Omelet or Fritata??

Years ago, I watched Martha Stewart make a beautiful fluffy omelet. It looked like the omelets I love in Chicago at Tempo. For those who haven't been blessed by a Tempo omelet, try thr Original House of Pancakes. I can't vouch for the taste (I'm too busy eating the buckwheat pancakes), but they look similar. They are the fluffiest omelets you'll ever see. Martha let me in on their secret -- whipping the egg whites separately and baking the omelet. Now of course I couldn't find the recipe, but I decided to wing it because I had my favorite combo -- sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, spinach, onions and garlic on hand. I even had feta cheese. This was going to be a great Saturday.

Preheat the oven to 350. In a nonstick skillet, sweat the onions in a small amount of olive oil and add the garlic. Add drained frozen chopped spinach or wilt fresh spinach. Throw in the olives and tomato. Season well and heat though.

This recipe requires multitasking. As your stove top is going, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Here is where I put in a plug for Miracle, my food processor, and the egg whip that came with it. It's perfect for whipping small amounts and best of all, it's hands free. I used three whites.

Beat the yolks with a little milk or cream (about a tablespoon). Season well. Now, fold the whites into the yolks.

Pour the eggs over the mixture in the skillet. Make sure the veggies in the skillet are distributed evently and make sure the eggs are spread evenly over the mixture.


Put the skillet in the oven and bake until fluffy and golden brown.

Now for the question. Is this an omelet or a fritata and why? My aunt argues that because it's cooked in the oven, it's a fritata. Is it a fritata because the eggs were poured on top of the filling and then baked? If I had used a larger skillet and later folded the contents -- would I have an omelet?

Tools of the trade:

• KitchenAid Food Processor
• Egg Whip
• All-Clad Nonstick Skillet