BOILING UP SOME IDEAS FOR COOKING EGGS.

Byline: Jennifer Lowe Orange County Register

I never seem to hard-cook eggs the same way twice. One day it's my mother's way, another day it's a new cookbook's way. Hard-cooking eggs, it seems, is a matter of style.

Julia Child's way calls for pricking the bubble of air in an egg before cooking.

James Beard's method involves boiling eggs 3 minutes, then allowing them to sit in hot water for 20 minutes.

The California Culinary Academy brings eggs to a boil then simmers them, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

And the list goes on.

Might as well pick what works best for you. Here are several recommendations:

California Egg Commission: Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover them with enough water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs. Cover the pan and quickly bring the water just to boiling. Turn off the heat and let the eggs stand, covered in the hot water, 15 to 17 minutes for large eggs. (Adjust the time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.)

If an egg is cracked while cooking, remove it and pour a generous amount of salt over the crack to seal.

Immediately run cold water over the eggs until they are completely cooled.

California Culinary Academy (in ``Cooking A to Z,'' the Cole Group; $29.95): Fill a pan with enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water; bring the water to a boil. Using the oldest eggs in the refrigerator, lower them into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to bring the water to a simmer, with bubbles that barely break on the surface. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Immediately plunge the eggs into cold water or set them under cold running water (the eggs will be easier to peel and won't develop green rings around their yolks). Cool 1 hour if not peeling right away.

James Beard (in ``American Cookery,'' Little, Brown; $19.95): Place eggs in cold water and let it come to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand 20 minutes. Plunge the eggs into cold water at once. If you stir the eggs during cooking it can help keep the yolks centered.

Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna (in ``The New Doubleday Cookbook,'' Doubleday; $35): Cold-water method: Place eggs in a pan, add enough cold water to come 1 inch above the eggs, bring water to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan and let stand 15 minutes for firm-tender whites and yolks. Begin timing after the heat is turned off. Drain the eggs and plunge them into cold water to stop cooking. To peel, crack them gently on a flat surface, then roll them over the surface or between your hands to loosen the shell. Starting at the large end where there is an air space, peel off the shell and membrane, dipping as needed into cold water to make the going easier.

Boiling-water method: Gently lower eggs into about 6 cups of boiling water (it should come about 1 inch above eggs). Adjust the heat so the water is just below simmering and cook the eggs 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and chill the eggs as in the cold-water method.

Julia Child (in ``The Way to Cook,'' Knopf; $30): Prick the large end of an egg with an egg pricker or pin, going in about 1/4 inch, to remove the air bubble. Place the eggs in a pan of water, covering them by at least 1 inch. Set the pan over high heat, bringing the water just to a boil; remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit 17 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice cubes and water. Chill the eggs for 2 minutes while bringing the cooking water to boil again. Transfer the eggs (6 at a time only) to the boiling water, bring it to a boil again, and let it boil 10 seconds. Return the eggs to the ice water, cracking the shells gently in several places. Leave the eggs in the ice water 15 to 20 minutes before peeling them.