I never thought of myself as a difficult teenager. I never stayed out late, got into trouble, disrespected my parents, talked on the phone for hours on end, had a messy room, etc… But, I was difficult and rolled my eyes when it came to my mother’s fiery eggs. As a teenager, I just couldn’t stand the sight of fiery eggs served again and again. My sisters came to visit and it was all they ever wanted. The eating of these eggs was always accompanied by lots of sniffing and use of Kleenex! I NEVER touched them…. Fast forward 15 years, I served myself a plate. I don’t know what possessed me…what made me take that first spoonful of that wonderfully spicy elixir! But when I did, I was so angry at my mother for keeping me from it for so many years! I mean, why had she never insisted I taste it? How could she have made it day after day and not kept offering me some? Yes, I rejected it. So what? It was her job to push me to become a better person. Fortunately,  I don’t hold grudges and quickly forgave her…

My father passed away a few months ago. I am fortunate to have an army of loving, kind, capable sisters. They took excellent care of my father, and mother, especially these past few tough years. And after my father passed away, everyone needed a break. A break usually means sending my mother somewhere. And this time it was to me. I was glad for it. I needed to spend some time with her, and knew a visit here would provide a much needed break for her. My mother is a dynamo! Busy, opinionated, capable, strong, a fabulous cook, and at the same time incredibly frail and forgetful. A perfectly real matriarch.

How does one prepare for a month long visit with one’s mother? By surrendering, completely… and hiding the bleach! I cleaned the refrigerator, made sure I had a sack of beans on hand, and lots of fruit. The rest we could buy when she arrived. Her visit happened to coincide with my fiance’s month long visit (!) and I couldn’t have planned it better. My mother cooked and cooked and cooked, and my fiance had a personal chef for a month! It was beautiful and they got along fabulously. And my little girl and I oscillated between complete glee and shock at having two such very important people in our cozy little cottage. Did my mother ask what special thing I wanted her to make? Of course she did and of course I said huevos con chile. An elixir every time.

Mom’s Fiery Eggs

• tomatillos
• chiles de arbol
• garlic
• olive oil
• eggs
• salt

For the Sauce:

Heat a skillet, add a few drops of olive oil, the tomatillos and chiles. (I just eyeball this recipe). The chiles will brown and start releasing their oils, prepare to cough. When browned, remove from heat. Turn the tomatillos carefully until all sides are slightly browned and soft. This will just take a few minutes. Place tomatillos and chiles in blender with 2 cloves of garlic, a 1/4 cup of water, and a teaspoon of salt. Blend… listo!

For the Eggs:

In a bowl crack and whisk a few eggs. Add a pinch of salt. Heat a skillet. Add a generous amount of olive oil. Ok, this is my mother’s trick. She heats the oil until it is very hot, and when she pours in the eggs, they puff! Pull the outer edge of the egg mix toward the center of the pan, and let the runny part coat the free dspace. Do this a few times, and then scramble. When the eggs have set, pour in some chile sauce. Enough to coat the eggs thoroughly and then some.

I, and my sisters,  can eat this breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With beans and tortillas.