By Gerald Etter
In the not too distant past, when you walked into someone's house and saw a cheesecake, you knew something special was in the works. This creamy blend of eggs and cheese was unmatchable for its rich taste and simple elegance. It was delicate, but also hardy.
It was not an everyday cake.
In today's food environment, the once minimalist nature of cheesecake has grown into a line of flavors stretching from chocolate mousse to strawberry shortcake. I've seen recipes for cantaloupe cheesecake, and I've tasted a carrot cake cheesecake.
But when I think cheesecake, it's the basic New York style that excites the purist in me — and which brings back the untainted flavor of a less complicated time.
Not really Philadelphian
The original New York-style cheesecake was made popular by restaurants, such as Manhattan's Lindy's and Brooklyn's Junior's. But the best New York cheesecake is made with Philadelphia brand cream cheese.
For the record, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was not created here. Philadelphia was so renowned for the quality of its food products that in the late 1800s, when a New York dairyman created cream cheese, "Philadelphia" was adopted as the brand name. In some parts of the world, "Philadelphia" has become a generic term for cream cheese. In Spanish, it's simply queso Filadelfia.
One key to making cheesecake is avoiding the cracks that sometimes crease the top of the cake as it cools. Quality ingredients and careful preparation should solve the problem. If a crack does surface, don't worry. You can cover the cheesecake with chopped strawberries, blueberries or a fruit of your choice. Once you begin slicing the cheesecake, no one will ever know there was a crack.
Careful with the eggs
The perfect cheesecake begins with not overbeating the eggs. Just beat them lightly. After removing the cheesecake from the oven, run a thin-bladed knife between it and the sides of the pan. Let cool on a rack for three hours, and then put into the refrigerator for several hours. Remove two hours before serving.
One other tip: Some cooks let the ingredients come to room temperature before using. This is optional, as new health-safety standards warn us it is unsafe to let eggs and dairy products sit out on a counter, and that they should be used directly from the refrigerator.
New York Cheesecake
2 or more tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons sifted cornstarch
33/4 packages (8 ounces each)
Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease sides and bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Lightly coat bottom of pan with graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate pan until ready to use.
In large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Beat in cream cheese to blend well. Add heavy cream slowly, beating constantly. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until top is golden, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 3 hours. Refrigerate.
Makes about 8 to 10 servings.
By The Senior Snacker
If someone suggests a "Dutch treat" lunch at the new Comcast Center —between 17th and 18th Sts. on Kennedy Blvd., make sure you're headed to the right place. Table 31, on the Lobby level, run by the legendary Georges Perrier, could cost you up to $20.
But if you don't mind going underground, and can live without tablecloths, you can enjoy more varied lunch dishes at half the price at stalls in The Market at Comcast Center.
We sampled lunch there recently, choosing from the wide variety, most in plastic boxes in refrigerated cases.
Jake and Max's
Our odyssey began at Jake and Max's, billed as a deli. We chose small bowls of broccoli soup and chili ($3.25 each). The chili had more chopped meat, but fewer beans, than those at Quiznos. Panini, grilled to order on fresh focaccia, range from turkey, BLT, tuna and Italiano ($7.29). Salads are $6 o $8.
Di Bruno Bros.
From a tantalizing variety at Di Bruno Bros., well-known for its Italian Market and Center City stores, we chose meatballs in marinara sauce ($4.60 to $5.89, according to weight), which they obligingly heated.
Someone in a hurry can pick up a delicious dinner there to take home. Most salads and wraps are $6 to $8. Favorite pasta entrées, in the $7 to $10 range, include tortellini, ravioli, rigatoni, manicotti and lasagna. A panini menu features the classic Italian hoagie ($8) and grilled chicken sandwich ($8).
A hot sandwich menu is served at lunchtime with daily specials; we just missed the last beef brisket sandwich at $8 (darn that rain). Hot rotisserie items include BBQ baby back ribs ($10 a pound) and rotisserie chicken ($10 or half for $6). Prepared foods are available all day — for example, chicken cutlets ($12 a pound) and jumbo lump crab cakes at $10 each.
Sushi
A sushi stall offers sushi rolls ($7) and sashimi combos, most in the $5-$11 range.
Sook Hee's Produce
For beverage, we forsook coffee or tea for the squeeze juice bar at Sook Hee's Produce. We had a medium-size smoothie ($4.75), which blended fat-free yogurt, fresh fruit and freshly-made juice. Pure fruit and vegetable juices are also available. Sook Hee's also has a full assortment of fruits and produce.
Termini Bros. pastries
At Termini's, we chose a slice of cheesecake ($4), bypassing the obscene layer cakes and mousse. Take home a 7-inch chocolate mousse cake ($25), an 8-inch vanilla layer cake ($25) or a 10-inch tiramisu ($45). Cannoli, Italian cookie and Danish trays are for noshing.
LaScala's
LaScala's features homemade brick oven pizza by the slice ($3.50), small pies ($9.50) and large pies ($15-$19). Pasta favorites ($10) run from homemade gnocchi to ravioli, rigatoni and baked chicken. Big spenders can go for the fettuccine alla Romano ($18.19). A stromboli of roast pork, broccoli and provolone is $7.
Under the C Seafood
Under the C Seafood's counter displays are as colorful as they are tempting, with their seafood cakes, seafood salads and full fish platters. For take-out, all kinds of seafood make choosing difficult.
Ah, but what a problem!
The Market at the Comcast Center entrance is in an enclosed vestibule. A self-service elevator takes you down to the food court concourse. The restrooms are the cleanest in town.
The Market is still expanding with more stalls being installed.