Eggs not only make great dishes but even complete meals. They are widely used to make sauces, mayonnaise, chicken soups, prepare custards, croquettes, fritters and are an essential ingredient in cakes and puddings. Eggs are so easy and quick to use that they can hugely enlarge the versatility and creativity of any cook. Anyone who masters cooking with eggs will become a versatile cook.

The best way of telling if the eggs are fresh is to place them in a bowl of water, if they sit at the bottom in a horizontal position, the eggs are fresh. On the other hand, if they tilt to a semi vertical position, they are not so fresh and if they pop out of the water, they are bad and inedible.

Separated yolk and whites can be kept for two days, if some water is sprinkled on them as this prevents skin from forming. The container should be covered with a cling film and kept in the fridge. Chilled egg whites also give a slightly larger volume. This is beneficial for preparing cakes.

When we beat egg whites, air gets incorporated into egg whites, which creates air bubbles and makes it expand and grow in volume, making it light and fluffy. But if we beat the whites longer than necessary, then the air bubbles burst, and naturally, with over-beaten egg whites the loss of air causes a loss of volume, thereby making the whites sink. The prime function of a whisk is to get air into something. There are many kinds of whisks but a balloon whisk is the best as it is designed to obtain the largest volume.

Very often we are

disappointed when we want a soft- boiled egg we land up with a semi or fully-boiled egg. The cooking time of eggs is very important for various types of eggs such as boiled eggs, poached eggs and scrambled eggs.

Eggs should be at room temperature before you commence cooking, otherwise the change in the pressure within the eggs causes them to crack on contact with the heat. The water in which the eggs are boiling should not bubble too fast, it should just barely simmer. The saucepan should be according to the number of eggs that you are boiling, or the eggs will be dancing all over the place and crack. Small pans should be used to boil eggs.

Eggs are prepared in so many ways that they can never become boring. A kitchen is incomplete without eggs. When eggs are substituted in cakes and desserts they can never be that light or even tasty Eggs should be separated by cracking them sharply and then carefully opening them to let the white slip out. The yolk should be tipped from one half of the shell to the other to let out all the white.

There are several ways and methods of scrambling eggs, such as English, Indian and Parsee. Eggs are scrambled with onions, herbs, cheese and tomatoes or just anything that catches your imagination. Poached eggs are cooked in boiling water. Addition of salt and vinegar helps them retain shape and prevents them from breaking.

To incorporate beaten egg whites into other ingredients, tip them on top and, using a metal spoon, lightly cut and fold them together. One should make it a point never to over-mix.