Submitted by Mandy Mills, who adapted it from "Mariel’s Kitchen" by Mariel Hemingway, via the Today Show

• 2 ½ Tablespoons butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
• ½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk, heated
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• pinch of nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 5 large eggs, divided, whites beaten to stiff peaks

Preheat the oven to 400^o F.

Butter one large soufflé dish or deep casserole, or 8 (6-ounce) or 6 (8-ounce) individual ramekins, then coat with the 3 Tablespoons of parmesan.

Melt the 2 ½ Tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until it bubbles and begins to smell toasty. Remove pan from the heat, then add the hot milk all at once, whisking vigorously to blend.

Return the pan to the heat, whisking constantly, and bring to a simmer, cooking until mixture is fairly thick (about 2-3 minutes).

Whisk in the spices and remove from the heat.

Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.

Whisk one-quarter of the whipped egg whites into the cooked mixture. Then fold the remaining ¾ of the whites in rapidly, but delicately, and add in the remaining ½ cup parmesan as you fold.

Pour the batter into prepared dish(es).

Place baking dish(es) on a sheet tray and put into oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375. Bake 20 minutes for small ramekins, 30 minutes for large casserole dish. Bake until top of soufflé puffs and is brown. Serve immediately (although Alex likes it cold as well, and has been known to take leftovers to school for lunch the next day.)