity and a way for Filipinos to connect to their home country.

There is more to eggs than the yolk, white, and shell. For example, the germinal disc that's visible to the naked eye, and the deep symbolism that permeates nearly every culture.