We all remember those spectacular failures in our lives.  At this time of year, it takes only the mere mention of "Christmas pagent" to conjure up one of my most humiliating.  I was 10 and my best friend Colleen and I fancied ourselves to be Missoula, Montana's answer to the Lennon Sisters, (minus two.) What better way to enrich the lives of our friends and neighbors, we thought,  than by croning a few cords of Silent Night at the local Orchard Homes Country Life Club Christmas pagent?  The minute we hit the stage, however, we were seized by an embarrassing and uncontrollable explosion of the pre-teen girl giggles. We bombed.  After slinking off the stage we had to contend with my spitting-mad mother.  And, no, we were not offered an appearance on the Lawrence Welk Show.

Which leads me to the subject of souffles -- chocolate souffles, to be exact.   A recent unscientific survey of my friends reveals that none of them has attempted to make a chocolate souffle -- ever.  Why?  Fear of bombing.  I admit that the image of a souffle deflating like a popped balloon kept me from grabbling the whisk.

That is, until this summer when my friend Karen and I took a French cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland . By the time we had whipped up the ratatouille, veal medallions in Champagne sauce, chicken chasseur, Lyonnaise potatoes and the bouillabaisse Marseillaise, we were too tired for terror.

While I had witnessed a student or two incinerate the Champagne sauce or reduce the bouillabaisse to rubber, not one person messed up the chocolate souffles. Every one of the little darlings came out of the oven proud and puffy.

You too can impress your friends and family this holiday season.   But forget the pageant.  Try this great recipe for chocolate souffle.  And have no fear of bombing.

Please forward this newsletter to your buddies!

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