[Sca-cooks] Historic Cheesecake in the papers this past week

[Susan Fox-Davis]

A friend of mine just typed up an article that appeared in a newspaper
supplement that appeared in Friday.  My sincere thanks to THLady Tanarian
Brenaur ferch Owain fab Bran for thinking of us!

I've seen worse redactions, goodness knows.  Tanarian has a few choice
comments at the end, marked clearly as "transcriber's notes."

Selene

Forwarded material follows:


Transcribed from 'LIFE' newspaper weekly, weekend of November 19, 2004

'Thanksgiving Dinner', page 18
Kenny Randall's Seventeenth-Century Cheesecake

THE CHEF
[photo by Ed Nute not included]

I've cooked at historic Plimoth Plantation for 12 years, and I love doing
the authentic seventeenth-century harvest dinner.  I didn't create the menu.
It was researched -- and this cheesecake recipe was found -- by the museum's
food historians.  They know what would've been available to the Pilgrims and
native Wampanoags in 1627.  For example, there wasn't much fruit, and they
had onions, but no Bermudas.  The little details are fun.  What's less fun
is deciphering recipes written in old English!

I find it easier to cook the seventeenth-century way; the recipes and
techniques are very basic.  But with this cheesecake, which might have been
served at the first harvest dinner here in Plymouth, there are a few fancy
twists -- spices, nuts, dried fruit.  Also, there was no cream cheese back
then, so they used ricotta.  That means this cheesecake's lighter.  You can
still fit a piece in, just before your nap.

/Kenny Randall, a native of Plymouth, Massachusetts, is the executive chef
at Plimouth Plantation, where the life, dress and rhythyms of 1627 are
re-created daily./

-------------- column break --------------

[photo by Hayley Harrison not included, but it looks niiiice! *]

Preparation time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 60 to 70 minutes | Serves: 8 to
10

INGREDIENTS
For the crust
2/3 cup unbleached white flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
10 tablespoons butter
1 egg white
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

For the filling
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon rose water (from the pharmacy)
1/4 cup dried currants


1. To make crust:  Place white and whole wheat flours in a large bowl; mix
in butter with a pastry fork
2. When butter is well blended, work in egg white with enough ice water so
that you form a pastry dough.
3. Roll out pastry dough until it's 1/4-inch think, and carefully press it
into a 9-inch round springform pan.
4. To make filling:  Use a food processor to grind almonds finely; put them
in a large bowl.
5. Add butter and sugar, and work in until smooth.
6. Put in nutmeg, salt, and egg yolk.  When thoroughly combined, add ricotta
cheese, then cream and rose water.  Keep mixing just until well blended.
7. Stir in currants.
8. Spoon filling into crust, and bake at 325F until filling is just set
(usually 60 to 70 minutes).  Let cool for an hour before serving.

* [Transcriber's notes:  The cheesecake, pictured as traditional with a
slice taken out of it to show the interior, looks almost like a quiche.  The
straight-sided crust was not eased to fit the pan, it has an irregular top
edge and a noticeable fold/overlap at a couple of points along the
circumference.  The top of the filling is slightly sunken from its rim which
clings to the crust, but lies flat and uncracked, with dark dots from the
currants showing through.  The interior resembles a very thick
chocolate-chip cookie -- crumbly/cakey, instead of New York style creamy.

And... 'old English'? *snort* Puh-leeze. ;) ]