Chef Travis Brink & Chocolate Grand Marnier Souffle

Chef Travis Brink practices his craft at the Omaha institution, The French Café. Of it, he says, “I feel that now, philosophically we are as French as we have ever been. I have worked hard to locally source ingredients that represent the best the Midwest has to offer. For me, that is a far better representation of the French cooking sensibility than dragging out an old classic will ever be.”
Brink added, “With its age and history there are certain standards in quality and offerings that I am entrusted to maintain: items like the Escargot, French Onion Soup, Filet au Poivre, and Chateaubriand are permanent fixtures on the menu and I feel comfortable in that capacity. A big challenge is people’s perception of French cuisine. To the uninitiated, there is this prevailing stereotype of French restaurants being pretentious and snobby in their service, as well as their fare; the reality is that (in our restaurant at least) the goal is to entertain. We want our guests to have a relaxed, enjoyable dining experience while maintaining a high level of service. I think once new diners get over the French vocabulary, the cuisine is very approachable and the ingredients are not so daunting.”
An Omaha Central alum, Brink has worked at Andrés French Restaurant in Las Vegas, as well as for for Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand (also in Las Vegas). Trained at the California Culinary Academy, now a Le Cordon Bleu property, he also attended classes at Metro Community College. Brink said, “MCC has a great program and they have done a wonderful job of reinvesting in their students and facilities over the years. For myself I wanted a more immersive environment...I wanted to surround myself with other students that were committed full time to culinary school. CCA was a good fit because of this as well as providing me with an opportunity to work in a culinary mecca like
San Francisco.”
Besides work, Brink enjoys “movies a great deal and (I) have very eclectic tastes in that regard. As a release I play softball every week and basketball
occasionally. I also follow college football casually and am an avid Red Sox and
Celtics fan.”

Chocolate . Grand Marnier Soufflé

Chocolate    7 oz
Unsalted Butter    4 TBL
Vanilla Extract    1 ½ tsp
Egg Yolks    3 ea
Warm Water    3 TBL
Sugar        ½ C + 2 TBL    
Egg Whites    8 ea
Grand Marnier    2 tsp

Brush soufflé ramekins with softened butter and then coat with sugar. Refrigerate until ready for use.
In a mixing bowl, place chocolate and butter in bain marie until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a kitchen aid bowl, combine warm water and egg yolks. Whisk until frothy. Gradually add 2 TBL of sugar and whisk until ribbons form, about 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, fold egg yolks into chocolate mixture. Reserve.
In a separate bowl, add egg whites and lemon juice. Whisk on medium-high speed  until frothy, then add remaining ½ cup of sugar. Beat until whites reach stiff (but not dry) peaks.
Add 1/3 of whites to chocolate and mix with a spatula until blended. Fold in remaining egg whites.
Ladle mixture into prepared molds filling to the lip.
Bake at 400° until soufflé rises 1 ½” above mold, approx. 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with a side of crème anglaise. Serve immediately.