I know that many people, like me, have had a bad experience with omelets. Rubbery, burnt and boring eggs was never my idea of a good meal. However, after I stopped allowing my dad to make omelets for me and started experimenting with them myself, I’ve found that making a good omelet is actually possible and relatively easy.

The key to an awesome omelet is awesome ingredients. I love using mushrooms because they add a lot of flavor; it helps to cook the mushrooms separately in the pan before adding the eggs, so that they don’t taste hard and rubbery. Tossing a few juicy, chopped tomatoes into the pan prevents a dry omelet, and sprinkling some chives into the eggs provides a great mild, flavor. Small, cut-up squares of either turkey or ham add salty substance to your omelet and yield a much tastier end result.

Now for the actual cooking! First you’ll want to beat the eggs in a bowl before you slide in the chopped ingredients. The heat should be on high, so the eggs start to cook immediately when they hit the pan: this will make the outside of your omelet brown and crisp. Wait until the outer edges of the omelet look solid before folding one half over so that it forms a semi-circle. Do not try to cleverly flip the omelet by swirling the pan and tossing the eggs up into the air, unless you are a professional chef. It is not amusing to clean eggs off the roof of the stove, off the floor and off your shirt! Finally, flip it once more and you’re done. And don’t worry: if it turns into a lumpy mess, it will still taste great.