Strawberry Cheesecake

This red, white and blue cheesecake is perfect for memorial day or July 4th. It both looks and tastes amazing!

For the cake base I used Tyler Florence's cheesecake recipe:

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

 In a mixing bowl, combine the  crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

 Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

 For the Filling:

 In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

 Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.

Note : Use heavy duty aluminum foil to wrap the pan. I wrap the pan once with foil and then I take a second piece of foil, set the  wrapped cake pan on it and just push it up loosely around the sides. Using this method I don't get soggy crusts.

 Then I added berries and a glaze to the cake.

 Arrange strawberries on cake pointed ends up, and blueberries as shown .

A glaze can be made in a number of ways, either you make a homemade glaze from cooked down fresh strawberries with a little sugar and some cornstarch to thicken the mixture or you use a prepared berry mixture that you boil and thicken with a little cornstarch if necessary. Which ever method you use the mixture should be strained with a fine mesh strainer and the solids discarded.

I had an open jar of Sarabeth's Strawberry Raspberry Spreadable Fruit ( about 3/4 full). I boiled the mixture in a sauce pan and then added a little cornstarch to thicken it. I strained the fruit mixture, let it cool and then brushed the berries with it  and then applied the rest to the cake itself. Sarabeth's is not inexpensive so use what you have or make your own. The raspberry  did add a wonderful taste to this cake though.

This cake is out of this world. Incredible! It actually tastes better than it looks!

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

3½ cups sifted flour

3 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1½ tsp. salt

4 eggs beaten

1 cup oil

2/3 cup water

2 cups canned pumpkin

Walnut halves

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Combine eggs, oil, water and pumpkin and mix well. Stir into dry ingredients. Turn into 2 greased loaf pans and top with a few walnut halves. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.  Makes  2  loaves.

Adapted from the Monastery of the Angels pumpkin bread

Hilda’s Spaghetti and Meatball

My mother in law gave me this recipe when I first got married. It's  very similar to Marcella Hazan’s meatball recipe in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. She was however making  this  long before the book was ever published.

 This dish is actually better the second day. The perfect comfort food served with hot garlic bread and a glass of red wine.

Hilda’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 slice of white bread

1/3 cup milk

1 lb ground beef

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 beaten egg

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for cooking

Fine dry bread crumbs (optional)

1 large chopped yellow onion

1 large can of plum tomatoes

½ cup vermouth or sherry

1 large bottle marina sauce

Tomato paste

Meatballs:

Trim the crust from a slice of white bread. Put the milk and bread in a small sauce pan and heat on low. When the bread has soaked up the milk break it up with a fork.

Remove from the heat and let cool completely

Combine the beef, bread, cheese, egg, garlic, parsley and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion.  Add to it 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix and form little meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Roll in bread crumbs ( optional).  Fry in oil until brown and crispy. Remove from pan.To oil add onion, fry until glazed. Add tomatoes to sauce, Add a little salt and pepper and marinara sauce. Simmer ½ to hour. Add vermouth and simmer additional 15 minutes. These actually get better the second day.

 

 I often double the meatball portion of this recipe since my family will  happily eat this three nights in a row.

Sautéed Spinach

 Spinach is among the world's healthiest vegetables

1 pound fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic peeled (cut in half or even quarters if large)

¼ cup olive oil

Salt

Discard any spinach leaves that are not fresh. Pinch off any large or hard  stems.. Wash the spinach and place it in a large pot with no more water than clings to the leaves after washing. If you are using prewashed spinach you need to add a little water to the pot (a couple of teaspoons).

Cook the spinach in a covered pot over medium heat with a pinch of salt. The spinach is done when it’s tender (10 minutes of more).

In a separate skillet sauté the garlic cloves in the olive oil until the garlic is lightly browned. Remove the garlic and add the cooked spinach and about 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes, taste and correct the seasoning

Happy Thanksgiving

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants, Garlic and Lemon

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around; you always see it on  the list of super foods. It's  full of antioxidants, anti- inflammatory nutrients and anti- cancer glucosinolates. Kales risk- lowering benefits have been shown to include cancer of the prostate, bladder, breast, colon and ovary. The Kale in this recipe is uncooked so you get the maximum health benefits!

When I told my husband that I was making him a nice Kale salad for dinner he joked that he wouldn’t be home for dinner. He loved the salad.

Do something great for yourself and your family; make this salad today. You won’t be disappointed.

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants, Garlic and Lemon (adapted from a Susan Lawrence recipe)

1 bunch Kale, cleaned, stems removed and chiffonade

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 2 medium lemons (about 1/8 cup)

3 cloves of chopped garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 bunch of scallions, finely sliced

½ cup of dried currants

½ cup toasted pine nuts

Chiffonade is a method of cutting leafy green vegetables into long thin strips. The leaves are stacked, rolled tightly into a cigar shape and then thinly cut into strips. Chiffonade is French for “rag”. Add the oil and lemon to the leaves and with your hands, massage the liquid into the strips of Kale for a couple of minutes. This will help to soften the Kale. Toast the pine nuts in a preheated 350 degree oven, until lightly toasted. (Monitor closely as they can burn quickly). While the pine nuts cool add the scallions, currants, parmesan cheese and garlic. Toss and add the pine nuts.

Tightly roll the Kale into a cigar shape and then cut into thin strips.

Papa Al Pomodoro

Papa Al Pomodoro  is a traditional Tuscan soup.  It's a tomato based soup made with bread.  It's  full of texture; not at all like a traditional tomato soup. This is Ina Garten's recipe and it's incredible .Make sure you use great bread for this recipe. I bought my ciabatta bread at the bake shop at whole foods. I bought 2 loafs and used about one and a half on this recipe. I also used  crushed San Marzano tomatoes which made life easy by eliminating the need to crush the tomatoes in a food processor. I'm in love with this soup.

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup good olive oil

·         2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)

·         1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)

·         1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)

·         4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

·         3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed

·         2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes

·         4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

·         1/2 cup dry red wine

·         1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the topping:

·         3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes

·         2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped

·         24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves

·         3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving

·         Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesanand taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.