Cocoa and Lavender: The Unbearable Lite-ness of Eating

Sadly, our diets must return, and this post should be titled, "The Unbearableness of Eating Lite-ly." No, we aren't in awful shape and we have generally been fairly good boys, but if Santa had been making his list based on our diets, we definitely might have come under the "naughty" category this year. An example: I am writing this on Christmas day and we just finished a lovely herb and cheese soufflé, butter lettuce salad and some nice wine in the garden for lunch.

While this meal is not bad, it simply isn't what the doctor ordered. Perhaps just having a salad would have been better? Some restraint must be shown or we will be out shopping the post-holiday sales, looking for pants with larger waistbands, longer belts or anything that we can wear that doesn't bind at the waist. Muumuus come to mind but they might not be the best thing for the office.

I did make one concession with the soufflé today - I used 1% milk rather than whole and that does make a difference in the calorie count. But there are certain things I cannot and will not give up: butter (no margarine, thank you), cheese (no lite versions here, either), and eggs (isn't "egg substitute" an oxymoron???).

[Please forgive me this aside: I want to add here that I truly dislike the ubiquitous use of the word "lite" found in our grocery stores these days. It often misleads consumers into buying a product that may well have fewer calories but, in so many cases, exchanges those calories for something much more unhealthy. Artificial sweeteners come to mind first, but there are many other additives about which we need be aware. Please, dear readers, check your labels and make sure you know what you are buying and - more important - what you are eating!]

This soufflé recipe is my little go-to miracle for a last minute, easy to make supper that has all the comforts that go with the word "Mom" and, at the same time, all the sophistication of the French table. The recipe is based on Jacques Pépin's mother's recipe printed in his autobiography entitled, "The Apprentice." I would call this soufflé a "country" version as it isn't fancy at all.

As I can never leave any recipe untouched, I have added my own minor edits and additions to this soufflé but must say that Jacques' mother was a genius. I have avoided soufflés for years because they are fussy, mercurial, time-consuming, kitchen-messing conglomerations that generally fall prior to guest viewing, and then we all end up with a dry, styrofoam-y texture that just spells f-a-i-l-u-r-e. Jacques' mother's recipe, however, takes away all the stress. No whites are beaten till stiff. No need for last minute fussing while guests wonder to where you have disappeared. No dry texture. While it might not rise four inches above the mold, it is indescribably delicious, has a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and - above all - is a very forgiving recipe from beginning to end.

My changes? Nothing radical. Jacques' mother calls for 5 extra large eggs; I use 6 large eggs. Her version calls for Swiss cheese; I always use Gruyère. As I mentioned, I changed from whole milk to 1% milk. Finally, her version has a mere couple tablespoons of chopped chives; I add about 3/4 cup mixed chopped herbs - usually a mixture of tarragon, chives, parsley, heavy on the tarragon.

This soufflé recipe has never let me down. It can be prepared in advance, making for easy entertaining. Here, I am reminded of Susan's recent post on The ModernTrobadors. She writes of Adam Gopnik's new book, The Table Comes First, and uses a quote from Mr. Gopnik about having things ready for guests:

And we pray, too, that [our friends] will have finished cooking before we arrive, so that the horrible hour in the kitchen, as they fuss and mix, is one that we are spared. Even with a glass of wine in hand, it is hard to watch another cook—and when they have the food still in plastic wrap…it’s too much. (p. 85)

I have been asked for this recipe many times and am happy to share, with the sincere suggestion that everyone read Jacques' book, as it is a wonderful memoir with quite a few delicious recipes thrown in for good measure.

The ceramic soufflé dish I used was, once again, made by our very talented friend Lila. I asked if she would be willing to create a soufflé dish for me that replicated my standard-issue, fluted (and cracked) dish and she came to dinner one evening with armloads of them! I chose two and love how they make the soufflé look when presented at the table. Thanks, Lila!

Bon appétit from me and Jacques' mom!

Country Cheese and Herb Soufflé

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups 1% milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
6 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (1/4 cup each tarragon, chives and parsley)
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a soufflé dish and set aside.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to cook the flour. All at once add the milk and whisk vigorously over the heat until mixture has the consistency of thickened cream - about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs till well-blended. Add the chopped herbs and whisk well to evenly distribute the herbs.

Add the egg mixture to the white sauce and whisk to blend. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the grated cheese and pour mixture in the prepared soufflé dish. (Here is my favorite part of the recipe: you can now let this sit for 1-2 hours before baking it! All the mess can be gone by the time your guests arrive! Talk about a forgiving recipe!)