Autor gasps, holding his hand over his heart. "Pumpkin! That's fantastic," the boy says, grinning cheerfully.

Then he cracks his knuckles. "So, let me get this straight. A soufflé is basically a béchamel base--which is butter, flour, and milk--with four egg yolks, folded into seven beaten egg whites with a pinch salt and a pinch cream of tartar? Is there a difference between the sweet and savory soufflés?"