The Origins of Souffle

Thank you again to everyone who continues to follow my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable and educational. As I pondered the subject for my next blog, I decided to write about Souffles. I have been doing Souffle experiments with Buzzy (aka Michael O'Keeffe, the owner of The Water Club, my boss). We have been experimenting with cheese, chocolate, lemon and strawberry, so what better time than now to learn a little more.

Souffle (yes I know there is supposed to be an accent on the e, but I don't know how to get the computer to do it) comes from the French word souffler which means to blow up. The first recorded reference to souffles comes from Vincent La Chapelle's Le Cuisinier Moderne written in 1742. He wrote of both savory and sweet souffles and titled the sweet version as timbales de creme which was a pastry cream base folded into egg whites "whipped into snow".

The first restauranteur of Paris, Antoine Beauvilliers, who believed in putting on a show for his guests and eventually became King Louis XVIII's pastry chef, opened La Grande Taverne de Londres in 1782 in the arcades of the Palais Royale. It was there that Souffles took on their status as "the Queen of hot pastries" according to Marie-Antoine Careme, 1784 - 1833. Beauvilliers wrote down the recipes in his book L'Art du Cuisinier in 1814. He also collaborated with Careme in the authorship of La Cuisine Ordinaire.

Now back to the kitchen to make Buzzy's lemon souffle. This time it needs more lemon zest. Subject for my next blog - James Beard Awards. I have been graciously invited to attend as the guest of Dorothy Cann Hamilton, the founder of The French Culinary Institute www.frenchculinary.com and Chef Tina Casaceli, director of the pastry program and owner of Milk & Cookies Bakery www.milkandcookiesbakery.com. The FCI text book, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts, that I helped work on has been nominated for an award. I can't wait!