You can make breakfast burritos and pizzas, Eggs Benedict and a library of other egg dishes.

Which brings us to today’s tip: the differences among the egg casserole, frittata, omelet, quiche, strata and torta/tortilla.

OMELET

The simplest of this group of egg dishes, an omelet consists of beaten eggs mixed with a small amount of cream, milk or water. The mixture is cooked in an omelet pan until set, then folded around a pre-warmed filling (see “inclusions” in the Casserole section), cooked a minute more and served.

An omelet pan is important to success. A shallow pan with sloped edges, it can vary in diameter.

For those who don’t make omelets enough to develop the technique to flip, there’s a hinged omelet pan.

Omelette is the French spelling. It evolved from the earlier amelette and alemelle, literally a thin plate, from the Latin lamella.
 
CASSEROLE

A casserole is a beaten egg dish with inclusions, that is baked in the oven.

“Inclusions” are anything else you want to include in addition to the eggs: bacon, ham or sausage; cheese; herbs; and any number of vegetables, such as asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, spinach and summer squash. Toss in leftover veggies, too, like carrots, peas and edamame.

The word origin is French, from casse, a small saucepan, derived from the Medieval Latin cattia, crucible, a metal container for heating substances to high temperatures.
 
FRITTATA

A frittata is an Italian-style omelet, often cooked in a large pan to create multiple portions. Like the rest of the egg dishes featured here, it can have a variety of inclusions; some Italian cooks also include leftover pasta.

All of the ingredients are cooked at once on the stove top. The frittata is then flipped. (If you don’t like to flip—it takes practice to do it well—then make a casserole.)

Unlike an omelet, a frittata is not folded; the inclusions are cooked with the eggs, not a separate filling (see the photo above). The frittata is typically finished in the oven or under the broiler.

The result is dense like a crustless quiche, which is cut and served in wedges. It can be eaten hot or cold, as can the strata and torta (the later is often served as tapas).

The word comes from the Italian fritto, fried.

A strata is cooked on the stovetop and flipped in the pan; then, like a frittata, finished under a broiler or salamander.

The Spanish torta or tortilla is similar, but always includes sliced potatoes (an option with a strata) cooked in olive oil, and is not finished under a broiler.

Strata means layer in Italian; “torta” is the Spanish word for cake and some regions use the diminutive tortilla. Before the 16th century, before the availability of sugar in Europe (it originated on the Indian subcontinent and was affordable only by the wealthy until the 18th century), cake often referred to a savory dish.

A tip: instead of stove top, you can cook the whole thing from scratch in a springform pan. This doesn’t work for a casserole, which is not as solid in consistency (see photo at right).

 
QUICHE

A quiche is a savory baked custard pie, made with cream and eggs to achieve a delicate custard texture. It is cooked in a pie shell, although if you don’t want the carbs, you can make a crustless quiche in a pie plate.

A quiche includes cheese, as well as other ingredients: bacon or ham, seafood (crab, lobster, shrimp), vegetables (leeks, mushrooms and spinach are popular).

The French word was derived from the German Küche, a diminutive of the word for cake, Küchen.
 
 
You’ve got a couple of days to research recipes and decide what you’d like to cook for Mother’s Day.

Almost too pretty to eat (photo © Culinary Vegetable Institute).

Here’s something easy for Mother’s Day (or Valentine’s Day): a dessert or tea snack consisting of a single macaron, beautifully decorated.

It’s from the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Ohio, where farmers grow the most glorious produce and chefs create wondrous dishes with it.

You can create this macaron at home, either as a light dessert or as one of a number of dessert courses.

Serve it with a cup of tea or a glass of sparkling wine. For birthdays, add a candle for the honoree.
 
 
RECIPE: MACARON WITH FLOWERS

Ingredients

1. PURCHASE or make macarons, ideally in a bright color for visual appeal.

2. PLACE the macaron on its side, using a dab of frosting to affix it to the plate and keep it from rolling. While we don’t like canned frosting, in this case its thickness works to adhere the macaron.

SPRINKLE the plate with sanding sugar in a complementary color. It’s typically available in pastels: blue, green, lavender, pink and yellow.

3. PLACE the flower near the top.

4. SCATTER the sanding sugar on the plate.
 
  

Most fans of “Top Chef” Chef love Carla Hall, a finalist on her season and a subsequent Top Chef All Star, winning the “Fan Favorite” award.

She went on to become a cohost on “The Chew” and to start Carla Hall Petite Cookies, an artisan cookie company that specializes in teeny cookies.

A brilliant idea for people who need just a bite, the cookies are either half-inch cubes or one-inch drop cookies, depending on the nature of the dough.

They’re meant to pair “boldly and beautifully,” according to Carla, with beer, wine, tea and coffee.

For home, entertaining and gifting, we’ve been charmed by these little cookies. Made in small batches, every step from mixing the dough to packaging is done by hand.
Of course, only the finest ingredients are used: European-style butter, unbleached sugar and flour, couverture chocolate, artisan cheeses, fresh nuts, premium spices and, says Carla of her most important ingredient: love.

Focusing on familiar flavors with a twist, choices include:

Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies, teeny bites of heaven. Carla Hall Petite Cookies.

 
There’s one savory option:

 
There are also cakes and regular-size cookies (including the best Magic bar we’ve ever had):

A gift box for any cookie lover. Photo courtesy Carla Hall Petite Cookies.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET?

Most definitely, the Sweet Collection Gift Box, which includes six of the seven varieties of sweet petites. It’s $25.00; there’s a smaller box with three varieties for $12.50.

If you want to include a signed copy of Carla’s cookbook, Carla’s Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World—you can add it to the Sweet Collection gift box for a total of $45.00.

There are other gift options, other goodies, and of course, you can buy individual packages of whatever you like.

Head to CarlaHall.com to get yours.

Or, find a retailer near you.

CARLA HALL TRIVIA

Fans of Top Chef may remember that Carla spent several years working as a model on the runways of Paris, Milan and London. It was in Paris that she fell in love with the art of food.

But what most people don’t know is that before heading to Europe, Carla spent two years as a CPA at Price Waterhouse.

When she returned from Europe, she attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland where she completed her culinary training and began her career as a professional chef.
  

Love coffee, tequila and heat? Here’s a cocktail called The Spicy Bee, from Patrón Spirits. It uses Patrón XO Cafe Dark, a rich coffee liqueur with a tequila base. If you want to use what you have, feel free to substitute, e.g., tequila and Kahlúa.

RECIPE: COFFEE & TEQUILA COCKTAIL

Ingredient For 1 Drink

 
*Mike’s Hot Honey infuses honey with hot chiles and a splash of vinegar. You can buy it or infuse your own. It’s delicious in/with barbecue sauces, biscuits, cheeses, fruits, glazes, salad dressing, in a cup of tea, even as an ice cream topping.

A Spicy Bee, for lovers of coffee, tequila and heat. Photo courtesy Patrón.

Preparation

1. COMBINE the coffee liqueur and honey, shake, and strain into a chilled glass.

2. SHAKE the heavy cream and layer on top of the cocktail.

3. GARNISH with a dollop of crushed red pepper in the glass.
  

Fresh herbs offer tons of flavor and good nutrition with virtually no calories. The flavor they provide lets you cut back on salt. They can be used in any savory dish (and some sweet ones).

So, why not use more fresh herbs?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HERBS & SPICES

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences.

 
It’s possible for one plant to contain both herb and spice. For example:

TIPS FOR COOKING WITH FRESH HERBS

 
Converting Dry Measures For Fresh Herbs

In recipes, if dried herbs are specified, a larger quantity of fresh herbs is required. Here’s are the equivalents:

 
POPULAR HERB & FOOD PAIRINGS