[Sca-cooks] Re: Playing with cheesecake...

[elisabetta at klotz.org]

Cheesecake is an interesting thing....here's a short history...

After the Romans and Jews made pax in ancient Judea, that the Jews feel 
in love
with Roman food, especially fish sauce (garum). But another food is 
cheesecake.
Actually a lot of Roman foods, as well as fruits and vegies were 
"saved" during
the dark ages by Jews. But that's another story.

I don't know if the Roman's invented cheesecake, but that's were the first
recipes appear. The Roman cheesecake is not necessarily a dessert cake, and is
made with a soft cheese, like a Ricotta. And for some reason it is cooked with
a basil leaf under it.

Fast forward a few hundred years to Italy. Now I do not know who made 
it first,
or if was continually made since Roman times, but ricotta cheesecakes can be
found in the Italian Jewish community (as desserts) as well as in the Catholic
communities. BTW, ricotta cheesecakes can be made with honey instead of sugar.

Then people starting coming to America, and cream cheese was invented 
(in 1872,
not in Phily although named after it). Not long after Jews adapted the ricotta
cheescake into a cream cheese based one. Thus creating New York style
cheesecake.

So there is cream cheese-based NY style, which is purely American, and Italian
style which is ricotta. Of course other soft cheeses can be used besides
Ricotta. But that's the 411 on cheesecake.

So cheesecake goes back a long way. And of course being Jewish, I have lots of
cheesecake recipes. Knowing how to make cheesecake and chicken soup are 
part of
the requirements. :)

Is there a specfic type you are looking for? I'll post some recipes as 
soon as I
can.

:)
Elisabetta