Good morning, welcome back to our series on Food Holidays: May 18th, 2021. Take a look at the Holidays celebrated today and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
National Cheese Souffle Day
National Cheese Soufflé Day is celebrated on May 18 to honor this savory French delight. On this day, people make and/or enjoy Cheese Soufflés, either alone or with friends and family.
The word ‘Soufflé’ comes from the French word ‘souffler,’ which means ‘to puff up’ or ‘to blow up.’ Vincent La Chapelle mentioned the recipe for the first time in his book “Le Cuisinier Moderne” and the Souffle has become a popular dessert as well as a main course.
Have you ever had a Cheese Souffle because Charlie and I haven’t had one. As for David I am not sure if he has or not. Not, only that I don’t think Charlie and I have been any place that serves them. Have you?
History of National Cheese Soufflé Day
A Soufflé is basically a white sauce filled with egg yolk. Stiff egg whites are folded into the mixture. You can add whatever flavor you like at this point such as Vegetables, Cheese, Chocolate, or Fruits.
I think if I was going to have a Souffe I would prefer Chocolate. As for Charlie he also said Chocolate. David said he would like Fruit. What would you like and why?
The word ‘soufflé’ comes from the French word ‘souffler,’ which means ‘to puff up.’ Marie-Antoine Carême perfected the recipe in the mid-1800s. While cooking for the rich folk of Paris, the updated ovens he used were all heated by air drafts instead of coal and this change was key in the rise of Soufflés.
The tricky thing about cooking Soufflés is that, after a certain point, they will collapse due to the cool air outside the oven. So they need to be served and eaten as soon as they are taken out of the oven.
Soufflés gained popularity in fine dining from the early to mid-1900s. According to the New York Public Library menu archives, Soufflés made frequent appearances in menus for special dinners with guests of honor in popular places like the Waldorf Astoria, The Biltmore, and Hotel Astor. Washington D.C. was also a city that offered easy access to Soufflés.
Souffles were considered a luxury while at the same time being affordable, Soufflés are one of those delicacies that are hard to beat. FYI, Cheese Soufflé Day is not the only national day dedicated to Soufflés. National Chocolate Soufflé Day is another one, which is celebrated on February 28.
Facts About Soufflé:
Savory souffles are often too light for a main course, but the addition of Chicken and Spinach here bolsters this into a substantial main course. When you break into the Souffle with your fork, the seductive aroma of Cheese, Chicken and Spinach pours out. It’s elegant, airy and fluffy.
The secret to success is making sure your timing is just right. Plan ahead carefully; figure out what you will be serving first — such as a Salad or Soup — and time the Souffle to go into the oven as you sit down for your first course.
You can wait for a Souffle, but a souffle waits for no one and again you don’t want to serve a deflated souffle.
I love Reese’s Day
Reese’s was my mom’s favorite candy and also my brothers making me miss them more than usual. When Charlie was smaller it was his as well but at the moment he says he doesn’t like Reese’s.
Which is fine with David and I because that leaves more for us. David and I like the Original Reese’s but there is different ones now. Do you like Reese’s if so which one and why?
Today we celebrate the candy that brings Chocolate and Peanut Butter together, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, as well as the man who created it, Harry Burnett Reese.
In 2010, Hershey sponsored an online petition to declare May 18 as I Love Reese’s Day, and the pettion was signed by 40,000 fans. May was chosen as the time because the holiday would then be sandwiched between National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day in March, and Chocolate Day in July. As part of the first celebration, Reese’s gave away 10,000 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
In 1917, H.B. Reese began working on a Hershey Dairy Farm, and in the early 1920s, he started working at a Hershey Candy Factory. At that time he began making Candy in his basement, in part because he was well on his way to having sixteen children and needed to make some extra income to support them. He used various fresh ingredients and coated them in Hershey’s Chocolate. 16 children. Man on man that is crazy…
He quit Hershey’s and formed the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1923. Then he created a wide variety of Candies and was successful enough to build a new factory and home in 1926.
Reese invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928. Since he sold them for only a penny at the time, they were known as “penny cups.” Reese’s became the most popular candy he made, and he started selling them in five-pound boxes to retailers for their candy displays.
During World War II, when Sugar was being rationed, Reese stopped making everything but Peanut Butter Cups, because they used less Sugar than the rest of his candies.
His company continued to grow more successful, but he passed away in 1956 at the age of 76. He left his company to his six sons, and in 1963 they sold it to Hershey’s Chocolate Company for $23.5 million in shares—which are now worth over $1 billion.
There have been many over the years, such as dark and white chocolate peanut butter cups; miniature, mini, and big cups; and Reese’s Pieces. There even is a cereal called Reese’s Puffs. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups continue to be one of the top candies sold in the United States and are enjoyed by millions there and around the world.
Cheese Souffle Recipe
Butter, room temperature, for greasing the souffle
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups milk, hot
4 large egg yolks (2 1/2 ounces by weight)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar
5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water (5 1/2 ounces by weight plus 1/2 ounce water)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.
- Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
