Not too long ago, ersatz eggs -- whether artificial, powdered or untimely ripped from their shells by food marketers -- symbolized the culinary conflict between technology and taste. No fake food was more reviled than the powdered eggs of old-time Army K rations, while even the lowliest luncheonette could take pride in serving two real fried eggs sunny-side up, with the yolks oozing into the hashbrowns.
Cherish the memory. The all-American egg breakfast has become as strong a social taboo as smoking a fat stogie in a crowded elevator. Cholesterol fears initially scrambled the egg industry, but the real threat is...