Souffle

The word "souffle" without an accent mark means "breath" in French,and no matter how deep, a breath can't be held for more than a moment. That is why ordering a souffle at the beginning of the meal is part of thetradition. Souffles do take a while to bake, and, it has been quoted that"you must wait for your souffle, but your souffle will never wait for you"! When you cut the souffle open, it will sing to you indeed, the aroma of apiping hot souffle is unmistakable, not all the sugar like many desserts, but equal part egg. Souffles were invented in France in the Eighteenth century. The secret ofa souffle that is tall and round and full of air is more chemistry thancooking. The secret of this, is not to overwhip the egg whites. Egg whiteshave the capacity to expand in volume eight times. However, if eggwhites are beaten until they have expanded as much as they possibly can,they will not be able to rise when baked in a souffle. It is best for eggwhites to be beaten only until their volume has increased fourfold. The egg whites will look like soft clouds and there will be no peaks at thispoint. The souffle mixture should be poured, not spooned into a bakingdish. Prepared this way, the souffle will rise as it bakes and will become alovely, tender souffle with great volume. Souffles can be prepared with vegetables, seafood, cheeses, fruit,etc. They can be served as appetizers, main courses, or desserts. So becreative and have fun with your own at home! Bon Appetit! Sincerely, Chef Jimmy Shraby