From Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham, by Marion Cunningham.

The secret of good scrambled eggs is to cook them over low heat, stirring gently, until they thicken but are still moist. Just remember: the more you cook them, the drier and tougher they will become. Remove them promptly from the skillet and turn them out onto a warm plate when they reach the stage you want, since they will continue to cook from the heat of the pan even after you turn off the heat or remove the pan from the burner.

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter

Mixing the Eggs: Crack the eggs and drop the yolks and whites into a small bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, and add the water. Use a fork to briskly stir the mixture until it is well blended and all yellow.

Scrambling the Eggs: Put the butter in a nonstick skillet and set it over medium heat. Tilt and turn the skillet so the fat completely coats the bottom of the skillet. When the butter just starts to foam, pour in the eggs.

Stir them gently with a fork. Using the fork, pull the egg back from the edges of the skillet; tilt the skillet to let the runny egg in the center run onto the skillet bottom so it cooks. The goal is to have the egg all gently cooked so it is tender and moist.

Remove from the heat while some of the egg is still shiny ­ it will continue to cook for a few seconds. Serve immediately.