| rdfs:comment | - A trope that is little-used these days without actually being discredited, this could be found occasionally on Dom Coms up until the early 1970s, particularly those with child characters. A cook is attempting to bake a souffle for a fancy party or important dinner. Unfortunately, they must do so under riotous circumstances, with a consequent paranoia about the souffle collapsing. Naturally, some event -- rambunctious children or a slamming door or a car backfiring -- does indeed make the souffle fall, thus "spoiling" the event. See also Carrying a Cake. Examples of Endangered Souffle include:
|
| abstract | - A trope that is little-used these days without actually being discredited, this could be found occasionally on Dom Coms up until the early 1970s, particularly those with child characters. A cook is attempting to bake a souffle for a fancy party or important dinner. Unfortunately, they must do so under riotous circumstances, with a consequent paranoia about the souffle collapsing. Naturally, some event -- rambunctious children or a slamming door or a car backfiring -- does indeed make the souffle fall, thus "spoiling" the event. Two variations on this trope exist: In one, the rambunctious behavior around the souffle is quieted down with no ill effects, only to have a relatively-distant disturbance (slamming door, car backfire) collapse the souffle after it is "safe" (the souffle can be replaced by say, a sleeping baby). The other works much the same, except that it is the cook him- or herself which triggers the collapse. In reality, the only way to drop a soufflé into a puddle of goo is to: 1.
* Open the oven prematurely (sponge cakes are also subject to this) 2.
* Improperly construct it so that the fat in the yolk mixture destabilizes the foamy whites mixture. Refer to the relevant Good Eats episode. What Alton Brown doesn't say, though, is that it is laughably easy to do this, especially given mid-20th century ingredients and equipment. See also Carrying a Cake. Examples of Endangered Souffle include:
|
