Summer. It’s warm, light, full of breath and life, and perfect for a brief, shining moment. Turn your back, and it’s gone.
I spent the summer in Maine with my family, and we drove back to North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend. Nearly 900 miles. As we tooled down I-95, leaving behind the falling acorns and blushing maples of Maine, and eased our way back into the lush magnolias and twining kudzu of North Carolina, I couldn’t shake a bittersweet feeling. My 2-year-old blithely says, “Bye Bye, Maine!” as we cross over the Piscataqua bridge. My 4-year-old wants to count how many states we have left until we get there. Meanwhile, I wrestle off a tinge of melancholy. Another summer. Gone? As my children nap in the back seat (at the same time, miracle of miracles), I conjure up my favorite summer 2009 “souffle” moment: beautiful, fleeting, effervescent.
At the cottage in Maine I’ve been coming to for over forty years, my two children are running across the sand, clambering on the rocks, hunting for crabs and snails and sea urchins, digging, dumping, splashing, and moving, constantly moving. Every now and then my daughter stops to yell, “Mom! Look!” And I lift my head from my book and peer out at whatever she has in her hand. It’s like time has stopped. Because I spent every year of my young life playing on those same rocks, picking up the ancestors of those same crabs, and shouting across the sandy beach to my mom who always peered over her reading to say something encouraging about whatever I treasured in my palm. “Oh my, look at that one!”
Eventually I put down my book and wander over to watch up close the things that so fascinated her. Just rocks, shells, a few small sea creatures scuttling along the sand. We tucked a few things into the tiny pockets of her “zookeeper’s vest” which will be too snug for her to wear next year. I was reminded of how long and slow and seemingly endless summer days can be to a child and it was a gift to my 41-year-old self to remember that feeling for an afternoon.
As for the chocolate souffle, it was equal parts bitter and sweet. It had a brief moment of glory — straight from the oven, it was something to see. But by the time I hauled out the camera and snapped a few shots, it had lost at least an inch of height, deflated into a diminished thing.
The chocolate flavor was nice, but it could have used a shot of espresso or caramel to intensify and concentrate the flavor. As for the texture, if I had adequately incorporated the egg whites, it would have been lovely. Because I was too concerned about overmixing the batter, I wound up undermixing the batter, which left unappealing puffs of egg white in the finished souffle. Ugh. All in all, not my best effort. But an apt symbol of summer’s end.
Thanks to Susan of She’s Becoming Doughmesstic for selecting this week’s chocolate souffle. You can find the recipe on her site or on page 409 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.
What a great post! I felt like I was right there with you, watching your daughter call out to you. Sounds like a wonderful place to spend some time. I’ve never made a souffle before, but I’m pretty happy with the way this one worked out for me. Nice job!
The souffle looks great! Mine deflated some when it came out of the oven (I expected it to deflate, but I kind of thought that it would deflate dramatically. But mine deflated more in the way that a kiddie pool with a slow leak deflates. So I had to look at the before and after pictures to confirm that it did, indeed, deflate). In any event, your analogy of the souffle and the fleeting days of summer is right on. How wonderful that your kids get to spend their summers at the same place you spent yours!
Great post…love the story. I have the similar things happen to me and my kids. They are growing up in the same town I did. I never thought I would move back here in a million years and then my husband gets a promotion at work. It’s fun to see them do some of the same things I did. I love your beach story.
I hated to miss this weeks TWD but we went to Sun Valley for a camping trip.
Nice souffle!
Had the same anxiety about mixing the egg whites. Guess I was just worrying too much about the details. Yours look good anyway.
Sounds like a fun vacation. I love Maine in the summer. That souffle looks creamy and delicious!
Sounds like a wonderful place to visit and a wonderful vacation! Sorry you didn’t love the souffle, but your ideas of adding caramel or coffee sound great.
Great post! Yours soufflé looks beautiful! I’m sorry you didn’t love your soufflé.
What a lovely chocolate souffle! It looks really delicious and I can’t see a speck of any egg white.
That was the sweetest post too, thanks for sharing your ‘souffle’ summer moment. It really made me feel nostalgic.
No, they don’t last long, but they taste great.
Souffle looks wonderful.
Ah, memories.