The Bottom Line: Do we seem a little puffed up today? There’s a great reason - May 18th is National Cheese Soufflé Day!
The Full Story:
Do we seem a little puffed up today? There’s a great reason - May 18th is National Cheese Soufflé Day! The word soufflé first appeared in English in Louis Ude's “The French Cook” (1813), and by 1845 was so commonly accepted that in Eliza Acton's Modern Cookery (1845) a recipe for soufflé was included as just another recipe.
The name for this savory, airy cake comes from a French verb, souffler, which literally means to "blow up" or "puff up." That's the delicious alchemy that happens when custard and whipped egg whites take a leisurely nap in a hot, closed oven.And yes, "closed" is key. There's a reason soufflés are so often played for laughs in film and television. They're temperamental little things, prone to falling flat as a result of temperature shifts and excess vibrations.
Soufflés also take a goodly chunk of time to make, so if they're desired for dessert, diners are often asked to place their orders along with the main courses.
But a classic cheese soufflé can be a show-stopping main course for an at-home dinner party (or holiday). The base can be made and refrigerated ahead of time, but once baked, it's best served steaming hot from the oven. It will deflate a tiny bit on the table, but you’ll still score gasps from guests. Get a recipe to try HERE.