As a finalist for the Eggland’s Best Chief Egg Officer contest, I think it’s important that I not only answer the age-old question of “water or milk” when it comes to scrambled eggs, but also delve deeper into this popular method of egg preparation.

Neil Lamb, Ph.D., biotech scientist and educator extraordinaire, loaned me one of his favorite recipe books. In “CookWise,” author Shirley Corriher adds a dash of her biochem experience to your culinary experiences, offering the scientific hows and whys of successful cooking.

Eggs are easy, versatile and nutritious (click here to learn just how nutritious Eggland’s Best eggs are). Whether you boil, fry, poach or scramble, you can’t do much to mess them up. But Corriher gives you step-by-step instructions, along with explanations, to help you make your basic eggs better than ever.

So simple, Sophia, 6, scrambles eggs for herself and her sister, Serina, using Corriher’s techniques.

First thing to know, no matter how you cook your eggs, gentle heating is key. The longer you heat eggs (or other proteins, like chicken), the drier and more leathery they will become.

Adding water, up to 2 tablespoons per egg, will make them puff when scrambled as the water turns to steam. Here are the other steps Corriher offers for scientifically achieving the perfect scramble:

• Use a heavy pan, ideally one with a nonstick surface.
• Warm the empty pan, remove from heat, spray with nonstick cooking spray, then add oil or butter, if desired. (If using butter, maintain low heat – butter burns and sticks easily.)
• Maintain manageable ratio of eggs to pan size. (You don’t want to splash precious egg out of the pan while stirring!)
• For the lightest, largest curds, let eggs stand and puff, then push to one side. The less you stir, the lighter they’ll be.
• Remove pan from heat before eggs are completely cooked. Seriously, Corriher says retained heat from the pan will continue cooking the eggs.

Voila! Le perfect scramble via Eggland’s Best, Sophia and Corriher. Serina and Sophia are happy. So is their mom.

And if you haven’t cast your vote for MinnDixie Mom (Karen P.) for Eggland’s Best CEO,  you still can — daily through  September 30.