Bittman Basics - Scrambled Eggs

I recently purchased Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything - The Basics and decided I would go through it recipe by recipe to improve my technique. I thought it might be helpful to document my adventures in this new series of blog posts called Bittman Basics. This way you can learn the lessons without buying the book - although I do recommend purchasing it. It's pretty much my new culinary bible. I decided to start with scrambled eggs because mine never come out quite right. I tend to overcook and over-complicate with too many add-ins. No longer!

1. Crack 2 eggs on a flat, hard surface and open them into a small mixing bowl. Using the flat, hard surface to crack will keep shell shards from slipping into your eggs. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. (I also added some red chili flakes - couldn't resist!) Whisk until the yolks and whites are just combined and a uniform color. Do not overbeat - this will make their texture thin and runny.

2. Put two tablespoons butter (or oil) in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When the butter has melted and is foaming but not yet changing color (or the oil thins a bit and just begins to shimmer) add the eggs. Let the eggs cook for just a few seconds to heat up.

3. Begin stirring the eggs. The more you stir - and the lower the heat - the silkier the eggs. If you notice parts of the eggs look like they are drying out, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring. This is the fastest way to control the temperature. The eggs are done when they're creamy soft and still a bit runny.

4. For add-ins I used fresh parsley from my garden, cheddar cheese and some dashes of hot sauce. See below for other add-ins:

• Strong Herbs - oregano, tarragon or thyme
• Mild Herbs - chives, chervil, basil or mint
• Crumbled goat cheese or grated parmesan
• Chopped scallions
• Cooked mushrooms, onion, spinach or other veggies
• Smoked salmon or other smoked fish
• Chopped cooked shrimp, crab, lobster or oysters
• Chopped tomato or salsa (drained)