Question: What did Mrs. Arnold say to her husband as he sat down for breakfast?

Answer: How do you like your eggs, Benedict?

GROVELAND, NY — I saw a commercial on TV by a supplier of eggs. They were claiming that their eggs tasted better than any other eggs. And I got to thinking: Is there a difference in the taste of one egg versus another? I can’t honestly tell.

In the comparing pumpkin pie, Garrison Keillor, one of my favorite storytellers, once said that the best pumpkin pie you ever ate didn’t taste any better than the worst pumpkin pie you ever ate.

I say the same holds true for eggs.

My eggs always taste like the hot sauce that I put on them. To me that’s the way they should taste.

Aside from taste, eggs have been a much maligned food. In the past they have been associated with high cholesterol. A survey of healthy adults conducted in January of 2009 by the Egg Nutrition Center showed that nearly 24 percent of all Americans still avoid eggs for fear of dietary cholesterol; even though research has never linked eggs consumption to heart disease.

A study of 9,500 people done in 2007 reported in the Medical Science Monitor revealed that eating one or more eggs per day did little to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke among healthy adults

In addition there have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of food poisoning. (Didn’t Sal Minella play shortstop for the Yankees in the 40’s?)

I remember my grandfather- Frank Raffa, on my mother’s side. He was born in Italy and came over on the boat. When he used to visit our house he would always ask for a glass of beer with a raw egg in it. The raw didn’t seem to affect him. He also took a shot of whiskey in his coffee but that’s another story.

However, cooking eggs is a much more healthy way to enjoy them

Eggs are naturally rich in nutrients and low in calories. One large egg has 70 calories and provides 13 essential nutrients. They are an “egg”cellent source of choline.

Choline is a chemical similar to the B-vitamins

It serves various functions in our bodies — in the structure of cell membranes, protecting our livers from accumulating fat, as the precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and more.

Because of rapid development in fetuses and infants, we have a great need for choline in our early lives. Human milk has high levels of choline.

Eggs are also a good source of the highest quality protein, riboflavin folate, iron and zinc. They play a major role in weight management, muscle strength, brain function, healthy pregnancy and eye health.

For breakfast most people prefer their eggs fried, scrambled, poached (my favorite) or in an omelet.

Deviled eggs are a favorite appetizer for many.

And I used to enjoy pickled eggs in beet juice when I was old enough to imbibe at the local tavern.

They use to cost 25 cents each. And that was the price of a glass of draft beer. Ah, those were the good old days!

But there are other fancier ways to prepare eggs. Has anyone ever heard of shirred eggs? These are actually baked eggs nestled in other foods such as rice, vegetables or sauces.

The foods should be heated before the eggs are added for faster and more even cooking.

Another egg dish foreign to me is coddled eggs. To prepare them you need a coddler. An egg coddler is a porcelain or pottery cup with a lid that is use to prepare the dish.

The eggs are soft cooked like my poached eggs, but cooked more slowly than boiled eggs. The lid is a secure top that either clamps on or screws on the dish or cup. The eggs are broken into the buttered coddler with your choice of seasonings.

The coddler is then closed with the lid and partially submersed in the boiling water for a few minutes. When the eggs are cooked to the desired firmness, the coddle is lifted.

So let’s hear it for the incredible, edible egg!! It seems they ARE all they’re cracked up to be!

Next time I will reveal the six proper rules of cleavage- or not.

PS. Did you hear about the new fad in corduroy pillows? It’s making headlines throughout the country.