2010 Cheesecake - perfected.

I have been on a quest for the perfect cheesecake since the day I had my own kitchen (that’s a very long time).  My family thinks I’ve finally achieved it by doctoring the recipes for a few cheesecakes I made last year.  So - as my last post for 2010 - I thought I'd share what I’ve learned. 

In my mind, the perfect cheesecake is just dense enough to stand on it’s own, lightly sweet, firm yet creamy, and held together with a crust that doesn’t steal the show.  Mission accomplished.  I am pleased.

My son Kyle - insists his cheesecake have a barely tangy sour cream topping.  Cameron - my son-in-law, doesn’t like his too dense (it doesn’t need to be rock-solid).  My daughters love it barely creamy.  And I like a graham cracker crust that doesn’t take over the entire cheesecake - yet allows me to serve it easily.  Try accomplishing all this in one recipe.

But - as you all know from experimenting with recipes - it takes time, but is doable.  I used the Simply Cheesecake recipe I made last year, trimmed it down to fit a 9” springform pan, added a sour cream topping, and adjusted the baking time to lightly bake the topping. 

I served this to my family the Sunday after Christmas - and they keep asking me “is there any of that cheesecake left?”.  No - there is not.  Until today.  I thought this was a great way to ring in the New Year tonight.  We’ll put the grandkids in bed, play a game, watch the ball drop - and eat the best cheesecake of 2010.  Happy New Year!

For this last-recipe-of-the-year - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

In-the-Background Breakfast Bake

Every family has their own breed of Breakfast Casserole - and this one has been ours for over 30 years now.  This is not rocket science, but is just the ticket for those mornings (like Christmas/New Years’/Easter, etc...) when you don’t want to tear yourself away from your company to slave over a hot breakfast.

Although this takes some advance, night-before preparation - it’s a good investment that allows you to enjoy uninterrupted time with family and guests on busy holidays.  It isn’t everyone’s favorite - as some of my family don’t thrive on (what they call) “mushy bread casseroles” - but by the time we finish unwrapping gifts on Christmas everyone’s standing in line for a healthy portion.

I have found a few ideas that help make this even better.  First - use one or two-day-old french bread instead of standard bread.  It has more staying power as it bakes.  Second - beat the condensed soup with your handmixer before adding the eggs next, and then finally the milk last.  You won’t end up with lumps that way.   Third - have you ever tried steaming your sausage links instead of frying them?  It saves on messy splatters, and it also saves time.  The sausage begins sizzling with the lid on, which eventually browns AND gently steams the links to perfection.  I then use a pair of kitchen shears to cut them into bite-size portions easily.

Depending on how moist you like this dish - you can also remove the foil during the last ten minutes of baking to allow it to brown.  We like ours covered, but the browning makes it more attractive.  

Every Christmas morning, we bring combine the fruit from everyone’s stockings which we then peel/cut/slice onto a serving platter.  Cinnamon rolls really round out our brunch - and this favorite breakfast casserole has proven it has staying power throughout Christmas day.

You might enjoy serving this for your upcoming New Years' Day brunch.  After staying up all night celebrating, think how nice it would be to just turn pop this in the oven and go back to bed for an hour or more...  Happy New Year!

The link for the recipe can be found at:

www.changeabletable.com

"Feijoada" - Brazil's National Dish

I don't know about you, but if I see one more cheeseball, plate of fudge, or rich cookie - I just might roll over and moan.  We have a tradition in my husband's family where we get together on New Year's Eve and have an amazing soup buffet.  There are the family fav's (taco soup, clam chowder, etc...) - but we always enjoy making a "mystery soup" each year.  I've been planning to try this out on the relatives since last Fall.  So forgive me if this doesn't look the "part" of a holiday soup...  But it is delicious!

My LDS ward Relief Society held a chili cookoff last October, and there were some really fun variations of chili I had never tasted before.  As I was browsing along the tables that held the pots of chili, I didn’t think this one was much to look at...  But my opinion changed with the first spoonful. 

I’m sure you thought the same thing when you glanced at this photo - and you said to yourself “recession food”, right?   If you have meat-lovers in your house - you must try this, and it really appeals to the men in my family.   My neighbor’s son served a mission in Brazil and taught her how to make his favorite dish when he returned.  She says “this takes time, but it’s worth it!”  She is right...

I tried to find a little background on this dish and found that the slaves in the colonial Brazil created the "Feijoada.”   This was the way they cooked the pork meats that farmland owners discarded - such as ears, tails, feet in a big pot with black beans.

This dish became traditional all over the country. Since then, it has evolved by changing from the traditional ‘leftover’ meats, to pork sirloin and sausages.  It has become a famous entrée that everybody who visits Brazil wants to experience.

This recipe is an easy-to-do version of Feijoada made with pork tenderloin, bacon, and sausage - and is preferred by busy people that don't want to handle the salted pork ears, tails and feet found in the original recipe for Feijoada.

Go here for this recipe, which includes step-by-step photos and instructions:
www.changeabletable.com