Thanksgiving 2013 Part 1: Pumpkin Cheesecake

We are just under two weeks away from my favorite and most heartfelt holiday of the year. Thanksgiving is a day that, regardless of what the retail world may want you to believe, should be devoted to spending time with family and friends, and giving thanks for all of life’s blessings. I am fortunate and thankful to have health and happiness in my family this year, as we also await the arrival of our newest family member, my nephew-to-be, who is scheduled to arrive any day now. It is also a year for my family to keep close loved ones who are going through some difficult times in thoughts and prayers.

On a more light-hearted note, I am also very thankful to have a few near and dear friends who have offered to contribute to this year’s Thanksgiving blog post. If you recall my Thanksgiving recap post from last year, you’ll know that I’ve exhausted all of the Thanksgiving family recipes that I personally have to offer. My Mom’s table and Thanksgiving menu is only so big, after all! For last year’s recap, click here.

For this week’s post, I am happy to share with you a pumpkin cheesecake recipe that was passed along by our very close and dear friend, Chrissy Morabito Bussler. Most people now measure the start of the autumn season based on the first falling leaves or the sip of their first pumpkin latte. I, however, base the start of the fall season on Chrissy and her husband Carl’s Havertown Day open house party. The township day celebration has become an annual event at their house, complete with friends gathered around a table packed with delicious food (how else would an Italian girl celebrate Havertown day?). This year, Chrissy served up this tremendous pumpkin cheesecake, and when she offered to share it with me for my blog, I could not resist. It’s a very delicious, decadent version of classic cheesecake, and is the perfect alternative to traditional pumpkin pie. If you are looking for a real end-of-meal crowd pleaser to share with you family this Thanksgiving, this is the recipe to go for!

Thank you Chrissy and Carl for allowing me to share your recipe and photo!

Next week, I’ll be sharing with you a very funny and witty description of an Italian Thanksgiving dinner, as only my good friend Natalie Stone could describe it. In the meantime, please be sure to visit Natalie at Bella’s Biscotti by clicking here. She offers the most delicious biscotti around…perfect for the holiday season, so place your orders soon!

Now, for the Pumpkin Cheesecake.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 sugar
1 cup sugar
3 packages (eight ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups (15 ounce can) pure pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray the bottom and sides of the spring form pan with non-stick spray.
Combine graham crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl.
Press onto bottom and 1 inch side up of 9 inch spring form pan.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. (Do not allow to brown) and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until fluffy.
Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk.
Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Beat well and pour into crust.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

Topping Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.
Mix well.
Spread over surface of warm cheesecake.
Bake for five minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Chill for several hours or overnight.
Remove side of spring form pan.

Photo courtesy of Carl Bussler

Easter Wishes: My List of Easter Recipes

Easter week is here once again and I’m sure that many of you, like myself, are preparing to bake the traditional Easter breads and pies. It’s a time of year that I look forward to and take pride in being able to carry on my family’s traditions. Over the past few years, I have shared on this blog many of my family’s traditional recipes. In fact, as I was preparing to write this week’s post, I realized that I have run out of family recipes to share with you. Instead of searching out and sharing a recipe that I am not familiar with, I thought it would be best to simply share all of the links to my previous Easter posts, in case you are looking for a last minute idea for your Easter week family gatherings. Below are a list of all Easter-related links, most of which are from my family’s table, along with a few delicious dishes that were submitted by my friend Emma Caparelli Loerky.

I do, however, have one new item to share with you. My good friend Joe was gracious enough to allow me to share a photo of his Great-Grandmother, Giuseppina Benincasa, flipping her Easter fritatta. This photo was taken at her house on Tulip Street, in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Everything about this classic photo sums up the love and dedication that so many Italians and Italian-Americans bring to the kitchen, especially during this special time of year. As soon as I first saw this photo, I knew that every one of my readers would enjoy it. Thanks, Joe, for allowing me to share it.

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Giuseppina Benincasa flipping the Easter Fritatta.

Please click on the links below for previous Easter recipes.

Easter Ham Pie

Easter Rice Pie

Mascarpone Cheese Cannoli

Easter Strata

Easter Cheese Bread

Taralli Dolci di Pasqua (Easter Ring Cookies)

Italian Love Cake

Honey Fig Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Crostata

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Beer Review: Theobroma…Food of the Gods!

It’s hard to believe that Valentines Day is only a few weeks away. Although I still have some time to plan out a special meal to share with you (I’m thinking some sort of risotto), it’s never too early to pass along a good recommendation for a gift…and I’m not talking about gold dipped roses, either. If you and/or your loved one are fans of beer and chocolate, I highly suggest searching out a bottle of Dogfish Head Theobroma.

Translated from an ancient word that means ‘food of the gods’, Theobroma is a chile beer (a light colored ale that is infused with peppers, oils or spices, ranging from mild to REALLY hot), accented with just the right amount of cocoa and honey. This is probably one of the most interesting and complex beers that I have ever tasted, and definitely one that I really enjoyed.

Cocoa and pepper are a very trendy combination nowadays, but one that I didn’t know what to expect from in a beer. Cocoa/chocolate beers can often be misleading to begin with, especially to those that have never had one, or are drawn to it because of the chocolate appeal. Most often, these beers are not sweet like chocolate, but rather bitter like a pure cocoa, often added to a stout or porter. I liken them to a burnt coffee rather than the expected chocolate malt taste. But because Theobroma’s backbone is a lighter ale, the sweet cocoa accents really do shine through. The peppery taste is mild, but enough to be recognized. The honey adds just the right amount of smoothness. Even a little bit of vanilla could be detected in there as well. Don’t let this beer fool you, though. At 9%, this one is definitely a heavy hitter, and one that should be shared with another…or by yourself if you’re planning to just chill out at home while catching up on your favorite movie or tv show.

Unlike most other beers, which are offered either seasonally or year round, Theobroma is a special, limited-edition rotating brew offered by the Delaware-based craft brewery. In other words, if you see it, get it, because you might not know when you’ll find it again.

I highly recommend serving Theobroma with a roasted chicken or a cocoa-rubbed pork, and of course with your favorite chocolate dessert.

Cheers!

Grilled Apples with Orange Mint Marinade

Before you close up your grill and start to bring out the fresh berries, ice cream and pies this July 4th, why not try grilling up some fruit? I’ve always had fun grilling up fresh fruits, such as bananas, pineapples and peaches. This year, I came across an amazing recipe that not only uses one of my favorite fruits, apples, it also gave me a chance to put some of my fresh grown mint to use. This recipe was very easy and only to about 6 minutes total on the grill. Be sure to leave a good 1-1.5 hours prior to grilling for the marinade to soak in. And don’t forgett the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for toppings!

GRILLED APPLES WITH MINT
(Courtesy of  COOKING LIGHT, October 2002) 

Ingredients:
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and each cut crosswise into 4 (1/2-inch) slices
Cooking spray

Directions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add apple slices; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Remove apple from bag, reserving marinade. Place apple slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Arrange apple slices on a platter; drizzle with any remaining marinade.