@venice - The funny thing is, they are actually pretty basic. I was intimidated by them for a long while but as I've made more of them, I've discovered that there isn't that much too them.

@secade - @beowulf222 - A souffle, most simply described, is an incredibly airy cake. It can be sweet or savory. The cake part is a batter made of butter, flour, and egg yolks. In this case, I incorporated shredded cheese but you could include chocolate, fruit puree, or many other things. Separately, you whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Then you gently fold the egg whites into the batter, making it light and foamy. When you bake it, the air in the millions of bubbles expands, causing it to rise and forming this very light sponge.

@epiginoskete - @ElusiveWords - Really? You haven't tried a souffle before? That's something that must be corrected! =D

@rudyhou - You know where to get it. =P

@slmret - Actually, I've made souffles probably two dozen times. It isn't your every day dish, though, and I hadn't made one in about a year.

@Inciteful - It really puffed up high. Of course, as soon as you take it from the oven, it starts deflating... =(

@Fatcat723 - This particular ham was smoked and wasn't all that salty, actually. I had thought the same thing and held back on the salt.

@ZSA_MD - Oh, I'm sure theirs is many times better. Practice makes perfect, as they say!

@epiginoskete - You're so welcome.

@mizz_chan - @Vitamin_D - Thank you, thank you.

@yang1815 - True, and we did end up sprinkling a bit of salt on it at the table, which was fine.

@murisopsis - Thanks - even though taking pictures through an oven window doesn't turn out well, I really enjoyed the transformation of the dish. That's the type of thing that could inspire someone to try their hand at it!

@kunhuo42 - I think a lot of that is kind of comedic urban legend- you know, the slamming door causing it to fall or the chef having to tiptoe around the kitchen. A souffle is going to start falling as soon as it is removed from the oven. You will have a few minutes (picture time!) when it is still pretty tall, but the collapse is inevitable. Meanwhile, if you keep the oven door closed for the first 20-25 minutes of the cooking, that should ensure it isn't interrupted, causing any premature deflation. (Sounds like a medical condition...)

@SistahWarhol - Thank you.

@CurryPuffy - Yes, will you include Bangkok in your Hong Kong trip this December? I know that Nick is trying to coordinate a meet-up in HKG while you are there.