continue … Perfect shape, proverbial (there is no kitchen in the world which does not make ample use of eggs ), the egg remains, in its Aristotelian simplicity, in its self-sufficiency, in its fullness ("pien come un vovo", meaning, “as full as an egg,” in Venitian dialect), a well guarded secret. Who is not capable of putting an egg into a pan of water on the stove, to soft boil it? And hardboiled eggs? And fried sunny-side up (recipes for which often include pages and pages of preparatory explanation)? And poached eggs? And the correct size of the small holes (top and bottom) for eating eggs raw? When is an egg truly fresh? How is that freshness maintained? How many eggs for each cup of flour for perfect pasta dough? What is the proper spoon used to serve prairie-oysters (egg yolk seasoned with salt and lemon)?
The egg is a mystery. Italy produces excellent eggs, brown eggs being the preferred choice, while in Anglo Saxon countries the preference is for white eggs. Eggs are popular and we eat lots of them, above all, concealed in the widest variety of gastronomic preparations. However, there is also a list of recipes, none of which is banal, in which the egg is the sole protagonist.
Anyone wanting to learn to cook must inevitably know something about eggs, as eggs provide the cook’s training ground, where recipes can be tried and tried again, at low cost, enjoying a product which, once broken on the rim of a bowl, is ready to give its all. Remember however that the egg is touchy and is all too easily "offended" if not treated.

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