Dessert: Lemon Ginger Cheesecake!

Lemon-Ginger Cheesecake

Calling all ginger lovers! This delicious cheesecake is light and creamy. It serves a crowd and can easily be prepared in advance. The recipe, one that I cut out years ago from Bon Appetit or Gourmet, says it can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 2 months, defrosting frozen cake overnight in refrigerator.

Yields 12-20 servings, depending on size of serving...


Ingredients

For the crust:
2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies (about 9 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel


Method

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 10-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides. Double wrap the outside of pan with heavy-duty foil.

Blend ground cookies (you can use the processor first to grind the cookies), sugar, and ginger in processor. Add melted butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust sets, about 10 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.





The prepared crust


For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and whipping cream, then crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, lemon juice and lemon peel.

Pour filling into crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until filling is set and golden brown on top (cake will rise slightly above edge of pan), about 1 hour 25 minutes. Turn off oven and prop oven door open. Let cake stand in oven 1 hour (cake will fall slightly).

Remove springform pan from water bath. Remove foil and cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Release sides of springform pan and transfer cheesecake to serving platter. Garnish with flowers and fresh lemon slices, sweetened whipped cream, fresh berries, etc.

P. S. I like crystallized ginger from The Ginger People -- it's fresh and soft and easy to chop and the packaging is very cute!

Spice Up Your Life Gingerbread

This delicious recipe for Gingerbread is in the Foster's Market cookbook. I love ginger! The spices in this bread are deep -- I like it on its own but it is also delicious with sweetened whipped cream, ice cream (maybe the Haagen Dazs Ginger ice cream for a double whammy of ginger) or possibly homemade applesauce.

I had to put a big dollop of whipped cream on it to disguise the fact that it sank while baking -- sadly a fact of life living here at 6,000 feet. Next time I make it I will reduce the baking powder even more...and maybe I will add some chopped crystallized ginger.

Makes 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups molasses
1 cup brewed strong coffee, cooled

METHOD

Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; Grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mustard, and pepper in a large bowl and stir to mix.

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the molasses to the butter mixture in a slow, steady stream while continuing to beat on low speed. Add the coffee, and continue to beat until all the ingredients are well blended.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until all the dry ingredients are moist and blended. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and place the pans on the center rack of the oven.

Bake 40-45 minutes, until the bread rises and springs back lightly when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean.

Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm or place on a wire rack to cool.

Serve for dessert, or breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack.

French Onion Soup

Cold weather is starting to set in here in the mountains and soup is a satisfying meal. This recipe is from the Julia Child book The Way to Cook. Allow approximately 3 hours total for preparation.



INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (approx. 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and sugar (sugar helps the onions to brown)
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 quarts homemade beef stock, or best quality purchased stock, of which 2 cups of the stock should be hot.
4-5 tablespoons Cognac, Armagnac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white French vermouth

METHODS

Browning the onions (approx 40 minutes). Set the saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil; when the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover the pan and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, raise heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25-30 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook slowly, stirring for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, the Cognac or brandy, and the vermouth. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Correct seasoning.

(Note: Soup prepared to this point may be cooled and refrigerated or frozen for later use)

Serving: Serve accompanied with grated cheese for garnish, french bread and a green salad or gratinee it -- put a toasted round of French bread in each bowl (or several into a large bowl) cover with grated Swiss cheese, 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese for garnish. Bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees until the cheese has melted and browned nicely.

Kitchen Tip: Cleaning Peppers

Chopping peppers is not a chore. Here's the best way to do it.






Cut a circle around the stem at the top of the pepper.



Gently pull the "lid" off the pepper and you will remove almost all the seeds. If there are seeds stuck inside, just run some water into your pepper "cup" and swish it around and pour it out.











Slice off the bottom and... (drumroll please)





Then section the pepper neatly into slices that lie quite flat -- you can roast them like this or slice into neat pieces!

What's for Dinner?: A Sushi Party

We were lucky to be invited to the home of friends, Chris and Erich, for a Sushi Dinner.

When we arrived we were put to work helping prep, slicing green onions, cucumbers, avocado, etc. I showed young Max my way of removing the pit from an avocado. He loved it!

Then Max showed me how to dip my fingers in water and spread the prepared rice really thinly on the seaweed.

Then, we used a choice of fillings tuna, shrimp, avocado, red pepper, green onions, sprouts, sauces, etc. and then carefully rolled the sushi, pressing the roll together using our sushi rolling mats.

It was a terrific feast!

In the pictures below, you see my rolling making my first sushi roll, our friend Peter (who looks a little intense rolling) and finally, the platter of delicious sushi rolls. Thanks, Chris & Erich!

Sweets: Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these yummy cookies. I use Guittard butterscotch chips because they are very flavorful. You can also add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to these cookies to give them a little crunch.

I brought a big plateful of these to a dinner the other night and everyone, kids and adults, devoured them.

When you bake these, put the cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven until they flatten, then move the tray to the top rack. As they bake, they will puff slightly. Remove them from the oven when they flatten out and just as they start to brown. That way they will still be a little chewy. If you like super crisp cookies, leave them in a few minutes longer. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire baking rack.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 package Guittard butterscotch chips (approx. 12 ounces)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and beat in, one at a time. Add vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture. Add oats. Stir in butterscotch chips by hand.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets or, for easier lifting of cookies and easier clean-up, line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Bake for 7-8 minutes. Slightly longer for crispier cookies.

Kitchen Tip: Avocados!

Avocado Prep is Easy

One day in a New York elevator, I heard two women discussing avocados. One woman confessed that they puzzle her, "Just getting the pit out is hard," she said. And the second woman agreed.

As a native Californian, I had to break NYC elevator etiquette (eyes generally stare straight at elevator door, barely acknowledge existence of fellow passengers) and explain how to prep an avocado. So, here is how to do it -- with pictures! It's easy!


First, pick avocados that have a little give to them, like a ripe peach or pear (the Haas avocadoes with the nubbly skin are best). If it feels too soft it will be rotten inside and if it is too firm you won't want it in your sandwich, your salad or your guacamole.


Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, going around the pit. Twist the two halves and they will come apart. You will have two lovely, oval halves and the pit will be stuck in one of the halves.


Use a kitchen knife and, with a chopping motion, let the blade of the knife sink about 1/4" or so into the pit of the avocado. Then, twist the handle of the knife and the pit will pop out

At this point you can scoop the flesh out (for guacamole, etc.) or slice for sandwiches or salads. An easy technique is to slice in the skin and then slip the blade of your knife between the skin and the avocado and gently lift the slices out.

What's for Dinner?: Italian-Style Chicken and Mushroom Soup

This soup is delicious! I am back in Jackson in my big kitchen and I was looking for a hearty soup to serve as a light dinner. This combination of chicken soup with roast mushrooms is great. The soup can be frozen by making the soup as directed but leave out the pasta. Then, when you thaw and reheat the soup, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks -- The Foster's Market cookbook. Evidently, there really is a place called Foster's Market somewhere in the south. Someday, maybe I will go there, but until then, I just enjoy making their food!

Preparation time is long...(an hour and a half or two -- depends on if you need to poach the chicken) but you don't have to stand by the stove the entire time!

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4-5 ribs celery, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts, poached and shredded
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 whole heads garlic
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and, if large, sliced into quarters
1 cup small pasta (orecchiette pasta, bow ties or elbow)
1 cup canned cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Fresh spinach (a handful per person)
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (to roast the garlic and mushrooms)

2. Start the soup. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the broth, chicken, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. While soup is simmering, place both heads of garlic on foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Wrap them up and place in the oven to roast (about 35-40 minutes) or until the garlic is soft. Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the remaining olive oil in a baking dish, place in the oven, and roast 15-20 minutes, turning lightly a couple of times during cooking so that they are coated evenly. They should be a nice brown color when you remove them from the oven.

5. Add mushrooms to soup. Remove garlic from the oven, peels the cloves, chop them in half (so you are leaving pretty big chunks) and add to the soup.

6. Add the pasta to the soup and cook 10-12 minutes longer. Add the beans and heat through. Add rosemary and parsley and stir to mix.

To Serve: Place a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves in the bottom of a bowl and ladle soup over. Top with parmesan and serve immediately. Yum!