Souffle Day

Paymaan, Matt's brother-in-law, wrote "Happy Turkey Day" on his Facebook wall on Thanksgiving day. I replied with "Happy Souffle Day." We don't eat turkey, and it was just the four of us at home this Thanksgiving. I baked a cheese souffle.

I was inspired by the chocolate souffle Winter and I had baked and by the purchase of the souffle dish I had bought for the occasion and the gruyere cheese I still had in the frige, since Winter had opted for chocolate and not cheese. The cheese only had a little mold on it, which I simply sliced off and used the rest.

I've always been under the impression that souffle is really tricky. I remember an old TV episode -- I Love Lucy, I thnk. They were baking a souffle, and every time anything bumped or the phone or door bell rang -- or anything (maybe not the phone or door but all I remember it seemed any loud noise or bump) -- they checked on the souffle to make sure it hadn't fallen. After they would check it and it was okay, there was a big sigh of relief, with slumped shoulders and wiping of the brow. I think they made it to the very end, and it fell as soon as they pulled it out of the oven after all that. That's how I vaguely remember it, anyway.

I've never owned an electric mixer, and for some reason, since moving, I can't even find my whisk. I've been whipping up souffle eggs with a fork. They are supposed to form stiff peaks. On our first attempt, I whipped the eggs for what seemed to be a very long time. They never formed stiff peaks -- maybe soft ones. This time, it went much more quickly for some reason, and I even had two more eggs. Those white fluffy eggs looked so beautiful when I was done.

The cookbook I have said to cook the souffle at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. I was supposed to stick in a knife at the end and wiggle it around and see if it came out clean to be sure the souffle was done. We bought several pre-made side dishes from Trader Joe's to accompany the souffle. They were supposed to be heated at higher temperatures for much shorter times. I didn't want to open the oven in the middle of cooking the souffle in order to get other things in or out. The souffle is supposed to be served as soon as it comes out of the oven so that it doesn't fall, so I didn't want to heat food up in the oven after the souffle came out, either. I decided if I put the side dishes in at 300 degrees, they could stay in for 1 1/2 hours with the souffle without getting over done.

After about 45 minutes, something made me feel like maybe the side dishes were very hot and had better come out of the oven. I took my chances and opened up the oven, and the souffle looked quite brown on top with wide crevices across it. I was afraid it would be burned on top if I left it in another 45 minutes. I stuck in a knife, which didn't come out clean. I removed the side dishes and the souffle. The souffle wasn't even the slightest bit warm in the middle. Matt didn't think it looked like it would get over done if I just put it in for a while longer.

I tried 10 more minutes. I took the souffle out again. It still wasn't warm or set inside. I put it in again. After about another 10 minutes or so, it seemed done. I took it out. We served it up, and it was delicious. Matt had leftovers later in the day, and said they were really good. I ate the last of it a few days later, and I thought it was still really yummy then.

I just couldn't believe that after all that souffle went through, it turned out so beautiful and tasty and was still delicious even re-heated. It was just one more thing to be thankful for on souffle day.