Family Meal Plan: Tender Red Bell Pepper French Soufflés + Crème Fraîche Drizzle + Sparkling Grape Punch

Tender Red Bell Pepper ​French ​Soufflés

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• bake :

  to cook food with dry heat, as in an oven.

• dice :

  to cut foods into small pieces of equal size so that the food is cooked evenly or looks uniform and pleasant when used in the recipe.

• fold :

  to gently and slowly mix a light ingredient into a heavier ingredient so as not to lose air and to keep the mixture tender, such as incorporating whipped egg whites into a cake batter or folding blueberries into pancake batter; folding is a gentler action than mixing or whisking.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• mix :

  to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.

• pour :

  to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

History of the Soufflé!

• A French master cook, Vincent La Chapelle, who worked for the nobility and royalty, was the first to mention the soufflé (soo-FLAY) in the early 18th century. Its development and rise to popularity are generally attributed to Marie-Antoine Carême, an early 19th-century French chef.
• The French word "soufflé" is the past participle for the verb "souffler," meaning to blow, breathe, whisper, or puff. 
• Fun fact: "souffle," without the accent over the 'e,' is pronounced "soo-ful" and means a low murmuring or blowing sound heard through a stethoscope.
• A soufflé is an egg dish consisting of egg yolks and egg whites. The base is often a sweet or savory crème pâtissière or pastry cream, a type of custard made with egg yolks. Egg whites, beaten to a soft peak, are then gently folded into the flavorful egg yolk mixture, helping to produce its fluffy, puffy top after baking. 
• Soufflés are baked in a large ramekin or soufflé dish. The ramekin may first be buttered and coated with sugar, breadcrumbs, or grated hard cheese, like Parmesan, to prevent sticking. 
• Your soufflé will puff up better if you make sure your egg whites do not contain any fats or egg yolks when you beat them to a soft peak. Also, you do not want to overbeat them, or they will lose their volume. Gently fold about one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture before folding in the rest until they are incorporated; do not overmix. 
• When you remove the dish from the oven, the soufflé may slightly deflate because the hot air trapped inside starts to escape when it is exposed to room temperature. Just be sure everyone is present to see it as soon as it is taken out of the oven, or snap a quick photo of your masterpiece!

Let's Learn About French Cuisine!

• French cuisine is known worldwide and encompasses the rich and complex traditions and innovations in French cooking. 
• Bread, butter, cheese, and wine are significant factors in French cuisine, but regional and seasonal ingredients and techniques also influence it. 
• The French cooking we primarily think of is called "cuisine bourgeoise." It is the delicious home-cooked food of the middle classes. "Haute" (high) cuisine is the elaborately prepared food of high-end restaurants and hotels, and peasant cuisine is the simple and tasty fare from the countryside. 
• In the 1960s, French "nouvelle" (new) cuisine came into vogue with lighter dishes and fresher ingredients. Sauces are made by cooking a stock longer to reduce and thicken it rather than adding flour, cream, and butter.
• "Guide Michelin" is a French tire company's guidebook. In 1926, it began awarding stars to fine-dining restaurants. High-quality restaurants everywhere strive to earn one, two, or three Michelin stars, with three being the finest.
• Marie-Antoine (or Antonin) Carême was a French chef from the early 1800s who refined French cooking, wrote books, and contributed to the establishment of "grande" or "haute" cuisine. He passed on his techniques to other chefs through his writing.
• Georges Auguste Escoffier was a French chef and restaurateur who was influenced by Carême and wrote about traditional French cooking methods in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He recorded the five mother or grand sauces in French cooking: béchamel, hollandaise, espagnole, tomato, and velouté. He is also responsible for creating the "brigade de cuisine," an organized system of specific kitchen staff positions and tasks in large restaurant kitchens.
• Le Cordon Bleu (French for the blue cord or ribbon) is a haute cuisine cooking school established in 1895 in Paris, France. 
• French "gastronomy" (the art and science of preparing good food) was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List for France in 2010. 
• The three main meals in France include a simple "le petit déjeuner" (breakfast), a one or two-hour "le déjeuner" (lunch), and "le dîner" (dinner). Dinner consists of three courses: "hors d'œuvre" or "entrée" (appetizer or a first course, like soup), "plat principal" (main course), sometimes followed by a salad, and then finally, a cheese course or dessert. Dessert may be fresh fruit.
• French dining establishments include restaurants—various sizes and prices with printed menus and trained waitstaff; bistros—small and moderately priced neighborhood eateries serving regional foods with chalkboard or spoken menus; bouchons—found in Lyon, serving traditional Lyonnaise cuisine; brasseries—serving beer, wine, and dishes from the Alsace-Lorraine region; and cafés—small places, primarily serving coffee and alcoholic drinks with limited food offerings.

• A few better-known examples of French cuisine are Boeuf Bourguignon (beef stew with red Burgundy wine), Bouillabaisse (seafood soup), Cassoulet (bean, meat, and sausage stew), Confit de canard (duck slowly simmered in its own fat), Crème brûlée (creamy vanilla custard topped with caramelized sugar), Crêpes (paper-thin pancakes with sweet or savory fillings), Escargot (snails cooked in their shells with parsley and garlic butter), French onion soup (onions cooked in beef stock with crusty bread and melted Gruyère cheese on top), Pot-au-feu (meat and veggie soup), Ratatouille (vegetable stew), Sole meunière (breaded fish sautéed in brown butter), Soufflé (puffy, airy, and savory dish or sweet dessert), and Tarte Tatin (fruit tart, typically apple).