"Sheldon" > wrote in message
oups.com...

Nancy Young wrote:
> ... what is a souffle?
>
It's just that it's so common in American coozine that it's not thought
of as such but nothing else is more representitive of a souffle than
ice cream.

soufflé
[soo-FLAY]
A light, airy mixture that usually begins with a thick egg yolk-based
sauce or puree that is lightened by stiffly beaten egg whites.
Soufflés may be savory or sweet, hot or cold. Baked soufflés are much
more fragile than those that are chilled or frozen because the hot air
entrapped in the soufflé begins to escape (causing the mixture to
deflate) as soon as the dish is removed from the oven. Savory soufflés
are usually served as a main dish, are almost always hot and can be
made with a variety of ingredients including cheese, meat, fish or
vegetables. Dessert soufflés may be baked, chilled or frozen and are
most often flavored with fruit purees, chocolate, lemon or LIQUEURS.
Both sweet and savory soufflés are often accompanied by a
complementary sauce. Soufflés are customarily baked in a classic
soufflé dish, which is round and has straight sides to facilitate the
soufflé's rising. These special dishes are ovenproof and come in a
variety of sizes ranging from 3 1/2-ounce (individual) to 2-quart.
They're available in kitchenware shops and the housewares section of
most department stores. Foil or parchment "collars" are sometimes
wrapped around the outside of a soufflé dish so that the top of the
foil or paper rises about 2 inches above the rim of the dish. Such
collars are used for cold dessert soufflés so that the sides of the
frozen or molded mixture are supported until they set. Once the collar
is removed, the soufflé stands tall and appears to "rise" out of the
dish.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
---

Sheldon


Thanks, Sheldon. I never knew that.

kili