Medium
8
Published 2003
Baked Alaska is a stunt that began as a joke. Actually, it could well have been one of the many jokes made at the expense of President
But the underlying science, showing that the air in egg whites (and cake batter) acts as insulation, we owe to that genius of practical thermodynamics
The French serve a similar dish, omelette norvégienne, thought to have originated around the same time as baked Alaska. Instead of resting on sponge cake, their ice cream sits on Grand Marnier-soaked genoise. After the meringue is browned, the dessert is often flamed with Grand Marnier at the table. Whichever dessert came first, the tipsy faux-Scandinavian French or the teetotaling, antiexpansionist American, either is a good trick that can (indeed has to) be thrown together at the very last minute—and guarantees a warm reception from the chilliest of guests.
© 2003 Raymond Sokolov. All rights reserved.