Lucy Gellman File Photo.
The following citizen contribution comes from restauranteur Doug Coffin, who in January stepped into retirement after decades of catering, founding the Big Green Pizza Truck, and running the Jocelyn Square restaurant Next Door (stay tuned for an article on that!).
A short piece of fiction, it is inspired by both his own catering work years ago in Hopper College and his writing in several storytelling circles in New Haven, including one that Saul Fussiner led at Next Door. "The description is based on my experience as a frequent consumer as well as a baker," he said.
The soufflé arrived on my plate looking gorgeous. I had heard about these, but I had never had one. The hostess said it was one of the chef's specialties. I was looking forward to trying it but I was a little skeptical.
What arrived was something out of a magazine. A rich chocolate brown puff, rising above the white ramekin, dusted lightly with confectioner’s sugar, and graced with a dollop of whipped cream in the center. We were warned not to touch the ramekin; coming straight out of the oven it was quite hot and likely to burn us. We were encouraged not to wait for fear it would collapse.
I took a bite. Warm dark chocolate, but not thick and viscous like a melted chocolate bar, soft and airy and aromatic like you were eating a cloud. Except you weren't biting it, you were holding it on your tongue, feeling it's warmth and the cool touch of the whipped cream. And then it was gone, leaving you wanting more.
I looked up at the hostess. "First kiss good" she said.