They are almost too cute to eat.

These small eggs can be purchased at farmers’ markets and some specialty stores. I recently ordered them from Bushel and Parker Hobby Farms through the Arkansas Local Food Network (littlerock.localfoodmarketplace.com).

Nutritionally speaking, quail eggs have slightly higher protein content per gram than eggs, but they also contain more calories, more fat and more cholesterol.

One hundred grams of quail eggs (about 11 eggs) contains about 160 calories, 13 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat and 844 milligrams of cholesterol. One hundred grams of eggs (about 2 large eggs) contains 145 calories, 12.5 grams of protein, 9.5 grams of fat and 372 milligrams of cholesterol.

So go ahead and eat a dozen. It's ok. I did it.

But the real appeal of quail eggs is their appearance. Small eggs-each egg is about the same size as the end of your thumb-perfect for appetizers or any occasion where small food is needed-a little girl's tea party or baby shower will come to mind.

So what can quail eggs do? Anything you can make with eggs.

I chose deconstructed childhood favorites, eggs in the basket (or more commonly eggs in the hole) and mustard eggs.

I had some trouble breaking the egg without breaking the yolk-the shell of a quail egg is thinner than an egg, but the film between the shell and the egg white is much thicker. This means that you may have to "peel" the casing and film, rather than cleanly split the casing and split it in half.

I am worried that this will make it difficult to peel and stuff the eggs, but the thick (hard to read) film actually makes peeling cooked eggs easier.

The eggs in the basket are a kind of breakfast food that I remember my father made when I was growing up. I'm sure there are other egg dishes, but this is what I remember. He asked me to use the snuff bottle from his grandmother's kitchen to cut circles from the bread. He is in charge of the stove, cooking the eggs and the basket in a nonstick pan, making sure to cook it white, but the golden orange yolk is still very thin, and I can take a bite with the toasted, buttered cut bagel.

For my quail eggs, I decided to put the hard-boiled eggs on the cuts. By using a 2-inch knife, I was able to squeeze two cuts from each slice of bread.

3 slices of soft white bread, toasted

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Using a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 2 circles from each slice of bread; set aside.

Carefully beat each egg into its own ramen noodles, being careful not to break the egg yolk when tearing the egg shell and membrane.

In a small nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs (I cook two at a time) and cook as needed. For hard white and runny yolks, cover the lid and boil the eggs for about 2 minutes. For hard yolks, boil the eggs for 4 minutes. Carefully remove the egg toast cutout. Season with salt and black pepper.

1 teaspoon dill pickle with brine

Salt and black pepper

Ground red pepper (cayenne) or smoked paprika for sprinkling

Prepare a bowl of ice and water.

Put the quail eggs in a small saucepan. Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the eggs sit for 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to ice water and let them cool completely. Peel the eggs. Depending on how the egg is stored, the yolk may have settled on the narrow end of the egg. When you remove the case, it may fall off a little white at this time. Just add this egg white to the egg yolk. Cut the peeled egg in half (I find that cutting horizontally rather than vertically works best), and then place the yolk and whiteheads in a small bowl. Put the white man at the bottom on the plate.

Mash the egg yolk thoroughly with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, kimchi sauce, onion and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper. Using a small spoon, fill the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture. Alternatively, scoop the egg yolk mixture into a pastry bag or sandwich bag (cut off a corner) and pipe to fill it to white. Garnish with chives and sprinkle with red pepper.

Print title: Cute quail eggs can do anything a chicken can do

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