Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans

This recipe is from Epicurious here:

It is quick, easy, and very good. I make it with rice on the side. The first time I made it I added some saffron to the rice - it was very good.

Garbanzo Beans:

• 2 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (about 3 cups)
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large shallots
• 3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Chard:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 bunches Swiss chard, center stems cut out, leaves coarsely torn
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth

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Preparation

Garbanzo beans:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour oil over; cover dish with foil. Roast until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.

Chard:
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, bay leaves, and shallots. Cover; cook until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Uncover; add half of chard. Toss until chard wilts and volume is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add remaining chard. Toss until chard wilts, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Cover and cook until chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season chard with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large sieve set over bowl and drain. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Drain garbanzos and reserve oil; discard bay leaves. Combine garbanzos and chard in large skillet. Add 2 tablespoons oil reserved from garbanzos. Toss over medium heat until warmed through, moistening with more oil by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Pasticcio

This is a wonderful pasticcio recipe from this blog: http://whippedtheblog.com

Here:

I made this with one pound of ground beef instead of two - and used ground beef from the local farmers market to try it out. I also used two diced garden tomatoes instead of a can. The pasticcio was delicious - especially the bechamel sauce.

Pasticcio

Meat Sauce:
1 T butter
2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon dried greek oregano
and/or fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup white wine
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 egg whites

Bechamel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4 cups hot milk
salt and pepper
nutmeg
1 cup grated cheese
2 eggs and 2 egg yolks

Noodles:
1 lb. pasticcio (macaroni) noodles
1 T salt
2 T butter
1 cup grated cheese

For the Meat Sauce:
Heat butter in pan and saute the onions, garlic and meat until browned. Add remaining ingredients except egg whites. Be generous with the spices and taste regularly. Be sure there is enough salt to bring out the flavor. I always add quite a bit more than the recipe calls for. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off and stir until slightly cooled. Stir in egg whites. (Save the yolks for the bechamel.) You do not want the sauce so hot that it cookes the egg whites immediately. They should be incorporated.

For the Bechamel:
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute. Add the milk all at once and whisk until sauce is thickened and smooth. I usually heat the milk in another pan or in the microwave before adding. That and a quality, even heating sauce pan help make the best sauce. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. I add quite a healthy dose of each, probably at least 1/2-1 teaspoon. Remove from heat and stir in eggs and cheese. A sharper white cheese works well like Parmesan or Asagio. I do not think Mozzarella has enough flavor.

For the noodles:
Bring water to a boil with salt. Cook noodles until tender but slightly firm. Drain very well and return to pan. Stir in butter.

Asssembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large, deep pan (lasagna pan works well). You can see by the amount of ingredients you have, this makes a large dish and serves at least 8 people.

Put half the noodles in the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top the noodles with the meat sauce. Place the rest of the noodles on the meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Some of the noodles will be sticking through the top which is good because they get brown and crunchy in the oven. Bake for approximatley 1 hour or until top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Caramelized Green Beens

This is a Martha Stewart Recipe from here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/caramelized-green-beans-with-pine-nuts?

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-low. Add green beans; partially cover, and cook, tossing occasionally, until green beans are tender and browned in spots, 30 minutes. Add pine nuts; cook until nuts are toasted, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Quick ravioli with balsamic brown better

This is from Giada here:

Ingredients

• 18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve 

Blueberry Scones to try

This Recipe is from averagebetty.com here:

Ingredients for Buttermilk Blueberry 

Scones: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

6 tbsp salted butter 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 egg 

2/3 cup buttermilk 

1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh) 

For tops:

2-3 tbsp buttermilk 

1 tsp sugar 

Directions: 

 1. In a bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

 2. Cut stick of butter into pieces.  Add butter pieces to dry mixture.  Using a pastry cutter 

or your fingers, incorporate butter pieces until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

 3. In a separate bowl combine egg, 2/3 cup buttermilk and vanilla. 

 4. Add blueberries to dry mixture.  Carefully coat blueberries with dry mixture.  

 5. Create a well in the center of mixture.  Add buttermilk mixture all at once to the well. 

 6. Carefully combine, just until moistened.  Pour mixture onto board. 

 7. Spray hands with cooking oil.  This will keep the dough from sticking to your hands 

when patting out the dough. 

 8. Cut into shapes and place on a baking sheet. 

 9. Brush tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. 

 10. Bake in a preheated 400(F) oven for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. 

Delicious warm or at room temperature.  

Makes 10 - 12 scones.  

Store in an airtight container for 3 days.  

Chocolate cupcakes with strawberry merenge buttercream frosting

This is a combination of two Martha Stewart recipes

Cupcakes
Frosting:

Cupcakes:

Ingredients

Makes 12

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Easy White Icing
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Frosting:

Ingredients

Makes 5 cups

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor

Directions

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

First published: January 2007

Chicken Gyros

THis recipe is from Epicurious here:

I meant to make it tonight - and got as far as defrosting chicken - but then I discovered that the pita bread I was planning to use was too old and yucky to use - buy I like the looks of the recipe so I hope to try it soon.

• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 4 pita bread rounds, heated

Preparation

Stir yogurt, 2 tablespoons dill, garlic and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in medium bowl. Sprinkle with oregano, 1 teaspoon dill and salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onions; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Return chicken and any juices to skillet. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Arrange pita rounds on plates. Top pita rounds with chicken mixture. Spoon some yogurt sauce over chicken. Serve, passing extra sauce separately.

Steamed Potato Salad

This was something I threw together quickly to round out a soup and salad meal that I thought would be too light. It was easy and worked out very well.

4 or 5 red potatoes - cut into 8ths - about 3/4 inch chunks.
1 T olive oil
kosher salt
2 T (or to taste) sour cream

Steam the potatoes for about 5-7 minutes - until they are cooked through but not mushy
keep the potatoes in the steamer basket and run it under cold water to cool the potatoes
put the potatoes in a bowl and add the salt and oil and toss
add the sour cream and toss

eat

this would probably be good with some chopped green herbs - like chives or breen onion tops

I liked the texture of this - it was creamy without being a mayo disaster

Lemongrass Coconut Sorbet

Lemongrass Coconut Sorbet

this is from myrecipe.com here

I made this as an afterthought for a fairly involved Thai meal - it was quick and easy and it was the best part of the dinner.

Yield

Makes about 1 quart; 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 10 stalks fresh lemon grass (about 12 oz.), rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup coconut milk (stir before measuring)

Preparation

1. Peel toughest outer layers from lemon grass; discard. Cut into 1/2-inch lengths. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, combine lemon grass, sugar, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water. Stir until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 20 minutes.

2. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Nest bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir syrup until cool, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Whisk in coconut milk. If mixture is lumpy, pour through a fine strainer.

4. Pour into an ice-cream maker (at least 1 qt.) and freeze. Scoop into bowls or, for a firmer consistency, freeze airtight up to 3 days.

Good Sloppy Joes

This was quick, easy and, surprisingly, really good. Credit to Rachael Ray here

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered
• Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles, Deviled Potato Salad, recipe follows

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.

Wrinlked Potatoes

This is from here:

• 2 pounds baby potatoes
• 1 cup salt, plus more as needed
• Mojo rojo or mojo verde, for dipping

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a deep, medium-size pot. Add enough water to cover, and salt. Potatoes should float in the salted water; if not, add more salt.
2. Place pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Drain water from pot, leaving just enough to cover the bottom. Return pot to low heat and cook, shaking pot until the salt covering the potatoes begins to crystallize, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover pot with a clean kitchen towel until potato skins have wrinkled, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with dipping sauces, as desired.

Mojo Rojo

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons sweet pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)
• 2 dried guindilla pepper, or other dried chile pepper
• 1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sherry-wine vinegar

Directions

1. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt to a smooth paste. Add cumin, pimenton, and chile pepper; mash until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to mash, until all the olive oil is absorbed.
2. Turning the pestle in a slow, circular motion around the mortar, drizzle in 2 teaspoons water and vinegar. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Mojo Verde:

Makes about 1/2 cup

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups well-packed chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sherry-wine vinegar

Directions

1. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt to a smooth paste. Add cilantro leaves and cumin seeds; mash until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to mash, until all the olive oil is absorbed.
2. Turning the pestle in a slow, circular motion around the mortar, drizzle in 2 teaspoons water and vinegar. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Chicken and Rice one-pot Thai (sort of) dish

This is not very sophisticated - but it was easy, fairly quick, and came together all in one pot. I made it with chicken chunks that were too large - and I left them in too long (I put them in for the entire simmer time - they were much too done) Smaller chunks with less cooking time would probably be OK.


1.5 C rice - long grain regular old rice is fine
2 chicken breasts
2 T canola oil
2 medium onions
1 green pepper
1.5 T massaman curry paste
1 can chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (15 oz.)
.5 Can plum tomatoes
3/4 C thickly sliced carrots
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1.5 t fish sauce
1 lime


- Heat oil in a strait sided chefs pan
- Cut chicken into fairly large chunks - pat dry and season with salt and pepper
- Brown chicken chunks in hot oil - place in the pan and do not touch for about a minute or 90 seconds or so - turn each chunk with tongs - repeat until each side is browned - the insides will not be cooked
- remove chicken from pan and set aside
- add another 2T oil and heat
- add rice to pan and stir to coat - stir occasionally for 2 minutes -
- add pepper and onion chunks - continue stirring occasionally until rice is lightly browned
- add chicken stock and lower heat
- add three or four of the plum tomatoes - so not add all of the sauce or paste
- add the curry paste
- stir in the coconut milk
- add carrotts and mushrooms
- add the fish sauce and lime
- stir to combine - make sure the curry paste is distributed - add more chicken stock if needed
- bring the mixture to a simmer, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes -
- stir once or twice to keep the rice from sticking if needed - add chicken chunks - recover and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes
- serve with a squeeze of lime and sriracha sauce.

Pot Roast To Try

I didn't follow the recipe very closely - instead I did it like this:

- Heat 3 T canola oil in a dutch oven
- season 1-2 lb. pork roast with salt and pepper, brown in hot oil - turning after a few minutes on each side - throuw in some rosemary sprigs
- add the onions and some carrots
- add a can of chicken stock (I couldnt find any beef stock)
- add some red wine - about a cup, some tomato paste, some crushed tomatoes,
- add chunks of potatoes,
- season with salt and pepper, add some red pepper
- put the dutch oven in a 335 degree oven for 1.5 hour or so.


This recipe is from here: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/ideal-pot-roast?autonomy_kw=pot%20roast&rsc=header_1

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 5-pound beef chuck roast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups beef stock or reduced sodium canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 3 onions, cut into large wedges
• 4 cloves garlic , chopped
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in pan, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
2. Turn meat fat side up. Add stock, wine, if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste. Bring to a simmer, cover; put in the oven, and roast for 3 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour more.
3. Transfer the roast, carrots, and potatoes to a platter. With a spoon, skim the fat off the surface of the cooking liquid. Cut the roast into thick slices, and serve with the vegetables. Pass the pan juices separately.

Pan-roasted butternut squash

1 butternut squash
1 T ground coriander
1/5 tsp red chili powder
3 T brown sugar or palm sugar
3 T canola oil
Kosher salt

Peel the butternut squash. Cut it in half and remove the seeds and goop. Slice the halves into strips about 3/4 " wide. Chop the strips into cubes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat - until very hot. Add the coriander and chili powder - stir a few times and then add the squash. Stir for about 3 minutes to distribute spices. Sprinkle on salt to taste and stir.

Lower heat. Cook, covered, until squash is cooked but holding its shape - about 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and gently turn with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until it melts and coats.

This was easy and tasty.

Stuffed Roast Pork Loin

This recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated - 9 - 10 / 2007.

I bought a huge - monster-sized Costco Pork loin for this. It was sliced in half - and, each half was large enough to butterfly-cut, stuff, and roll.

Stuffing:

1 C apple cider (I used juice)
1/2 C cider vinegar
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 large shallot - thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup dried apples
1/2 C packed dried cranberries
1 T grated ginger
1 T mustard seeds (I used 1 T whole grain mustard)
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Bring all ingredients to simmer in a suacepan over medium high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft - about 20 minutes. Push mixture through strainer to extract as much liquid as possible (save this liquid).

- Return the liquid to the saucepan and simmer over medium high heat until reduced to 1/3 C - about 5 minutes. This is the glaze - reserve it. (mine thickened up but was fine after a few seconds in the microwave).

- Pulse the apple mixture in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

For the Pork:

Slice meat to even 1/2 in. thickness - (cut down .5 in from edge - st0p .5 in from bottom - cut across to .5 in from other side - and then cut across to .5 in from the other side - open out, and pound to even it out.

Season inside of pork with salt. Spread the filling over the pork - leaving a .5 inch border. Roll and tie.

Roast roast on rack in roasting pan in oven preheated to 375. Turn over after 30 minutes or so to brown the other side. Brush with glaze and roast for another 10-15 minutes. Check internal temperature - remove when it is 140 degrees.

Remove the roast and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Put pan with over burners on stoves top and add 1 C white wine or vermouth, scrape roasting pan with wooden spoon to loosen bits, add some rosemary sprigs, and then whisk in some flour - add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste - and then pour the gravy into a serving pitcher.

Marbled Chocolate Cheescake

This cheesecake came out smooth, creamy, and mousse-like. It was late when it came out of the oven - I let it cool with a bowl over it for about half an hour - but there was no way I could stay up late enough to let it cool all the way - so I put it in the fridge with the bowl over it and hoped for the best. It cooled the rest of the way without cracking. The next day, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and foil, and froze it. After two weeks in the freezer, I put it in the fridge for 24 hours to defrost and then served it. The freezing seemed fine - it was delicious.

5 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
3 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

chocolate tart crust:

3 oz. sweet butter
1/2 C sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
1/4 C plus 2T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 C pastry or regular flour

For Crust:

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt - process until creamy. Add cocoa and process until mixture is a dark, smooth paste. Add flour and pulse until incorporates but crumbly.

Firmly pat 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of an 8" springform pan. Bake the crust in the springform pan, and the extra dough (loose in a baking pan) at 375 from 10 minutes. Let crust in springform pan cook for another 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pulverize cooked crumbs (these will get pressed onto the sides of the cake when it is finished).

For cake:

-Boil lots of water in a kettle or sauce pan - enough to fill a roasting pan halfway up the sides of the springform pan you are using.

- Heat oven to 325

-Beat cream cheese in mixer on medium speed until it begins to smooth out.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl, gradually add sugar and beat just until completely smooth (do not overbeat here - but be sure it is smooth, once the eggs go in it cannot get any smoother so any grainyness left will remain).
- add vanilla and eggs - one at a time - beat just until well mixed


- Melt chocolate and 1/4 C water (water bath or microwave)
- Measure and set aside 1 C of cheesecake batter - stir warmed melted chocolate into the separate batter
- Pour the rest of the batter into the prepared springform pan.
- Pour the chocolate batter in a ring in the batter in the springform pan - spaces about .5" from the side of the pan. Marble the chocolate batter in with a soup spoon, scooping from edges to center, bottom to top, etc. (I am still not very good at it even though I have made this a bunch of times).
- Wrap the bottom and sides of the prepared springform pan in foil. Put the foil-wrapped pan in a roasting pan and carefully pour in the boiled water until it is halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Carefully put the roasting pan in the oven.

- Check after 25 minutes - it will probably need more time - but bake only until cheesecake shows signs of puffing around the edges but is still very soft in the center. It will not be set in the oven. Overcooking it will wreck it. I think I left it in for about 35-40 minutes the last time I made it.

- remove from oven and cool on rack- covered with an inverted mixing bowl. Unmold when cooled. Press reserved crumbs around sides.

- This was very good served with raspberry and blackberry sauce.


Butter bare sides of springform pan.

This recipe was adapted from a Cocolat: Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts by Alice Medrich and from a Martha Stewart.com recipe for the water bath.

Blackberry Sauce

I made raspberry and blackberry sauces to serve with a cheesecake recently. The sauced were almost an afterthought but they were so good and easy that they ended up being my favorite thing about the dinner.

1 lb. blackberries
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan. Cover and cook until bubbling, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; place in a food processor and blend. Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Chill before serving.