Why it works: Pepper and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 50,580 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cheese Loaf
Ingredients
Directions
Mash the yolks of the eggs; chop the whites finely.
Mix all together and moisten with a little mayonnaise and a dash of cayenne pepper.
Press the mixture in a mold or dish, put in a cool place for an hour or two; then it is ready to slice.
If desired, add chopped pimentos and chopped nuts.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Pepper + eggtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Pepper and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 50,580 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Form the main body of the loaf, with yolks mashed to bind and whites chopped for texture.
- Mayonnaise (in the method)
- Adds moisture and fat, helping the mixture hold together and slice cleanly.
The step that matters
Press the mixture and chill it. Pressing removes air and packs the mashed yolks and chopped whites together, while a cool rest lets the mayonnaise firm the mixture so it holds its shape when sliced.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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