Decadent cheesecake recipe for Shavuos found!

Over the past couple of years, I've been finding more and more new recipes to try on the Internet, instead of finding them in cookbooks. I still buy cookbooks, but can be more selective about the cookbook topics, since I don't need as many general cookbooks in my collections. I also end up reading more books about cooks and food in general (Michael Pollan anyone?). As mentioned in my last post, I make two cheesecake recipes for the holiday of Shavuos. I've found one recipe that I plan to make this year.

I really enjoy Ariella's (Ari) Baking and Books blog. She always makes something really interesting, is a really good writer, and features mouth-watering pictures. I enjoy her cookbook reviews; my GoodReads list of cooking books to read and/or buy is growing rapidly!

Right around Passover, Ari featured a recipe for Honey Ricotta Cheesecake that looks amazing. I particularly like the fact that it only calls for 2 packages of cream cheese; many recipes call for 4 packages. She also calls for ricotta, but ricotta seems to be lighter to me (I haven't actually compared nutrition labels to see if the fat content is actually lighter), so I don't mind using this cheese in addition to the cream cheese. I can't bring myself to make a 4-packages-of-cream-cheese recipes; it's just too fatty. I've become more and more sensitive to what's in (or not in) my food over the past few years and such rich recipes just turn me off.

Ari's recipe also has 7 tips for making perfect cheese cake - I suggest you take a look before your embark on your Shavuos baking. I already knew about tip #4 - don't use low-fat cream cheese if the recipe doesn't call for it. You'll mess up the fat ratio in the recipe, and the cake just won't taste that good.

Oh, and another thing about Baking and Books - Ariella gives away cookbooks every month to commenters. Enjoy!

Something decadent to make for Shavuos + two blog recommendations + new cookbook. Whew!

The next big Jewish holiday coming in up just a few weeks is Shavuos, where we celebrate the anniversary of receiving the Torah at Har (Mount) Sinai.

During Shavuos, we celebrate by eating dairy foods. There are a number of explanations given for this custom; Rabbi Shraga Simmons provides a number of explanations for eating dairy on Shavuos on Aish.com. This is one of the few times a year that I make a festive dairy meal, and actually bake something dairy. I usually make one somewhat low-fat cheese cake (Heh! Like that exists!), and one incredibly decadent cheesecake. I've been wanting to make something else really decadent this year, and may have found my target recipe.

One of my favorite culinary authors, Michael Ruhlman, has published a new cookbook that I can't wait to get my hands on, called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. Hmm. I got a Barnes & Noble 20% off coupon yesterday in my inbox...maybe this would be a good use for it. (Sorry, Amazon, but I do love you too. You just don't send me coupons like B&N does.)

Ratio is a cookbook that explains, basically, the ratio between ingredients in order to make a recipe. It's something that I knew existed and that is taught in cooking schools, but needed a good, inexpensive guide to the details, particularly since my math skills are horrible.

Anyways, this Vanilla Sauce from Michael's cookbook sounds fantastic. I buy cream exactly one time a year (for this holiday only) in a 32 oz container (not sure it's 32 oz, but it might be*), but don't use all of it and hate wasting it. This recipe will be fabulous for using up the container. I'm not sure what preparation I'll use, but I'll figure it out before the holiday. If I'm really ambitious, maybe it'll be a flourless chocolate torte or some decadent chocolate-y dessert, with the regular vanilla sauce preparation. Yummy!

I must give a hat tip to Jaden of Smitten Kitchen who mentioned Michael's book in this post. She has a podcast up that I haven't listened to yet, but I'm sure it's fantastic. Jaden's blog is one of my favorite cooking blogs because she's entertaining, has great pictures, and focuses on Asian cooking, which is one of my current interests. Jaden has a giveaway of a kitchen scale featured on her site right now, but since I don't need more competition, please don't enter, 'kay? But you can sign up for her newsletter - it's a fun, informative read.

Hey, if you're thinking of buying the cookbook, please buy it thru this link...maybe I'll be able to feed my cookbook habit with your help:


* I only cook with Chalav Yisrael products. Chalav Yisrael is milk produced and packaged under constant Jewish supervision. Heavy cream is not a high demand product in the Chalav Yisrael industry, so I've only seen it in large containers. They don't come in the little 1 or 2 cup containers like the general cream market.

P.S. Michael's blog looks really interesting. It's been added to my Bloglines list. Enjoy!