Cook Me a Daydream

The only dance that I did was as a lone amateur at 6 years old, at daddy’s bowling alley, just for fun.

Serious dance didn’t come into my life really until I broke my back at the age of 19. At the College of San Mateo, one day, Oct. 19, 1973, (don’t know why I remember the day), I was at gymnastics after school practice, on the floor exercise.

I could do 10 back handsprings, easy. On the trampoline, I was doing back flips in the puck position. On the third flip, I felt something as I landed on my back. Oh, something was indeed wrong. The students got me off the trampoline, and I started to walked slowly to the locker room. I felt faint.  The ambulance arrived and took me to Mills hospital. Well, I had broken my back.

3rd lumbar. They tickled my toes all night. Next day, they said that I was not paralyzed.  Phew. I remained there two weeks.  After that I was going stir crazy at home. I was always active.

My sister Debbie was dancing at Berle Davis‘s Dance Art Center in San Mateo. I watched Debbie's jazz class and I inquired about tap classes. I loved jazz dance but I couldn't do that. But I could do tap and DAC had tap classes. I could take tap classes because the back brace allowed me to move my legs and feet. It was great although, tap can be intricate.

The timing is straightforward yet complex. The target in tap dancing is to produce clear, clean sounds. The body weight should be held slightly forward, allowing most of the dancing to be done on the balls of the feet. I could do that.

Stamp, shuffle, cramp roll and ball change made it in to my dance vocabulary.  After two months of tap classes; I felt I was active, sort of. I was waiting for the doctor to say, "You are healed."

In six months, he said it. The back brace retired. I think I gave it to the Salvation Army on the way home.  Now, I could take jazz class. Yippee.

Let's cook:

I digress from the Food 52 cookbook this month. I saw a raspberry and rose water cheesecake recipe on Christell’s blog: (Christelleisflabbergasting.com).  The blog is in French but you can get the English version on www.designsponge.com. I have to try it but with changes.  I am using my cheesecake recipe: goat’s milk cheese, oreo cookies and less sugar. Since, I can make cheesecake in my sleep.  I have no stories in terms in of making it.

Although, the rose water is new, Traditional cheesecake calls for 1 cup of sugar. Ugh.  I use ¼ cup. I usually use pistachio crust but chocolate (oreos) crust and raspberries and goat's milk is a perfect combo.  The rose water is subtle, but the dessert is rich..... yummy. A good recipe is like having the little black dress. Everyone needs one.

For the crust:
8 oz.)

Oreo cookies

(3 oz.)  Unsalted butter
For the filling:

10 oz.  Goat’s milk cheese, at room temperature

(1/4 cup) granulated sugar

4 eggs at room temperature

Pinch of salt

½ tsp. vanilla
One lemon of zest

2 tbsp. rosewater (1 tbsp. more or less, according to taste)
For the raspberry topping:

1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. corn starch

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp. rosewater
Make the crust:

Finely grind the Oreo cookies and mix in well with the butter. Butter an 8-inch spring form pan and press the cookie mixture evenly into the pan using the bottom of a glass or spoon (and up the sides if you wish, as well). Put aside in the freezer.

Prepare the filling:

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Gradually add each egg, lemon zest, vanilla, salt and rosewater while beating on low speed until the texture is creamy.

Pour the filling evenly in the pan. Wrap the pan with foil put it in a water bath. Place the cheesecake in the middle rack of the oven.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350ºF .  Check the texture, with knife, it was should be wiggly.  Cool inside the oven and leave the door closed for an hour. Once it is completely cooled, put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Make the raspberry topping:

1. Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Add water and stir well.

2. Add the frozen raspberries and crush them using a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir continually for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  The put topping in a strainer and with a spoon and remove the seeds.

3. Remove cake from the pan and transfer to a plate. Spread the topping over the chilled cheesecake and decorate with fresh raspberries. Refrigerate for an hour.
Recipe from me!

Next post: In class,  Spring Risotto from the Food 52 Cookbook

Keywords: blog, creativity, food