Today I thought I'd share the first recipe I ever entered in a contest.  It won second place and I was thrilled.  We had just moved from L.A. to Iowa so Bob could be the evening TV news anchor, and I'd read about an egg cookoff in the local paper. 

I've always liked cooking and goodness knows I love to play with my food, so I came up with an idea that's actually current for today, almost 20 years later.

Today the hottest trend is a cake with a zillion thin layers, and now you can impress brunch guests with an omelette stack, every bit as pretty as a cake (see the photo below).  I layered it with Iowa products such as ham and cheese, and called it the Iowa Short Stack (but there are other variations I've listed below). 

I surrounded it with flowers and berries, then sliced it into wedges.  Bingo — gorgeous enough to be a centerpiece, and a fun way to serve an omelette to a crowd.

Here's what you need:
2 eggs
1 tsp. water
1/8 tsp. salt
1 dash pepper
2 tsp. butter
6 thick slices of ham
6 slices of your favorite cheese
1 small onion, sliced and grilled
1 chopped tomato, or a scoop of thick salsa
Garnishes: Fruit, berries, flowers, or parsley

1. Beat eggs lightly with water, salt and pepper.  Coat a hot, 7-inch frying pan with butter, tilting pan to coat evenly.  Add egg mixture and shake pan to spread eggs across surface. Lift with spatula to allow uncooked eggs to flow beneath if necessary.  When surface is set, turn omelette out of pan onto serving plate.  Repeat to make 3 more omelettes.

2. Assemble the stack: Place first omelette on serving platter.  Cover with ham slices, overlapping as necessary.  Top with second omelette.  Cover with cheese slices.  Add third omelette.  Cover with grilled onion.  Top with final omelette and place tomato or scoop of salsa in center. Surround with garnishes.  Cut into wedges.  Serves 4-6.

Variations:

• Sour cream, mild green chilies, avocado, and black olives

• Crab, Jack cheese, bacon, and sautéed mushrooms

• Flaked salmon, spinach, hollandaise sauce, and green onions

• Sausage, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and mushrooms