For the love of Souffles and Men

Timing. It's a weird, important and essential aspect of our lives. Whether we are cooking a roast, talking out some issues with our man, or nervously meeting a first date, we have to take the right steps at the right time. Is over cooking fish amendable? If we say the wrong thing to a man too early, is it reconcilable? Why do we over cook a dish? Is it because there is something boiling in the back burner of the mind? Or maybe a flaw in the way we were taught; or is it that we are just missing the point? We put so much time into our dishes and our love lives, so why do we approach them so carelessly?

I was talking to a friend that is dating a great guy. He is perfect in so many ways to her. Caring, driven, passionate and overall plain adorable, but he is dumbbell when it comes to timing. It's not just what he says, but his everyday actions. She has a date with him at 6, he shows up at 8. He has no idea that he's burnt the main course, and he's still thinking that he's going to get some dessert. He is obviously happy to be with her, but only shows it at his own convenience, according to his own schedule. I wonder if it's because he really doesn't have a clue. How can someone so smart be so stupid? Should she just not care? Should she take the time to see how it turns out? You wouldn't want to eat braised short ribs in the first fifteen minutes. The meat is raw, the flavor hasn't expanded and grown and the sauce hasn't thickened. So why are women taught to walk away from a chance if it doesn't seem perfect at first sight?

Feelings are the flavors of our lives. They need to ripen and mature. Is it right to sit back, and hope our whipped egg whites of a man turns into a perfect souffle? I think the answer is yes. Yeah it's important to know what you want in a relationship, and not to "settle". It's just as important to know our food allergies and dislikes. We still need to try new ingredients that are unfamiliar and daunting. If we constantly over use paprika, maybe it's time to take a break and try something new. Something we would have never thought to use. Take some time in the spice isle and look around at the options. Learn about them, and get our feet wet.

So don't let that souffle fall because you rushed it, over or under-whipped it, or took it out to soon. Don't be so axious, the end result takes time to set.


In the end we are all creatures of habit and comfort. If we choose to cook with ingredients that take time to come to fruition, we need to do so with patience. If we rush a dish that needs time, then we are lacking a true understanding of the ingredients. Patience isn't only a virtue, it's essential to making food that is edible and enjoyable. So pour a glass of wine, and watch your sauce simmer.

Blue Cheese Souffle with Fresh Figs and Honey:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus
more for greasing the ramekins
2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for the ramekins
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk, warmed
5 eggs, separated
Pinch salt
Ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
Pinch cream of tartar
8 fresh black mission figs, split in 1/2 lengthwise
1/2 cup honey
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare 4 (8-ounce) ramekins by greasing them with softened butter and then coating them with sugar, tapping out any excess.

Make a thick bechamel sauce base by melting the 3 tablespoons of butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour with fat and remove the starchy taste; do not allow the roux to brown. Add the warm milk to the mixture and continue to whisk until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks 1 at a time. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until incorporated evenly. Chill the mixture while whipping the egg whites.

In a separate clean bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar just until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the bechamel mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins and place on a cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes.

The souffle is done when it has puffed over the rim, the outside is golden, and the center jiggles slightly.

Serve with fresh figs and a drizzle of honey. Dust with confectioners' sugar.