Food - For Jews and Non-Jews alike!

Pumkin Cheesecake

Sarge — 2004-11-14T20:14:13-08:00

This has been a favorite when Allison bakes for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Karen Shapiro, La Viennoise Pastries, Oakland
California Fresh Cookbook, 1985
page 237

Serves 12 (6 in Texas)

CRUST:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 12 single crackers)
1/2 cup ground pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs natural cream cheese, softened
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 yolk
2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp sifted cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract

Whipped cream and whole pecans for garnish

To prepare Crust: Combine all ingredients and mix well, coating crumbs completely with butter. Pat crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Place in freezer while preparing filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare Filling: Mix 3/4 cup sugar, pumpkin puree, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, mace, ginger and salt in a bowl. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 6 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Add the egg plus 1 yolk and the whipping cream. Mix again until smooth. Add cornstarch and blend well. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Mix again until very smooth. Add spiced pumpkin puree to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until no traces of white remain. (The smooth texture of this cheesecake depends on thorough mixing).
Pour filling over crumb mixture in springform pan. Bake 45 minutes, or until sides have risen. The center will still be somewhat soft. Remove from oven. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the sides, Remove cheesecake from pan bottom.
Garnish with whipped cream rosettes and whole pecans.

10/22/04 Shabbat

Sarge — 2004-10-22T20:31:02-07:00

We had Vegetable and Chickpea Curry along with Challah. It was so good. Sarina loved this dish.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
From Cooking Light

Aromatic Indian spices mingle with chickpeas, green beans, and potatoes. Coconut milk is stirred into the cooked curry for a creamy finish. Serve over quick-cooking couscous.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup light coconut milk
6 lemon wedges

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups vegetable mixture and 1 lemon wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 276(23% from fat); FAT 7.2g(sat 1.9g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 10.9g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 107mg; SODIUM 623mg; FIBER 10.6g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.7g

Robin Robertson
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

6/25/04 Fortune

Sarge — 2004-06-25T15:56:30-07:00

Soon you will be sitting on top of the world.

5 14 18 36 44 12

Yes, I will be playing Powerball for Saturday's drawing.

Is this the World's Healthiest Diet?

Sarge — 2004-06-15T08:32:36-07:00

PRESS RELEASE: Does a Mediterranean Diet Combined with an Asian Diet Equal the World's Healthiest Diet?

I love Asian and I love Mediterranean food. This seems like a good way to go.

What's Not to Like?

Sarge — 2004-05-01T21:58:07-07:00

I like it...I'm 30...I want to make my own someday (to figure out the jelly concept of course!)

What am I referring to? Check out this articlefrom Jewschool.

Shop and Burn

Sarge — 2004-04-27T12:22:51-07:00

Yahoo! News - 'Trim Trolley' Helps Burn Calories

This could be a great tool! Of course, I could just put my kids in the cart and use them as the resistance.

Ha! Like we really would go for this ad

Sarge — 2004-04-16T16:00:37-07:00

You really have to like Pesach candy to take up this offer:

Even at half-off I don't think I could eat it nor keep it around until next Pesach!

Family Treasures Hold Kosher America’s Roots

Sarge — 2004-03-31T15:07:45-08:00

Family Treasures Hold Kosher America’s Roots

This is quite a facinating article. I have a copy (reproduced) of The Settlement Cookbook. It is a lot of fun to look at, although I cannot imagine cookign some of the items. I also enjoy buying used cookbooks that have scribbled notes in them like the article says ("Made wine out of raisins," she had scribbled, adding, "9 boxes of raisins, 7 would have been enough."). The history of how food is prepared is facinating.

It took research to prove this?

Sarge — 2004-03-28T14:40:03-08:00

A recent survey shows that "We eat however much we're served." Although this is believed to be the first study done in a restaurant and not a lab, this still seems to me that it is obvious. Restaurants feel that they have to give more food in order to justify the price on the menu. Diners feel that they have to consume all the food on the plate to justify the price. A cycle that is not soon to break, even if some places such as Micky D's are cutting out the larger portions. As long as I can have 128-oz of soda for only 39 cents more than I would pay for 64 oz, I am going for the larger size. Not that I drink that much soda anyway, but it is the principal and what has been called our American right.

The Fortune is...

Sarge — 2004-03-19T13:38:30-08:00

You are careful and systematic.

8 12 27 39 41 19 (Lotto that is....)