I read about a recipe for a cheese soufflé recently.
It is credited to the great chef, Jacques Pépin.
Actually it is credited to his mother, Maman Pépin.
As the story goes when she was first married, at age 17, she did not know how to cook but she knew her 22 year old husband liked cheese soufflé.
A friend supposedly told her it was simple: a white sauce (béchamel), cheese and eggs.
Since she was French, even though she did not know much about cooking, she did know how to make a white sauce.
So she made the dish.
But surprise!
She did NOT know that in a soufflé the whites of the eggs are separated from the yolks.
However, the dish puffed up, was cheesy and was a great success for many years to come.
So, I followed Jacques telling of the recipe.
He makes his with Gruyère cheese, for the nutty flavor.
I only had a little less than 4 ounces of Gruyère but added another 6 ounces of Swiss cheese.
I don't know if it made any difference but the dish was incredibly, deliciously cheesy.
That little green thing in the center of the picture is NOT a price tag.
It's a piece of minced chive.
And I received the ultimate compliment.
SWMBO said "I think this recipe is a keeper."
My tummy and my ego are both happy.
