Are you a cheesecake maniac like me? There are some desserts that I just cannot resist and one of the major ones is cheesecake. I have seen cheesecake in many hundreds of restaurants, and in many different styles, and I must say that the cheesecake is just getting better and better. There are now literally hundreds of varieties of cheesecake, and since so many restaurants offer them for dessert, they all seem to be taking their own slant on this wonderful creation. In Japan, you can commonly buy cheesecake straight from vending machines!
Cheesecake Basics
Whether you buy it at the store, have homemade cheesecake, or partake at a restaurant, the cheesecake is a true taste sensation. The crust is often made from pastry, cookie or graham cracker-crumb. A biscuit base is popular in many parts of Europe. The classic filling is made from eggs, cream and some type of soft fat that is normally cream cheese. Add to that the multitude of addins of fruits, spices, juices, alcohols such as brandy, and anything else you can think of, and the cheesecake is brought into the modern age.
It is the kind of cheese that gives the dessert its distinctive flavor and texture. Other ingredients often include sugar and fruit. There are several fruit toppings to be found, including strawberries, raspberries, cherries, mangos, pineapple, blueberries, and bananas. Chocolate or vanilla flavoring may also be added to give an extra richness.
Styles of Cheesecake
The choice of cheese rather depends on the culinary traditions of the region. The most typical in the west is by far cream cheese, but ricotta, havarti, quark and twarog are also sometimes used in cheesecake. Americans greatly prefer to use cream cheese, usually in the form of Philadelphia cream cheese. The New York style cheesecake, as it came to be known, is rich with lots of cream and eggs. Oftentimes, this is augmented by lemon and cottage cheese.
In Italy, there are two main recipes. The old fashioned Roman version uses honey and ricotta cheese and is shaped into loaves. The modern recipe also calls for ricotta but may use mascarpone. Vanilla extract and candied fruit is sometimes added. Greek versions also use mascarpone or mizithra. French recipes contain Neufchatel cheese and the texture is unusually light. German varieties contain quark cheese, a soft, white curd cheese that is often found in the Baltic countries, Germany and Poland. Dutch and Belgian ideas for cheesecake are particularly delicious, often using different types of melted chocolates.
The unique combination of sweet and tangy flavors are almost always served as a dessert but there are savory versions, commonly using blue cheese. The savory variety can be a starter or served with salad. Vegetarians and vegans can also enjoy cheesecake as well. Vegan recipes often substitute tofu for the cream cheese and vegan graham crackers or granola for the crust. I have actually had some quite good vegan cheesecakes, they are worth a try. The Cheesecake Factory restaurant chain makes excellent cheesecakes and have really pushed the popularity of cheesecake in North America in the last 20 years or so. The styles available now are almost unlimited, enjoy!
