Food For Thought: Happy National Cheese Lovers Day!!

Ok… This has to be MY. FAVOURITE. DAY. Actually, I’m pretty sure when I doing my research there was a WINE AND CHEESE DAY… *salivating* I don’t know….

Anyways, NATIONAL CHEESE LOVERS DAY?! Yes, please!!! So, grab your cheese and let’s go!

So, I got crazy today…. I made my first Soufflé and I’m so proud!! Now, I will tell you right now that I’ve never TASTED a soufflé before.. But, from the descriptions I feel like I did a pretty good job! So, let’s start this party off right, with a recipe! A Recipe from Julia Child to be exact!! So, you KNOW it has to be good!!

Ingredients:

• 1 c grated Gruyere cheese

• 1/2 tsp cayenne (or paprika)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (for the egg whites)

• 4 Tb of butter (1Tb for buttering mold)

• 1 Tb grated Parmesan cheese (for dusting mold)

• 3 Tb flour
  1 c milk, lightly boiling
  4 egg yolks
  5 egg whites

Directions:

1. Start by buttering the mold and sprinkling with cheese. I chose to use Parmesan cheese because it grated finer than Gruyere. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Tear a long enough piece of foil so that it is long enough to wrap around your mold.
   Fold in half length-wise and butter one side. The buttered side will be the “inside” of the mold.
3. Wrap the foil around the mold.
4. Melt the 3Tb of butter in a sauce pan and stir in the flour with a spatula, cooking over medium heat until the butter and flour foam together for about 2 minutes without browning.
5. Remove from heat. When mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all of the boiling milk at once and beat vigorously with a whisk until well blended.
6. Beat in the seasonings, cayenne or paprika, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Return to moderate heat and continue to stir with a whisk for another minute. The mixture will be very thick.
7. Remove from heat, take the egg yolks and beat 1 egg yolk into your white cream mixture one at a time until well incorporated.
8. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, begin to beat your egg whites with a whisk attachment on low speed. You will see that the egg whites will “break up” and begin to have a foamy consistency… So, I will admit right now that this step didn’t work for me.. My whites were a little runny and would not come together… But, my soufflé worked out pretty good! So, I’m ok with that!
9. As the egg whites are foaming, increase the speed gradually and add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Increase the speed to fast and continue to beat for a few more minutes.
   Do not leave your egg whites! Continue checking them. What you want to see are “traces” on the surface. The egg whites should also have a glossy white sheen and be able to be stiff and firm when holding with a whisk.
10. If they don’t get to stiff peaks… Continue anyways, because it still worked for me!
11. Once the egg whites are done, don’t let them sit for long. Take a large spoonful and stir it into the cream mixture to lighten it.
12. Stir in all but about 1Tbl of the grated cheese into the cream mixture
13. There is a technique with folding the rest of the egg whites. Take one large spoonful of the egg whites and using your spatula, cut down the middle and draw the spatula under, while scraping the side of the pan and turning the pan with the other hand. Basically, you folding under and to the side.
    Continue with the rest of the egg whites. Be careful not to over fold. It’s OK if there are white streaks leftover.
14. It’s also ok if you just ignored this advice because your whites did nothing. It was still good, just continue!
15. Now your mixture is ready! Carefully pour your mixture into the prepared mold. It should be about 3/4 high. Tap the mild carefully to even it out and top with remaining Tb of cheese.
16. Place on middle-back rack of pre-heated 400 degree oven.Once in, immediately turn down to 375 degrees.
17. Cook until puffed up and not liquid in the centre (use a tester stick to check) approx 30 mins

I know it’s silly, because I probably didn’t make mine perfect… But, I’m pretty proud!! National Cheese Lovers Day=SUCCESS!

CHEERS!!