In which we clear up a misconception....

  All my life, I thought souffles were fancy schmancy stuff, the kind of dinner food that must be 'announced.'  I'd read the recipes.  

A few years ago, my husband, my brother-in-law and I were sitting around, and it was almost dinner time.  I peeked in the fridge, and didn't see anything I wanted to fix.  But I didn't want to go to the store, either.  It dawned on me that I could make a souffle.

It was a rousing success, and I impressed the heck  out of my 'finest restaurants' BIL.  That night, tho, I learned THE SECRET.  Souffles became popular in the '30s because of trans-atlantic travel, and radio and movie serials, and the like, and also because souffles are a good way to make something out of nothing.  Which made them GREAT food for the Depression.  And now.

So let's walk thru it-

Henry Wallace's Cheese Souffle

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. white pepper (use regular pepper and 1/2 t. of dried chopped herbs, if you prefer)

1 c. milk

1 c. shredded American cheese (4 oz)

3 eggs, separated

In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine; blend in flour, salt, and white pepper.  When you have a smooth paste, whisk in the milk a bit at a time.  Cook and stir over medium heat until

 the mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.

The technical name for this is bechamel sauce.  Here in the south, this is called making cream gravy.

Add cheese, stir til melted.

I thought that the American cheese was '70s kitsch, until I really thought about it.  Many recipes call for America cheeses because of the easy of melting and straightforward flavor.  Point taken.  In this recipe,

American Cheese, Co-jack, or Swiss cheese are totally appropriate.  Save the cheddar for something else, if you can.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly add the cheese mixture, stirring constantly, and cool slightly.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff; fold into the cheese mixture. 

You are trying to maintain some of the volume you just beat into the eggs, so you want to mix so it's streaky, but still looks fluffy.

  

Bake into an ungreased 5 1/2 c. souffle dish at 325 for 25-30 minutes, then raise the heat to 350 and bake until the top is toasty.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 as a light dinner with salad.

I used to own a souffle dish.  I have no idea where it is now, so I had to use the big 2 quart casserole instead.  It worked ok.  When you choose your pan, choose something with steep sides.  Something is nagging at the back of my mind....I think it needs the sides to 'climb' and rise, so avoid a flat pan, like a cake pan.

Recipe Source:  Better Homes and Gardens Golden Treasury of Cooking 1973