“My mother says it takes 55 seconds to recite a Shakespeare sonnet,” says Tamasin Day-Lewis, the author of Good Tempered Food (Miramax Books, $30, www.amazon.com). “I believe it takes the same amount of time to cook an omelet.” Consider reciting your favorite sonnet as you cook your eggs over high heat to get the timing right (see Shakespeare in the Kitchen, for Real Simple’s suggestion).

Or simply see how it looks. Both omelets and frittatas should hold together, says Day-Lewis, but a frittata will be firm; an omelet will be slightly runny in the middle. Flip your omelet once you have a bubbling golden mass. “When it’s done, it will be foaming and oozing a bit,” she says. “You don’t want to remove it cooked, but nearly cooked.” Always be sure to take it off before the edges curl inward — a sure sign your omelet is on the verge of being overcooked.