Cheesecake Cockaigne

This cheesecake is so good. It tastes like the congealed laughter of children.

12-16 servings
Ingredients:
Cheesecake:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
3 large eggs
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Prepare and bake in a 10-inch springform or cake pan:
    Crumb crust
Have all ingredients at room temperature, 68-70 F.
Preheat the oven to 300 F.
In a medium bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds:
    1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
Gradually beat in:
    1 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla/almond extract
Beat in 1 at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition:
    3 large eggs
Scrape the batter into the crust and smooth the top. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake until the center just barely jiggles when the pan is tapped, 45-55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour. Combine and spread over the cake:
    1 cup sour cream
    1/4 cup sugar
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    1/4 teaspoon salt
Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before unmolding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably 24, before serving serve with fresh strawberries.

Found in The Joy of Cooking (1997) by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.

Spicy Quinoa-Stuffed Avocado

I made this yesterday for dinner, and boy was it ever a success. It was quite delicious. Where I find the recipe (http://newtritionsavvysarah.com/) had unclear instructions, so I thought I would put it down here in my own words.

Ingredients:

Spiced Quinoa:

Avocado (one small avocado per person - I used five)

1/2 cup quinoa

1 can black beans (rinsed - I actually forgot these)

1/2 chopped red pepper

1/2 cup corn

1/2 chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro + some for garnish

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Cilantro ‘sour cream’

1 cup cashews, soaked for at least two hours

2 tbsp cilantro

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp agave (if you want it sweeter)

dash of salt

Instructions

Rinse quinoa well (it gets the nasty flavor off), place in a sauce pan and toast for about two minutes until it starts getting toasty. Add 1 cup of water/vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. To get fluffy quinoa, do not stir it - just keep a close eye on it and let it simmer until the water is gone.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop the onion and pepper and add the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Once the quinoa is finished and has cooled, add it to the vegetable mixture. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to cool.

To make the 'sour cream,' drain the cashews and put them in the blender with 1/4 cup water (I used the water I soaked the cashews in), apple cider vinegar, cilantro, agave nectar, and the salt and blend. Add water a little at a time to make the mixture silky and smooth. Pour into a bowl and cool in the fridge.

Prepare the avocados: cut them in half, remove the skin and the pit. You can also remove part of the inside to make room for more stuffing.

Scoop about ½ a cup of the quinoa mixture into each avocado, more if you can fit it.

Finish with a little cilantro ‘sour cream’ and some chopped cilantro and serve.

This stuff was seriously good; I would recommend trying it.

The original recipe is here.

Book Review: A Chemical History of A Candle

"The Chemical History of a Candle" by Michael Faraday

A series of six lectures given by the natural philosopher Michael Faraday, in which he describes what happens when a candle is lit. Written in 19th-century English, it is not a clear or precise as science books written today, but I really enjoyed it because it was lovely to take something so small and everyday as a candle and break down everything that happens with it, from how they are made to the carbon dioxide (or carbonic acid) that is produced in combustion. He even links together the combustion of a candle and human inhalation/exhalation. The knowledge that he displays is incomplete and sometimes told in a weirdly romantic fashion (especially the last paragraph), but mostly this is what I have come to expect from older science books. These lectures were taken down by a stenographer--they are word-for-word from Faraday's mouth.

A good book for a beginner and someone interested in the history of science.

About the Author: Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was a "natural philosopher" (AKA chemist or physicist) from England. Although he came from a poor background, he bravely sent off letters to scientists, hoping for a chance in a laboratory. Sir Humphrey Davy hired him because of a temporary eye injury, and Faraday's job became permanent after he made a good impression. This brought Faraday to the Royal Institution, which would become linked with his name forever--partially because he helped save it from bankruptcy. When the Royal Institution began giving lectures, he first served as an assistant, but then later gave lectures of his own--one of which was "The Chemical History of a Candle." After forty-plus years of giving these popular lectures, he resigned in 1861.