March 31, 2013 – Life in the Cheese Drawer

March 31, 2013 kate Comments 1 comment

i told nate about liz’s idea of writing a devils syrup memoir, and he said, “start scribbling.” ok!
preliminary scribblings conclude the following topics to include:

pre-devil’s syrup
what made me go beyond slacktivism
taking stock and grocery shopping
surprise! X has corn syrup. why does everything have it?
one month to one year and beyond
social eating
big corn – monocultures, large farms, corn subsidies – cost of corn vs. sugar
monsanto is the devil
but corn on the cob is corn – why do you eat that? why not eliminate all corn products? ethanol?
gardening, food co-oops, farmers’ markets and the organic section. not to mention a quarter cow.
reactions
don’t sweat the small stuff. its not the end of the world if you eat it.
what the future holds – hydrogenated oil ban? no processed foods? purchasing a farm.
the substitutes – golden syrup, pepsi throwback, cane sode, sugar, maple syrup, foreign foods
reading labels, pre-food research, and diligence diligence diligence
history of corn
health benefits? weight loss? (not from corn syrup, so i took up running)
fallbacks – cadbury minnieggs and the quest to find a british versions
letters to corporations – i wrote to pepsi and cadbury
and i’m sick. too much hfcs after none will do that to a person
so i’m a hippie. and i hate being classified as one after seeing and reading about all the “modern” hippies out there.
recipes, watch lists, reading lists.

this MIGHT be enough. now its time to organize and outline! can anyone think of something obvious i’m missing?

cheesecake!

March 31, 2013 kate Comments 0 Comment

last easter, i told the story of how i made cheesecake. i think, however, that i didn’t take any pics. so here are the pics! but first, the recipe, from the joy of cooking, which, i have found, i use quite a bit.

Creamy Waterbath Cheesecake – from The Joy of Cooking

Have cream cheese at room temperature, 68° to 78°F. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Sprinkle with

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs.

Tilt and tap the pan to spread the crumbs evenly over the bottom and sides.

In a large bowl, beat just until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds: 2 pounds cream cheese. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters well. Gradually add and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes:
1-1/3 cups sugar

Beat in 1 at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition:

4 large eggs
Add and beat on low speed just until mixed:
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Set the pan on a length of wide heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fold the foil carefully up the sides of the pan without tearing it.
Set the pan in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Set the baking dish in the oven and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
Bake until the edges of the cheesecake look set but the center jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan before unmolding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours, before serving.

I started off with the crust – i know i have a fancy food processor, but it was just easier and less time consuming to crush that little graham crackers with the rolling pin. i also might add that the only non-organic graham crackers that are devil’s syrup free is the honey-maid low-fat version. rubbed butter all over and threw in the crumbs.
mmmm. look at that filling. it tasted great.
pre-waterbath! foil is there so the water doesn’t seep into the springform pan. last year i used regular sized foil and i still got water in the cheesecake. this year, i specially bought the heavy-duty stuff so i’d have the correct size.

mmmm, look at that! it’s still in my fridge like that right now. gorgeous! tastes delicious. and cheesecakes are not that difficult to make, so don’t be intimidated by them.