The traditional cooking milieu was calling me last weekend. The weather fell over my head with some freezing temperatures and so my mum and I decided it was time for a good, warm, homely cheese souffle. It is true, I hadn’t experienced this dish in ages, and I had been longing for the fluffy “naughty” dish for the past few months. The Souffle even appeard in one of my dreams! The dream was so vivid, I was jumping into a pool, just that there was no water pool but a huge cheesy souffle, and while falling I was ready to take my first bites! Kind of like that movie “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”…
I love those kind of dreams! If anybody asked me how I would define paradise I would say “the land of milk and honey” or “charlie’s chocolate factory”! Talking about food paradise… I remember 2 Tirolian tales of the neighboring mountain vallies… One being the all known legend of “Frau Hitt” and an other called “Kasermandl”.
The Saga of Frau Hitt is one of the most popular in the Tirolian Vallies. The time when giants still ruled around Innsbruck (the Capital of Tirol), Frau Hitt an evil woman had misued the milk and butter of the poor commons. The heavens punished her doings by turning her and her fat son into stone. Nowadays a mountain up high at Innsbruck is told to be her stoney remains.
The Kasermandl is the story of a boy who used to misuse the food resources in the alpine huts (known as Alm). He would use the cheese to play bowling and as step stones, so he was cursed to stay and haunt the mountain huts. There used to be a tradition around here where boys from the villages would disguise them self as Kasermandl, but I myself have never seen this tradition as many other, since they have died out with time.
There are a thousand legends here around, many already forgotten or almost. I remember discovering some few old books in grammar school which I had borored from the library and read with excitement. At that time we didnt have computers and scanners, or otherwise I would have been able to share some more rare stories with the world…
Anyway, the importance today is the french cheese Souffle, which actually has nothing in common with the Austrian mountain sagas, but as you all know my European roots and memories intervene with each other and thinking of Souffle I dwelled in the ancient worlds of our forests and lands…
To my defence! The Souffles deflated after taking them out, they didn’t even give me 10 seconds, those naughty Souffles!
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g White Flour
- ½ l Milk
- 4 Egg Yolks
- 4 Egg Whites
- 50 g Emmental Cheese
- pinch Salt
- pinch Pepper
- First of all we have to create a White Bechamel Sauce by melting the Butter in a Pot on slow heat and by whisking in the flour quickly, without that it all burns!
- Keep on whisking while pouring in stage by stage milk into the mix on medium heat, so that no bits are left in the mix. After 2-3 minutes continues whisking a smooth sauce should be formed. Take the pot from the heat and grate in the cheese, season with Salt and Pepper, mix well and let it all cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, beat the egg whites to a stiff white snow.
- Once the Cheese Bechamel Sauce is cooled down, mix in the Egg yolks. Important, the Sauce has to be cooled or the Eggs will scramble! Do that all quickly before the white snow gets runny!
- Fold the white snow into the Cheese Bechamel mix carefully, so that the fluffiness doesn't collapse. Never mix!!
- Butter a few forms and pour the uncooked souffle batter into them. It is easier to use several small forms instead of a big one!
- Bake the Souffles for 20 mins at 180 C till the top is of a golden shade. Never try to open the oven or the Souffles will fall together and it was all for the cat. Ovens nowadays should have a transparent glass where you can check the progress of the souffle, so that you can see if they are not burning on top. Once you take them out they will quickly come down, so it's all about timing!
What do you imagine or remember at the thought of souffle or while indulging a warm cheese fluff?
Here my recent Impressions from my homeland… I thought you would like to see the absolute contrast to Goa!
Told you we have snow left!
Our Garden Tulips
Neighbor cat modeling in our garden
Our fields… there used to be lots of trees at the borders. All are gone…
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I haven’t made a cheese souffle – or any souffle – in ages. Now I’m wanting one! But a little too warm. Although I’m pretty sure I’ll starting dreaming of souffle after looking at these pictures! Fun post – thanks.
What a fun time…baking with your mum! And I know your souffles tasted fabulous even deflated 🙂
Deflated or not, nothing is more warming than a cheese souffle – it looks so delicious and comforting 😀
A great post accompanying a great meal my friend – now where is that roaring fire… 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I hate it when I make food for the dog. 🙂 It happens to all of us, I know. Love the photos Helene. You know how much I love Austria. You could post more pictures every day for me. LOL
I have only made cheese souffle once, using blue cheese. I think that has to be rectified, as the cheese is definitely my favorite food group:)
Souffles are finicky and impatient, and it’s hard to catch them at their best, but I know it looked good right out of the oven:)
BTW, I feel sorry for the poor son of Frau Hitt – he did not do anything wrong:(
I love the photos!
lol thx Lana!
Frau Hitts son acted like a spoiled son… but in a way you are right, its not the kids mistake when parents don’t teach them the correct values in life. 😉
Helene, your cheese souffle looks soooo good! It’s perfectly puffed up. I can almost smell it from here.. =D Wow…you know what I can live in Austria for good… seriously, GORGEOUS! I wish that was my home!!
Such beautiful scenery! I love cheese souffles and the movie cloudy with a chance of meatballs 🙂 I wish my life was that movie !
Baking with your mum- priceless! I wish I had the chance to bake with mine, but this has to wait until christmas 🙁 The photos are gorgeous, and the cheese souffles looks and I bet, alos tastes fantastic! Thanks for sharing the legends about the Kasermandl and Frau Hitt with us! Enjoyed it!!!
Your home in Austria is magical, the lush green is beyond beautiful! I so need to make cheese souffle, it sounds so delicious:-) Who cares that if fell, it looks perfect to me:-) Hugs, Terra