By Tressa Dale

Mother’s Day has been one of the hardest days of every year since my mother left this world 13 years ago.

Without the guidance and comfort of a mother, I raged through my 20s with bitterness in my heart. Then I met my husband and his wonderful family. As they welcomed me into their home and hearts, I felt my anger slowly fading.

On our wedding day my new mother-in-law pulled me aside, looked me in the eyes, and said, “I’ll be your mama now.”

Since that day she has loved me with genuine joy and has blessed me with her knowledge and patience as I learn how to be a mother myself. I know I will never be able to repay her for everything she has done for me, but hopefully bringing her son and grandson home to her, to live forever just down the road, will be a good start.

She enjoys delicate flavors and sophisticated textures, so I decided on a souffle omelet for her Mother’s Day brunch. Unfortunately, she had work to do out of town that morning, so I made the eggs for myself. This recipe is very simple but requires a delicate hand, and a nonstick pan with a lid is an absolute must.

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated

Shredded Parmesan cheese (measure with your heart)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Separate your eggs and put the whites into a medium or large mixing bowl. Salt the yolks and whisk gently.

2. With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. You can use a hand mixer for this if you don’t want a little arm workout.

3. Grease your nonstick pan with either a thin layer of butter or, as I did, with a little nonstick cooking spray and set over low heat. Gently fold the egg yolks into the egg white foam, being careful to not over mix and deflate the foam.

4. Pour the mixture into the preheated pan and gently spread the eggs into an even layer over the whole pan. Cover and let cook over very low heat until the eggs are cooked enough to hold together when you slide a spatula under the sides.

5. Sprinkle the cheese in an even layer over the eggs and gently fold in half. This takes a little finesse and I find that using two spatulas to fold the eggs helps. Cover again and cook for 4-5 minutes and serve immediately.

You can decorate the omelet if you desire by arranging colorful vegetables and herbs on the greased, cool pan before you begin cooking. I used sliced mini sweet peppers, chives and cilantro leaves to make a floral design on the eggs.

Don’t feel bad if the design doesn’t turn out exactly how you pictured it. As with all things in life, and especially motherhood, nothing is perfect, and sometimes things don’t turn out the way you plan, but it will still be delicious and appreciated.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and especially you, Brenda. I love you and I am so lucky to have you in my life.

Tressa Dale is a U.S. Navy veteran and culinary and pastry school graduate from Anchorage. She currently lives in Nikiski with her husband, 1-year-old son and two black cats.