"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
> ... what is a souffle?

Holy smokes you learn something every day. One would think however the menu
would have said "frozen" or something like it.

Dimitri

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.