The conversation went like this:  Daughter #1, “I don’t like eggs.”

Me, “Did you change your name to Sam-I-Am?  You do like eggs.”

Daughter #1, “You’re not funny.  No, I don’t.”  Me, “You like frittatas, so you like eggs.”

Daughter #1, “That’s different.”

Really?  Frittatas are basically baked omelets, usually with some vegetables and/or cheese mixed with the eggs.  Unlike many recipes where you can substitute an ingredient and still have the same basic dish, you can’t substitute anything for the eggs in a frittata because it wouldn’t be a frittata.  However, I really wasn’t going to argue with a 14 year-old about why frittatas are different from just eggs, because all I care about is that fact that she really does like them.

Eggs have been so misunderstood.  For a while there, people stopped eating eggs because it was thought the cholesterol in the yolks would cause high blood cholesterol.  Well guess what?  There’s now a strong consensus among the medical community that food containing dietary cholesterol does not have a significant impact on the blood cholesterol level of most healthy individuals.  The evidence points to saturated fat as the leading culprit, not dietary cholesterol, and eggs happen to be two-thirds unsaturated fat.  Furthermore, the yolks are rich in several important nutrients including choline (a B vitamin and key component of healthy brain cells, nerves and cell membranes), lutein (a phytonutrient which supports eye health) and iodine (important for healthy thyroid function).  Eggs are also a good source of inexpensive protein.  If you have been advised by your physician to cut back on egg yolks, get a new physician you can substitute two egg whites for every whole egg and do this for a few of the eggs.  Try to buy organic, free-range eggs whenever possible.

Frittatas are my friend.  They are versatile as a breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially during Lent.  I have even made mini-frittatas in greased muffin tins or as an hors d’oeuvre cut into bite-size pieces.  They can be served hot, room temperature, or cold.  I like them with a side salad or with a ladleful of warm tomato sauce.  The girls have taken them to school tucked inside a pita.  This frittata is one of my favorites.  It is packed with lovely Swiss chard, which is everywhere right now.  It is very typical of how I like to eat something rich like eggs, by balancing it with loads of vegetables.  I love the flavor from the raw Gruyere, but feel free to skip it if you’re dairy-free.  However, it’s only about an ounce of cheese per serving.  If I ever have any leftover turkey bacon from breakfast, I will dice that up and add it in.

Mr. Picky claims he likes neither eggs nor frittatas and I believe him, although I was THIS close to getting him to try the frittata in a warm corn tortilla, one of his favorite foods.  I’ll offer ketchup next time.  As for me, I can eat them in a house.  I can eat them with a mouse.  I can eat them here or there.  I can eat them anywhere.