William Rubel, author of The Magic of Fire, told me that he roasts eggs in the oven for several hours, achieving the same delicious results as if he'd roasted them all night buried in hot ash in the fireplace. The egg shells and whites turn golden, while the yolks remain creamy.

“I have been known to use the oven when I need a dozen golden eggs for a party,” he told me. “To more closely mimic the uneven but very beautiful colors you get baking eggs in the fireplace, I stagger