While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Do we seem a little puffed up today? It's not without reason - May 18 is National Cheese Soufflé Day!!

This savory, airy cake rises to the occasion nearly every time; the name comes from a French verb, souffler, which literally means to "blow up" or "puff up." That's the delicious alchemy that happens when custard and whipped egg whites take a leisurely loll in a hot, closed oven.

And yes, "closed" is key. There's a reason soufflés are so often played for laughs in film and television. They're temperamental little suckers, prone to falling flat as a result of temperature shifts and excess vibrations.

Soufflés also take a goodly chunk of time to make, so if they're desired for dessert, diners are often asked to place their orders along with the main courses.

But a classic cheese soufflé can be a showstopping main course for an at-home dinner party or holiday event - with plenty of careful attention paid to timing. The base can be made and refrigerated ahead of time, but once baked, it's best served steaming hot from the oven. It will deflate a tiny bit on the table, but still earn gasps from guests.

Try this Parmesan and Gruyere-packed version from Molly Wizenberg, the self-proclaimed "fluffiest" take from Food & Wine, or get the blues with Ina Garten's Roquefort-kissed recipe.

Previously - Rise to the occasion with homemade chocolate soufflé