Cheesecake may just be the perfect food.  It is certainly one of the oldest on record.  It is believed that cheesecake was served to the Olympic athletes during the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.  Any food with that kind of staying power just has to have something to it.

Perhaps it’s the ability of cheesecake to be modified in so many ways. Cheesecake is adaptable.  It can be made in any number of different flavors and textures, from light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla to incredibly dense and savory, the cheesecake has been with us since the beginning of Western history and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be leaving us very soon, especially with flavors like the ones in the cake pictured above.

My guests for Christmas requested only three things.  Turkey, ham and a chocolate cheesecake.  That’s a simple request if I’ve ever heard one and I was happy to oblige.  Initially I was going to make a simple chocolate cheesecake, but the gift of 8 oz. of German milk chocolate and the thought of my favorite coffee drink made me decide to go in a different direction.  It turned out to be a fated decision, as this is by far the best tsting chocolate cheesecake I’ve had to date.

I had picked up Coffee Liqueur and Creme De Cacao with the intention of posting the recipe for my cafe mocha (coming soon) and the smell of the cheesecake batter reminded me of that drink, so a few quick additions to the custard were all it took to turn what I’m sure is a phenomenal recipe into something extraordinary.

Chocolate Cafe Mocha Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For Cheesecake:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreo Cookies (about 20 cookies)
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 24-oz cream cheese (3 packages), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 oz. milk chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
• 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur

For Ganache Topping:

• 8 oz. dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
• 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur

Method:

Cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using a silver 9″ springform pan or to 300 degrees if using a dark nonstick 9″ springform pan.  Mix crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom and sides of pan.  Bake 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur with electric or stand mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add chocolate and mix well.  Add eggs, one-at-a-time, mixing on low speed until just blended.  Pour over crust.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set.  Run a sharp knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool to room temperature before removing rim of pan.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before topping.

Ganache icing:

Place chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl. heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until just boiling.  Immediately pour cream over chocolate.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Mix well with a wire whisk or silicone spatula.  Add Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur, stir to combine well.  Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or until ganache is stiff but not set.

Assembly:

Remove ganache from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.  Stir to loosen slightly. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and level the top with a very sharp knife if necessary.

Gently spread ganache icing from center of cheesecake to edges. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Share and Enjoy!

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I think I managed to overcook this cake a little.  The sides puffed up a good inch higher than the center, which made the icing a necessity once the cake was leveled.  It was a happy accident though.  The ganache icing adds an entirely new dimension to the already rich flavor of this cheesecake that we all enjoyed very much.

You’ll want to be sure to serve this one just slightly chilled or at room temperature.  Straight from the refrigerator the coffee liqueur is a bit overpowering, but it mellows and plays nice with everything else at room temp.

Be warned, this is a very dense cheesecake and it doesn’t slice “pretty”  Just overlook that and go for it anyway.  It’s more than worth it!

Links to other recipes like this:

• Chocolate Cheesecake, from Closet Cooking
• Plum Crazy Chocolate Cheesecake, from InnCuisine
• Chocolate Almond Cheesecake, from Kelly at Sass & Veracity

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When we invited our friends over for Christmas this year, I only asked for one thing.  I asked for the apple pie pictured above and the recipe that went with it.  The fact that the pie dish pictured was also given to us was a bonus (and a very nice one, thanks guys!) but the real gift is a pie that I will gladly make and share with friends and family for the rest of my life.

I know I say this all the time, but the simple things in life are usually the best.  This hods true with food as well.  Overcomplicating a recipe usually does little to enhance the flavors of the food, it just adds extra steps that are not necessary. (There are, of course, times when this rule does not hold true, but this is not one of those cases.)

This has to be just about the simplest recipe for a German apple pie I have ever seen.  There’s no fuss, nothing picky or finicky, just a good-solid recipe that tastes far better than you would expect for the ingredients used.  In my opinion this is true perfection.

I know that statement may ruffle a few feathers.  Everyone has their own favorite apple pie recipe.  Of those, I’m sure that 99% would be a pie that I would enjoy as well.  But for me, Brie’s German Apple Pie is quite simply the pie I will crave whenever I think of apple pie in the future.  I’ve been spoiled, but I’m not complaining.

The recipe as given to m is only for the pie filling.  I’m not sure if she made her own crust or if she used a prepared crust, so I’ll leave that decision up to you.  If you’re bent on making your own pie crust, the best recipe I’ve ever seen for one is here. I am not a baker by nature, so if my wife wants to make a crust from scratch, great!  If not, I’ll use what I can get.  With this filling adorning it, it could be shoe leather, I really wouldn’t care.

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Arroz con Pollo is a simple dish.  I’ve heard it called the “Mac and Cheese or Pot Roast” of the Latin world.  Every family has a recipe and every kid will tell you that their mother’s is the best.  I personally think my wife’s version is the best, but feel free to disagree with me.  I’m sure that if this dish is made in your family, it’s pretty good too. (But my wife’s is still better and you’ll never convince me otherwise!)

My wife’s first husband was Puerto Rican and this dish is made in the Puerto Rican style as taught to my wife from his mother.  It was my first experience with Puerto Rican cooking, but I have to say that now I’m hooked and I get my wife to make any of the foods she learned there whenever possible. (When I’m not hogging the kitchen, that is.)

The combination of chicken, rice, capers, olives and spices in this version is nothing like the Mexican Arroz con Pollo I grew up around.  for one thing, Puerto Rican cooking isn’t all that spicy heat-wise.  In fact most of their condiments are very mild.  The Mexican version will knock your socks off in some cases.  I much prefer this one and I hope you enjoy it, even if your mother’s is better. (And of course it is, it’s Mom’s!)

This recipe has been adapted to use several over-the counter sauces and bases, as we cannot get some of the ingredients called for in this part of the U.S. without ordering them online at a premium.  I’ve linked the ingredients we use to online stores where you can find them if they’re not available in your local area.

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New food blogs come along all the time.  Most of these won’t stand the test of time.  There simply isn’t any passion in them.  A food blog without a real passion for food (and a blogger who cares nothing for rejection) simply won’t last.  Then there are those that shine, and The Adventures of Kitchen Girl is one of those.

Jo, the writer of Kitchen Girl most definitely has the passion that a food blogger needs to keep the posts and new ideas coming.  Her blog is loaded with simple, soul satisfying recipes that won’t break the bank or cause palpitations while reading the recipe.  No 34 step ultra-complicated  or overworked meals here.  You’re just going to get good solid recipes that you and your family and friends will love.

I really could go on.  Jo herself is a very sweet person whom I have the privilege of calling one of my friends and her writing will make you feel like you are sitting in the room with one of your friends as well.  I’d wager that if you drop by and leave a few comments, you might just make a new friend yourself.

If you haven’t already, add The Adventures of kitchen Girl to your favorite reader and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.  This is most definitely a blog to watch.

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Seattle PI restaurant critic Rebekah Denn thinks Shiela Lukins has scored a perfect ten with her new cookbook “Ten”.  As a matter of fact, she’s downright raving about about how wonderful the book and its recipes were and about the Author herself.

It’s not often a food critic gives such high praise, especially about a cookbook.  As Miss Denn states at the end of her article:

New books about food come across my desk almost daily. Some look pretty, but have recipes that are disappointing or downright failures. A surprising number of them are transparent gimmicks or riddled with typographical errors, or they seem devoted to the look of a dish more than the clarity of the directions. It was a pleasure to find Lukins, after all these years, still weighs in herself as a kitchen “10.”

I don’t know aout you, but I think I’m going to be on the lookout for “Ten”.

For the original article, click here.

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What is is about wine officianados and sommeliers that sets in their minds the justification of $200.00-plus bottles of wine?  I can only assume that they must be fantastic but to be honest, it would take one helluva special occasion for me to fork out that kind of green for a glass or two of a fine vintage regardless of how wonderful it might be.  I’m just not that into my wine.

Of course there is the other side of the spectrum.  Inexpensive table wines that are fairly well suited to using as a component in a braise or stock, but not something you would happily serve your guests at a party. These barely palatable vintages are the domain of those who either don’t enjoy wine very much, have never tasted anything better or simply don’t care what it tastes like as long as it “gets the job done”.

The real fact of the matter is that it all depends on what you like.  My wife and I very much enjoy several different wines that rarely sell for more than six dollars a bottle.  They’re not pretentious, they’re just good.  Of course there’s also a $30.00 bottle of port sitting on my counter waiting for a dessert I plan to revisit in the near future.  I’ll pay for quality ingredients without giving it a second thought.

Today we’ll touch on two ends of the spectrum.  The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Top Ten Wines of 2008 vs. Bonnie Graves’ List of the Top Ten Party wines for Ten Dollars and Under.  After this, I’ll throw in my own two cents on a few other vintages you might like to try if you’re in the market for something a bit less expensive.

But now, on to the lists!

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Who reading this hasn’t, at least at some point, wanted their own chef’s coat?  Isn’t that the secret dream of every foodie everywhere?  That some day, at some point, you’ll be the one walking out from the kitchen wearing the crisp uniform of the executive chef.  I know it’s one of my dreams, though I’m not sure if it will ever really happen.

Honestly, the chef’s jacket is a uniform, just like any other, and I’m thinking about getting one anyway.  Perhaps it will give me the push I need to actually work towards that restaurant I’ve been dreaming about.  And folks, I’ve found the jacket.

In one of my many diversionary flights across the internet, I found iDbyLandau.com.  They not only offer a complete line of really cool chef apparel, but some decent looking company apparel and corporate apparel too.  The one that caught my eye?  The Coed Mid Sleeve Chef’s coat.  Or maybe the Black Gangster Stipe coat.  Both of these would be something I’d happily wear at work in the kitchen, whether I carried a culinary degree in with me or not.

If you are already a professional chef and you have to provide your own uniforms, iDbyLandau.com is someplace you really need to check out.  And if you’re like me and just really want a chef’s coat for Christmas, go check them out anyway.  it’s just a coat, but man is it Cool!

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Frittata…  It sounds so alien, so elegant, so scary and difficult!  But if you think of it as what it really is, you’ll quickly learn to embrace the wonder that is a frittata.  you’ll find yourself eating them far too often.  You may make your family sick of them in a hurry, but you’ll never look back.

While the word Frittata may conjure some air of elegance and difficulty, it’s really just an Italian version of the omelet.  The basic ingredients are eggs, milk and perhaps a little cheese, and while I’ve seen some versions that looked very difficult to produce, for the most part the frittata is far easier to construct than a french omelet will ever be.  If possible, they taste better, too.

The only tool you really need for a perfect frittata is an oven-safe pan or dish that you can get screaming hot with nothing in it but a bit of oil.  The real secret is to start with a hot pan and a hot oven.  The rest of the work is done by the liquid and the eggs.  Basically all you as the cook have to do is stir a few ingredients and then peek at the oven every once-in-a-while.  In about 20 minutes, you’re done. (Note: larger frittata’s have longer cooking times.  That’s where the jiggle-test comes in as described in the recipe.)

The frittata is the perfect vehicle for any leftovers you might have on hand.  it gladly accepts meat, pasta, cheese, sausage, cooked greens of any type, vegetables or just about anything else you feel like tossing at it. One of my personal favorites is simply made with broccoli and some shredded cheddar and occasionally some leftover ham.  The fact that they are good and good for you is a bonus, especially considering the versatility of the dish.

Make them for dinner, make them for brunch, eat them for breakfast, my goodness they’re fun. I would eat them in a train. I would eat them in a plane. I think I’ll make up one in green. Or do you think that would cause a scene? *ahem!* OK, enough with that.

Enjoy the recipe, folks.

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The other night I was looking for a recipe idea that just screamed Holidays. We’ve been going over plans for the move, getting paperwork in order and dealing with a sudden and potentially devastating problem that came just one month too early. I needed something realy holiday flavored to get me back in the spirit of the season before it fizzled out on me and this dish was just the ticket.

When I walked into the kitchen, all I was sure of was that I wanted to pair the pork with a few apples I had left over.  What I ended up with is one of those “hooRah!” moments that simply come together perfectly.  A blent of svaory, sweet and spicy that we just couldn’t get enough of.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.  It really is something close to perfection, especially during the holidays.

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It seems like everyone is looking for a bargain this year. Not only is the economy slow, there just doesn’t seem to be as much of anything to go around as there has been.  The mood is a little darker than usual this holiday season, and it shows in the way that people are shopping.

If you are among the many looking for the best possible deal you can get, don’t forget that you can get geat deals online by using discounts, coupons and promotional codes that are available all over.  #1 coupons has been in the business of getting these codes to consumers since 2006, and I think they’re doing a pretty good job of it.  Just take  a look at www.1-coupons.com/coupons/home-depot.htm.  You have to scroll through a lot to get to the end of the deals they’re offering, and all from one of the nation’s most popular stores.

If you’re into weight loss, you can get 14 days of food delivered for free.  Are you looking for the right gift?  How about a funky globe speaker system for iPod at clearance prices or gourmet gifts for all your foodie friends for under $40.00? There are a lot of deals to choose from, all online and ready to go.  Seriously, whether it’s a giftyou’re looking for or just a treat for yourself, there’s never a bad reason to save  few dollars on it.

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