Two decades ago, I learned two things about hard-boiled eggs from a handsome Moroccan gentleman.

As teenagers, he and his friends spent summers working on farms in France. Eager to save as much money as possible, they slept outdoors many nights and survived on hard-boiled egg sandwiches. Yet, even after summers living on the cheap, he still liked those sandwiches.

The first egg lesson I learned from him was how good a hot hard-boiled egg is.

While I still like to eat them cold, a hot hard-boiled egg is so much better. It’s warmth is comforting, the taste is fresh and it feels more moist than a cold egg. The jury is still out about whether it tastes best eating it while standing over the sink or eating it slowly while relaxing on the couch.

The second egg lesson I learned from the Moroccan was how good a hot hard-boiled egg sandwich is.

Try this for a quick Saturday lunch: Take a section from a fresh, long French baguette or a smaller demi baguette and pull or slice it open lengthwise.

Slice one or two hot hard-boiled eggs into circles and place them on the bread. Then top the eggs with salsa and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Alternatively, skip the salsa and spread one side of the baguette with some great hot mustard and the other side with a little mayo. Don’t forget the cilantro.

The colorful sandwich filling is most beautiful when the yolks are still brilliant yellow without a hint of green around the edges. Sulfur in the egg white and iron in the egg yolk react to make that green color. To avoid it, don’t overcook the egg.

Hard-boiled eggs are easy and speedy to cook. And they are nutrition wonders. Every egg contains high-quality protein, vitamin D, choline and many other essential nutrients to contribute to a healthful meal.

The American Egg Board confirmed that the top three recipes including hard-boiled eggs are egg salad, deviled eggs and pickled eggs. They are all delicious but I’ll take a hot hard-boiled egg sandwich, thank you.

For recipes and egg decorating ideas, visit www.incredibleegg.org.