Below Deck Mediterranean's third stew Anastasia Surmava stepped up to help in the galley when Chef Mila Kolomeitseva's work proved to be... well, as Captain Sandy Yawn put it, "The quality's not there."

So how did Anastasia get so skillful in the kitchen? Well, that's thanks both to her determination and hard work — and the "badass" mom who guided her every step of the way.

Anastasia, who is Georgian (that's the Republic of Georgia, not Georgia state), was raised by a pastry chef mom. She paid tribute to that incredibly "selfless" woman who both encouraged and supported her guide her culinary journey. 

In honor of Mother's Day last month, Anastasia paid tribute to her mom, and told a story about the lengths her mom would go in support of her dreams in the food world.

"HAPPY MOST BAD ASS MOTHERS DAY TO YOU MAMA!," Anastasia captioned a gallery of photos on Instagram. "I’m sorry but what kind of mom travels 24 hours and thousands of miles to help her daughter set up her first cafe for 6 weeks in hot ass Sri Lanka??? THE BEST MOM THATS WHO. Mom... you’re the most selfless woman I know and I learn from you everyday. Can not wait to see you in June. And I know that many of you call my mom “mom” but y’all need to back up, I’m the FAVORITE CHILD." She added hashtags including those for "#crazywoman," #georgianwoman," and "#4foot11inches."

Scroll through the gallery to see the petite pastry chef powerhouse behind the sous chef: