National Chocolate Soufflé Dat - Feb. 28th; Chef Bernard Carmouche

Chef Bernard Carmouche
Carmouche is the Culinary Director of Emeril's Orlando restaurants. As a high school student, he wanted a job to buy a car, and what he discovered was a career. He has been working with Lagasse since 1984. He watches for young talent in the kitchen and mentors, as he was mentored. "Mentoring is a gift not to keep, but to pass on," he told the Orlando Sentinel.

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Chocolate Soufflé Day is February 28th. I admit I've never really even toyed with the idea of making one, and my grandmothers didn't have any recipes for soufflé, chocolate or otherwise. The egg white meringue that give this dessert its lift takes time and care, and I don't always have that.

Here's another addition you can consider making to your cookbook: prep times. The cooking time, especially with baked items, is usually fairly clear but the time to prepare a dish is often overlooked. Even experienced cooks can be fooled by this, and that can mess up your dinner plans. So, if you know how long it takes to prep a recipe, be sure to include that in your recipe notes!

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