Altitude & Attitude Adjustments

Six years ago I moved to New Mexico.  One particular day, I was feeling a bit homesick. I was also feeling a bit hungry. I decided to make a favorite recipe my mom has always made for me, cheese souffle.  Although mine is never as good as hers, I could hardly wait for the timer to go off so I could enjoy my delicious meal and so I could feel a little closer to home.

My Mother's Perfect Soufflé

One hour later I pulled the most beautiful souffle out of my oven. I couldn't  believe how "tall" it had risen.  I'm pretty sure "tall" isn't the technical term for describing a souffle, but in our house, the height of a souffle was the number one indicator of it's beauty, taste and overall quality. The height of mine was the equivalent of an Olympic gold medal performance.

After placing the souffle on a trivet to cool, I turned to grab some plates. As I turned back around, I stopped dead in my tracks.  The souffle was gone. The souffle mold was still there, but my beautiful souffle was no where to be seen.  It wasn't until I looked deep into the mold that I saw my souffle's remains.  As lovely as it had risen in 60 minutes, it had deflated to its ugly death in less than 5 seconds.

MY First New Mexico Disaster

Disappointingly throwing the deflated disaster in the trash, I vowed to never make a stupid souffle again. Dramatically, I blamed the kitchen failure on my lack of cooking skills, my mom's recipe, my unfamiliar oven, New Mexico, the birds happily chirping outside....pretty much everyone and anything. What had I done wrong?

Turns out it all had to with altitude. Living in the center of the state, I was now baking at a different altitude than I had in the past.  Simply increasing the temperature of the oven (approx 25 degrees), increasing the amount of milk (2 tablespoons per cup), and adding a bit more flour would have prevented this kitchen disaster.

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As for my attitude, understanding altitude has made for a positive improvement.  I have made the souffle since, but have altered by adding green chile as a tribute to what is now my New Mexico home.

For Specific Instructions on High Altitude Cooking and Baking Visit:
E-215: High Altitude Cooking
Cir 293: Cake & Mix Recipes for High Altitudes in NM
USDA High Altitude Cooking & Food Safety Website