Cheese Soufflé

Memories & Misconceptions...

It's funny how certain things become intrinsic parts of your life, or how certain concepts are always connected to a particular memory.
The show Arthur is, in my opinion, one of the greatest kids' shows of. all. time. 
I watched it all through my childhood, and I was devastated to find out that it doesn't show here (I have yet to search online...). 
The news that Lance Armstrong was considering confessing to doping sparked a conversation with my dad about how someone could be hailed as such an idol to so many, and could just let them down. The first thing I said was: "And there's even an Arthur episode about him!"
It's true-- in the episode, Lance Armstrong helps Binky overcome his fear of cycling competitively and pushes him until he actually wins a huge race in their town, Elmwood. It's an honour to be on Arthur.

My only memory of soufflé is a quick scene on Arthur in which his dad, a caterer, tries to make a soufflé and it turns out looking like an empty sack.
But the recipes have been catching my eye for ages, so I decided to give it a go. I made sure I did it for lunch, because had I made it for dinner I would have been stuck with the ugly combination  of terrible lighting and a huge yellow mass... not photogenic.
The one mistake was that the bottom wasn't quite cooked-- the oven tends to act up: when I made bread, I put the oven rack low and ended up burning the bottom. This time, I put the rack low and the bottom couple of centimeters were the only part that didn't cook. The worst part was that because the layer was so small and so far down, the skewer came out clean each time and I had no idea it was underdone. 

But despite the scrambled-egg-like part, the rest was actually really good: pillowy & light.
It came together well, and didn't take long, it puffed nicely, browned and had a subtle and comforting cheesy taste. It went well with some toasted ciabatta and it did what all food should do: lifted my spirits on a work-full day. 
So hang on to those childhood memories, but let go of those misconceptions. Go back to an old favourite, but be daring and try something new.
Arthur will perennially be in 4th grade, but you're always growing up. And unlike Arthur's dad or Lance Armstrong, you don't have the whole world watching your mistakes.

Cheese Soufflé
Note: I found this website with a comprehensive list of precautions, dos and don'ts and other tips-- make sure you read it! 

1. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1 1/2 cups milk
4. 1 to 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped, crumbled or shredded cheese
5. Dijon mustard (optional)
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 6 large eggs, separated
8. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter an 8-by-12-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and whisk until blended and bubbling. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly; simmer for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cheese until melted. Add mustard if desired and season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk in the egg yolks.
2. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until firm. Whisk half of the whites into the soufflé base, then fold the base into the remaining whites. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned and puffed. Serve hot.