hard-boiled

Shortly after opening Houseman, Baldwin was thinking about putting oeuf mayonnaise — a classic hors d'oeuvre featuring hard-boiled eggs topped with seasoned mayonnaise — as a dish on the menu.

At the center of that deliriously hopeful dinner is the aforementioned timpano: a hulking, drum-shaped marvel filled with layers of pasta, meatballs, salami, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and ragù.

A cultured breed distinct from the hard-boiled native brand, its king and queen are Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, as it is almost impossible not to know.

It can transform soggy, limp leftovers into crisp, crunchy delights, cook excellent wings, salmon, steaks and chicken breasts, and even make "hard-boiled" eggs.

If you prefer fully set, hard-boiled yolks, go for the longer cook time.