Friday, November 26, 2010

Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

I didn't bestow that title on this seemingly celebrity-status dessert. That's the name it came with! I was determined to make a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving and I found several recipes in magazines and online. This particular recipe seemed special to me however. It made a large, restaurant size cheesecake with a super-buttery crumb crust and I just couldn't resist it's name. They totally reeled me in with the guarantee of "almost famous". It must be good then...right?? Well, fortunately, it was. It was more than good. It was stupendous!
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Cheesecake on Thanksgiving is definitely a risk since you're asking people to eat a huge meal and then throw down a very rich dessert. Our crowd took on the challenge however, and did pretty well. And those who couldn't stuff in dessert took home slices of this spicy pumpkin dessert. I think those who took pieces home might actually enjoy it more than those who shoved it in after overloading their tastebuds on turkey and fixins. I would rather enjoy this cheesecake as a meal the day after Thanksgiving. It definitely deserves that kind of special attention.
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A few notes about the recipe. For one, I substituted gingersnap cookies for the graham crackers in the crust. Another note about the crust, the 12 tablespoons of butter is too much, in my opinion. If I was to do it again, I'd probably use half the amount of butter. I used the whole 12 tablespoons and during the pre-baking process the butter was dripping out of my springform pan onto the oven floor causing my oven to smoke horribly. The house was full of thick smoke from the burning butter on the bottom of my oven. And honestly, it was just too much damn butter (and I thought I'd never say that, too much butter? How is it possible right?). But it's true. A little less and believe me you won't notice the difference in taste. The cheesecake part itself packs enough punch. Enjoy!

Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake
www.foodnetwork.com
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12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 3/4 cups sugar
Salt
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A Beautiful Wedding

Ok so no I'm not turning this into a photo blog! But my friend's wedding was so beautiful I just had to share some pics. Being an Indian wedding, there was a lot of great color and photo opportunities. I love my camera and recently acquired an external flash, making it that much easier to get some fabulous indoor shots at night. I'm also using a new editing software that takes all the mystery out of making good photos look professional! So here are a few pics from the big day. And, as a teaser, I just finished baking an awesome pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving dinner. We're having about 20 people at my mom's house and the menu is vast! More to come....

The groom came in on a horse with his nephew!
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The beautiful bride!
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The groom's sister sporting some great Indian jewelry.
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The cake topper - the bride wore a vibrant blue and crystal dress for the reception that matched the cake topper exactly!
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The couple during the toasts.
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Sunset shots at the gorgeous bayside venue in Chesapeake Beach!
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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Mehndi Party!

One of my best friends from middle school got married this past weekend and before the wedding she held a Mehndi Party, which is a traditional ritual within the Indian wedding ceremony. The bride and her family and friends gather to see the bride get the Mehndi tattoo, painted on by hand out of red henna paint. My friend asked me to be her "unofficial" photographer for the night's event so here are my results. What a fun and beautiful event to be a part of and I really enjoyed the task of capturing it on film! I wanted to share some with everyone since I've been a little lacking on the food updates lately. Thanksgiving is coming though so more food to come. Meanwhile, here are some pretty pics to distract and entertain - and notice, I did squeeze one in of the yummy Indian foods her mom served at the party. Yum! Enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Manchego-Stuffed Pork Saltimbocca

So dinners at my house have been pretty boring as of late. There are two very good reasons for this. For starters, my nearly 6-month old baby makes planning elaborate dinners nearly impossible. Secondly, my husband has decided he needs to lose what he calls his baby weight and so is on a low-carb diet (the only diet that ever works for him, so he says). Because of this, our dinners lately have been simply grilled fish, chicken or steak with either steamed veggies or a green salad. Nothing much to blog about. However, last night I was sick of the same old thing and decided I could throw together something with a little more flavor and ingenuity that wouldn't take hours.
Enter manchego-stuffed pork saltimbocca .
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This is my slightly, kicked-up version of the traditional saltimbocca preparation, which marries prosciutto and woodsy sage with seared chicken or pork in a simple lemon butter pan sauce. I served mine stuffed with nutty manchego cheese alongside some steamed asparagus. It satisfied all our dinner needs, quick, low-carb and delicious! Saltimbocca literally means jump in your mouth and the combination of cheese, salty prosciutto and the earthiness of the sage do just that. Your tongue will be dancing for joy when you taste this easy to prepare dish. Enjoy!

Manchego-Stuffed Pork Saltimbocca
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2 boneless pork medallions, about 1 1/2 in thick each (the thicker they are the easier they are to stuff)
2 slices of thinly-sliced prosciutto
4 sage leaves
1/2 cup shredded manchego
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
olive oil

Season your pork with salt and pepper on each side. Cut a pocket in each pork loin, being careful not to split the medallions in half. Fill each pocket with about a 1/4 cup of your shredded cheese. On the top of each pork loin lay two sage leaves and press flat. Finally, wrap your prosciutto around the pork medallion.
Preheat oven to 350. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Once shimmering, add your medallions, sage side down. Let sear for 3 minutes on each side and then place the pork medallions in an oven-safe dish and cook the rest of the way - 20 minutes or until center is not pink.
Meanwhile, add your lemon juice and chicken stock to the saute pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the pork. Whisk in the tablespoons of butter and the dijon mustard. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer and then reduce heat. Allow to thicken and reduce while occasionally whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Once pork is done, serve over top of steamed asparagus and cover with your pan sauce.