The Naptime Chef

In 1968 Beverly Gillia won best cheesecake at the Great Abraham & Strauss Cheesecake Contest, collecting a $1,000 gift certificate to the store as her prize. (For those of you not familiar with A&S, it was a department store located in Brooklyn which was later bought by Macy’s.) I was not there to witness the contest, but I know that she won because I have the recipe. It was given to me by my mother-in-law who clipped it in the late 1960’s, when it was printed in one of the first ever issues New York Magazine. I know it seems like I should be skeptical of a cheesecake recipe that is over 30 years old, after all there are so many excellent, newer recipes for cheesecake that are available on the internet and in nearly every cookbook I own. However, despite these truths, there is a reason why this recipe was kept around by my husband’s family for all that time. This cheesecake is delicious, a true classic, and, as we all know, classic recipes are the ones that truly stand the test of time.

I Naptime Chef-ed this cheesecake on Monday for my husband’s birthday. Every year that we have known each other I have made him a homemade birthday cake, a tradition that works well since he enjoys eating sweets as much as I enjoy making them. His only modest request when baking his treats is that I keep them simple and familiar, sticking with traditional flavors like chocolate, vanilla or coconut. This is not a problem for me, over the years I have made some really amazing cakes including a decadent malteser cake by Nigella, since malt balls are his most favorite candy, Amanda Hesser’s chocolate “Dump-It” cake, and black-bottom cupcakes from an old Food & Wine recipe. This year, in keeping with the theme of classic flavors, I decided to stray from the traditional flour based cake and make this cheesecake. Cheesecake may not be regular chocolate or vanilla, but it is a classic flavor nonetheless, and my husband agreed that it was a good idea.

Like all cheesecakes, making this one requires concentration from start to finish. To prepare for the cake preparation I took all of my ingredients out of the refrigerator in the morning to make sure they were at room temperature by naptime. I then assembled the batter, taking great care to make sure it was completely smooth so as to avoid lumpy cake, and poured it into the pan. I then, very carefully, wrapped the outside tightly in aluminum foil to prevent any of the hot water bath from seeping in and ruining the batter. Finally, I popped it in the oven and watched it carefully, stopping the baking once the cake was set and the top was golden brown. Cooling the cake also required careful monitoring. First I cooled the cake in the oven with the door ajar, then on a rack in the kitchen and, finally, in the refrigerator. It may seem like overkill to go to such trouble cooling the cake, but this method helps the cheesecake set, so it gets firm without being too dry.

I have to say, Beverly really knew what she was doing when she developed this recipe. This was absolutely the best classic cheesecake I have ever tasted, and one of the easiest I have ever made. My husband and I were both thrilled with the results. The cake had a light and silky texture, the taste was wonderfully smooth and bright, with a subtle hint of lemon. We both agreed that the graham cracker crust was an excellent addition, lending the cake a sweet crunch. In celebration of my husband’s birthday we allowed my daughter a small slice, which she inhaled in two bites, begging us for more. At the end of the day I happily slipped the recipe back into my file with notes on how to add the crust. The birthday celebration had gone off without a hitch and the dessert was all that we had hoped for, once again proving that the classics are always winners.

It’s time for some Soyaki Chicken Thighs! I don’t know what is worse, caring for a sick child when you are healthy, or being sick and trying to entertain a healthy child. Based on a recent personal experience, I would argue that the latter is far more difficult. As parents we are all aware that winter is known as “cold season” because germs run riot through every indoor play-space, library and public arena in the greater New York area. The only way to avoid these germs completely would be to live in total seclusion for four months which is, obviously, not an option. When spring arrived last month I wrongly assumed that “cold season” was over, my daughter hadn’t had a cold in weeks and I was feeling very proud that I had avoided a bad cold all winter. Suffused with confidence I began to let my guard down, neglecting to wash my hands after toddler gym-class and not replacing the bottle of hand sanitizer for my purse. These were moves, it turns out, I would later regret.

I am a dessert person through and through. I have a sweet tooth that would make Willy Wonka’s head spin, and the grocery bill, denoting bags and bags of Domino sugar, to prove it. Since a young age I have been a firm believer that the end goal of every meal is dessert. As a child I was known to speed-eat my way through many family dinners, so I could get to whatever sugary treats my mom had on hand, as soon as possible. Naturally, being a dessert lover, I would then spend several minutes eating one single cookie or brownie, taking my time to savor every crumb. The pace of my eating – spending a minute on a large plate of food and several minutes on one bite of cookie – greatly perplexed my parents. But, since I never got cavities or indigestion, they let me have my sweets after dinner, not wanting to pick a fight they could never win. The love of all sweet things has never left me, I proudly carried my sweet tooth straight through high school, college and into the present day. I will always be a dessert lover and, now that I have my own kitchen, I can bake sweet treats just about any time I want.

When I plan my meals, for holidays or otherwise, I always make sure I plan for a decadent dessert to cap off the meal. I like to make things that are scrumptious and tasty, calories be damned, the kind of sweet dish that sticks in your memory as being out of this world. I know I’ve achieved my goal when someone can’t quite recall the whole dinner menu, but can describe what was served for dessert in great detail. I have to say I’ve made a few extraordinary desserts in my life, most of which I’ve been able to duplicate. And, thankfully, in making these beautiful things I have been good about keeping a record of most of them, stashing them in my recipe box with a flag that the recipe is definitely worth making again. The cake I made this Easter is one of those recipes that has stood the test of time. After all, chocolate cake is a classic dessert, there is nothing fussy, trendy or frilly about it. I’ve made this cake many times before and have never once been disappointed. Judging by the way my friend’s often ask me to make it, I don’t think they have been disappointed, either.

This cake is much lighter and sweeter than the one I shared with you in February. I prefer to serve it for spring and summer events, the light flavor and color seems more appropriate for the seasons then something dark and dense. And, as with all my favorite baked goods, it is a cinch to prepare during naptime. Combining the ingredients takes very little time and, because it is so light, the baking time is quite short. The lightness of this cake comes from the generous heap of whipped egg whites that are folded into the batter before baking. When it is in the oven they cause the whole cake to rise up in a great poof, which slowly collapses as it cools. The end result, when the cake is fully cooled, is that a shallow crater, about one inch deep, forms on the top. Some might find this ugly and unappetizing, but don’t let the imperfection deceive you – this cake is delicious. To add to the lightness of the cake I like to drop dollops of whipped cream into the crater, along with a scattering of chocolate candies. To me it looks like a cloud of sweet vanilla has landed on top of my rich chocolate pillow. Whenever I eat this cake, which is often, I am always struck by the wonderful rich chocolate taste and light texture. It is really a wonderful standby for someone like me with my sweet tooth. In fact, the details from Easter Dinner last Sunday are already slipping away, but I can still tell you about the cake.

My family holidays can be divided into two categories: 1) holidays I will always remember, or 2) holidays I can’t wait to forget. Of course, I can only place a holiday experience into the appropriate category after it is over, since it is only on rare occasions that I can anticipate what the holiday will be like before it takes place. Usually it is upon the first sign of good news – a college acceptance letter, a pregnancy announcement, a new family pet – that I am able to breathe a sigh of relief and put a notch in the “holiday to remember” column. Or, sometimes holidays head straight downhill from the moment they begin, like when I got the flu on Christmas Eve, or my grandmother broke her hip on Thanksgiving morning. This is when I chalk up the occasion to be a total loss and vow to start suppressing the memories as soon as possible. However, despite the fact that sometimes I really do want to forget a holiday, I always come back for more. After all, holidays occur yearly, thus, each new year is a chance for redemption.

Easter 2008 was a holiday to forget. My daughter, who was so young she could barely sit up, came down with her first, teeny tiny cold. Little did I know that a tiny cold meant I would lose entire nights worth of sleep, bringing on such strong sleep deprivation that I actually considered buying my first ever six-pack of Red Bull. All in all the holiday wasn’t much fun and passed quickly in a blur of saline nose drops, humidifiers and dirty burp clothes. I think I took one photo and put the camera away for the remainder of Easter Sunday, not wanting to document the unfortunate scene taking place in our household. Yet, despite this terrible memory, I was excited for Easter this year. My daughter is a whole year older and beginning to appreciate holiday celebrations, especially when there are presents and sweets involved. This year’s Easter began with a fun family morning, watching her open her plastic eggs to find graham cracker bunnies tucked inside, followed by the consumption of far too many sweet treats before lunchtime. Then, when she finally went down for her afternoon nap, it was my turn to have some holiday fun.

For me, of course, holiday fun means cooking up a storm in the kitchen. For the past few weeks I have spent several hours pouring over cookbooks, perusing the offerings at the local gourmet stores, and writing new recipes to serve my family for Easter dinner. After several iterations over the course of two weeks I finally settled on the menu:

Greek Lamb with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Walnut Oil
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Warm Rolls with Butter
Easter Chocolate Cake with Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream

We centered our Easter menu around the main course, lamb. For some reason my family has always eaten lamb for Easter, I remember even my grandmother serving it to us, with a big dollop of mint jelly on the side. This year, while I was creating a new recipe, I was inspired by the flavors of Greece. Maybe it was because I had recently eaten out at a local Greek restaurant with friends, the taste was on my tongue and I wanted more. After consulting several cookbooks my husband and I settled on a basic, yet flavorful preparation involving several Greek influences. We began by marinating the lamb in red wine, always the best meat tenderizer, and a mixture of Greek herbs. After letting it marinate for several hours we removed the lamb, covered it in a mixture of bread crumbs, more Greek herbs and fresh thyme. Then we roasted the meat for about twenty minutes, and let it rest for about five minutes before serving. When we bit into it we were delighted with the delicious, juicy cut of meat, which was tender to the bite and bursting with flavor. To accompany the meat we whipped up a smooth mint yogurt sauce which was easily made by combining a few basic ingredients. The dip was cool and minty with a slight lemon aftertaste, perfect for dipping the lamb. I also think it would be wonderful for dipping vegetables, breads and even other cuts of meat.

The strong flavor and crisp texture of green beans were the perfect accompaniment to the dark, flavorful lamb. When making green beans I feel that it is helpful if they are jazzed up a bit, preferably by throwing in an unexpected ingredient, so I am always searching for ideas of what to add. For this particular preparation I was inspired by a recipe in one of my all-time favorite books, Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser. I loved the idea of adding a warm nutty flavor to the green beans through the addition of walnuts and walnut oil. The recipe did not disappoint, as we ate my husband and I agreed that the dish yielded excellent flavor along with a satisfying crunch. The dessert that followed our meal was a showstopper, which is why I plan to devote an entire post to it on Thursday, sorry for the wait. Until then I will leave you with the following two recipes, surefire winners in our book. I will definitely be making these for future holiday meals, and, as long as these are on our table, I am sure they will become holidays to remember, as well.

It has been raining like, well, April, for the past two weeks. My daughter and I been spending most of our days gazing forlornly at the playground outside our building, watching it drip with water, little rivers cascading down the shiny metal slide and into the sand pit. However, despite the incessant pitter patter of raindrops on the windowsill, I can’t bring myself to get down about all the wetness given the horrible winter we had. After all, spring rain brings with it promises of a new, fresh warm-weather season. A time when we can skip outside with our brand new tricycle and spring-weight knit poncho from grandma, minus the heavy parkas and fleece hats. And, perhaps most importantly for me, spring means that summer, with all of it’s fresh farm food, is right around the corner.

I am dedicated farmer’s market shopper and will happily brave all kinds of weather to patronize the farm stands. As I write summer crops are just starting to grow in the fields, the bounty of which we won’t see at the market for another few weeks. However, despite having to wait a bit longer for the wonderful fresh corn and spring asparagus, there are still many reasons for me to shop there. In the months prior to the summer foods a small, but dedicated, group of farmers will trudge over to 97th street on Fridays to offer a smattering of root vegetables, a few bushels of apples and lots of delicious hot cider. In addition to this the fish monger from Long Island reliably brings freshly caught fish and shellfish, and I can always count on Ronnybrook for fresh milk and butter. But, above all, my favorite stand these days is the pork purveyor. I read somewhere lately that “pig is big,” and in our house it is more than ever.

Last week my daughter and I braved the puddles to obtain our favorite bundle of fresh, sweet sausages. Both of us love visiting this stand, I obtain my amazing homemade organic pork sausages, and my daughter is always, very generously, given a free freshly cooked slice of breakfast sausage. Don’t ask me why this is the favorite food of my toddler, but it is. Once the sausages have been obtained we happily wheel home, dreaming of dinners to come. I discovered this pork purveyor about a year ago and have been cooking these sausages weekly ever since. I have to say, I have come up with some great sausage dishes, but the one I want to tell you about today is, perhaps, my most favorite. The preparation, roasted in a pan with red grapes and onions, is simple and straightforward, perfect for Naptime Chef-ing.

I know this is not the first time sausage has been prepared like this, there are many variations of roasted sausages with grapes, but after some tweaking I developed a recipe for my family that we can call our very own. In my opinion the best part about this dish is how the simplest ingredients yield the most amazing flavor, the whole being greater than the sum of it’s parts. To prepare it, during naptime, I simply prep the grapes and onions as instructed and put the pan in fridge where it can easily stay for a few hours while I attend to other things. Then, when it comes time for dinner, I simply pre-cook the sausages and lay them on top of the grapes and onions, and pop it in the oven. In no time I have gorgeous fresh roasted sausages on a bed of juicy grapes draped with wilting onions. It takes about five more minutes to prepare the sauce and, voila, dinner is served. I like to serve this dish with a green salad and a slice of french bread, or, when we are in the mood for heavier fare, I serve it with egg noodles or potatoes.

This flavor of this dish is a pitch perfect balance of savory and sweet. The sweetness comes from the red grape juice which is balanced well with the tart onions and dash of balsamic vinegar. I love the way the flavor of the grapes are somehow enhanced by the roasting, it is an unexpected yet delicious way to enjoy fruit. I am such a creature of habit that if it weren’t for this blog there is a good chance this is the only way I’d prepare sausage ever again. It is an even greater reward for me that my daughter likes this dish, too. The roasted grapes are soft and juicy which are perfect for her little mouth, she likes to eat them with handfuls of the crumbled sausage. I am still excited for the summer offerings to hit the farmer’s market in full force, I am already thumbing through my favorite summer recipes trying to decide what to make first. But, until then, I will continue my trips through the rain to my Friday market, I am already dreaming about what I’ll make with my sausages tomorrow night.

Sometimes, on the weekends, I put my husband in charge of cooking. I am lucky, he is a very capable cook, having grown up in a household where both parents regularly turn out delicious meals that would make any chef green with envy. Since I’ve known him he has made some fantastic dishes including homemade vegetarian spring rolls, mustard-crusted rack of lamb, and all sorts of seafood dishes involving scallops, which are my favorite. It is pretty rare that he takes a misstep in the kitchen. I’ve only seem him burn – no, char – a pork tenderloin once. In his defense we were also trying to hang pictures in the other room at the same time, hence, we learned our lesson about multi-tasking when cooking. Last month, having witnessed many of his past successes, I decided it was time to give him a true challenge. I put him in charge of an emergency meal.

You see, that morning my daughter and I had just flown home from Florida. The trip had not gone well, my daughter was wide awake and crying for the entire flight, plus, she had a low-grade fever. We were tired, cranky and not in the mood to do anything other than be lazy on the sofa while watching Dora and Boots scamper over rickety bridges. For the duration of the afternoon my husband served as chief runner, jogging back and forth from the kitchen bearing sippy cups of ice water and cheddar goldfish for my daughter, and fresh cranberry spritzers with sourdough pretzels for me. By dinner time I recovered enough from our flight trauma to generate a small appetite, and, after all the running to and fro, my husband was ravenous. When he looked to me, desperate for meal ideas, I held both hands out to my side and turned my palms upward. I was at a loss for inspiration, he was on his own.

Being the resourceful guy that he is, in the middle of this meal crisis, he pulled a brilliant move. From the dark recesses of a kitchen cabinet he retrieved our panini maker. We had received the panini maker as a gift at my “alphabet” themed wedding shower in Cooperstown, my hometown. My friend, Christina, was assigned the letter “P” and, thus, bought me a panini maker. I hadn’t registered for it but I am forever grateful for the gift. The panini maker quickly became one of our most favorite kitchen gadgets from the moment we unwrapped it. In our pre-parenthood years, when we were both working at offices, we would come home spent and uninspired after long days at work. It was during these times we discovered that, as long as you have a loaf of bread, almost any combination of ingredients can form a panini. In this particular instance my husband had spied a fresh loaf of sourdough bread on the counter, along with recently purchased thinly sliced spanish jamon, roasted vegetables and a ball of mozzarella in the fridge. I hadn’t planned on making sandwiches with all these ingredients, but, despite my original intentions for them, it was obvious they were meant to form our dinner.

As with any toasted sandwich the assembly was a total snap. It was even snappier because of the low-tech kitchen tool we had at our disposal. All we had to do was assemble sandwiches and squash them between the heated plates to toast. During the few minutes it took to cook I had time to refill my spritzer, pull a plate out of the cupboard and prepare myself for warm, oozy mozzarella. As expected the flavors of this sandwich were perfect. Instead of using anything too heavy my husband had drizzled the inside of the bread with olive oil and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar. The dreamy mozzarella perfectly offset the sweet vegetables and salty jamon. I found comfort in every single bite, exactly the kind of meal I needed after an arduous journey. Even my daughter liked the sandwich we made for her, just a simple pressed cheese of fresh mozzarella with diced vegetables on the side. I think she was as grateful for the warm, homemade meal as I was. After we tucked her into bed that evening I hugged my husband, congratulating him on surviving an emergency meal, one of the great cooking challenges of all time. I was glad to be home.

Traveling twice in one month is extremely out of the ordinary for me. If I’m lucky I usually take a winter vacation to a warm destination once a year. Then I use the rest of my free time to visit my parent’s and in-law’s during the summer months at their beautiful homes in the northeast. However, this winter has been different. First I went to Florida for a week, and last week I traveled to Charleston South Carolina. Luckily for me, this is where my parent’s chose to spend the month of March this year, in their own effort to escape “mud season” in upstate New York. They have traveled to Charleston before but this was the first time I was able to visit. Last year I was at home – deliriously tired – with a newborn, and in the years prior to that I was working. Charleston is a wonderful place to visit, so, despite the challenges of flying with toddler, I willingly faced a two hour flight to get there.

Luckily for us, from the moment we arrived at the airport, my parent’s were hot to trot to show us all of their favorite places in the city. Obviously, I was focused on the eating and design activities of the city, while my daughter was interested in scouting out playgrounds and ice cream. Needless to say, we both got our way. I was able to enjoy many culinary treats throughout the week, and my daughter did more than her share of playing outdoors. In fact, we played so hard that we barely knew where the time had gone when it was time to go home. There is so much to do and see that it clear we will have to visit again next year. In the mean time, here is my first round of my favorite spots in Charleston:

The Naptime Chef’s picks of what to do in Charleston, SC (in no particular order):

1. Basil: My childhood friend Stuart lives in Charleston with his wife, Jenny, and their son, Cooper. As luck would have it Stuart was turning 30-something when I was there and I was able to join him, Jenny and their friends for dinner. I left my daughter with her doting grandparents and met them on upper King Street at Basil. I never thought I would be going out for Thai food in Charleston, but I’m glad I did. This place is amazing, I recommend the Beef Larb appetizer and the Chicken Pad Woon Sen for dinner.

2. Peninsula Grill: If you haven’t already, order yourself a coconut cake from Peninsula Grill. This restaurant is a favorite of mine. I won’t say whom, but, on occasion, members of my family have been known to order the coconut cake and have it shipped up to the northeast. It is the sweetest, most decadent thing I have ever tasted, and, despite our best efforts we are never able to finish it.

3. Cupcake: I still have never met anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good cupcake. This cupcake store is ace when it comes to unique flavors. During our week there we sampled the Red Velvet, Mandarin Orange Chocolate, Rocky Road, German Chocolate Cake and many more. I am lucky the weather was good for exercising, with a cupcake-per-day habit it is necessary to squeeze in some extra laps around the track.

4. Brixx: A good pizza restaurant will always hit the spot when traveling with kids. When we ate at Brixx we were thrilled to run into Stuart, Jenny and Cooper when they were arriving for kid’s night (kid’s eat free on Wednesdays). My daughter adored the pizza with roasted chicken while my parent’s devoured a Bronx bomber (once a New Yorker…).

5. South of Market: King Street is an interior decorator’s paradise. If I were able to hire my own decorator I would request that she shop exclusively for my furniture at this store. While I was milling about the store, making a mental wish-list, I was thrilled to discover a very well-edited selection of cookbooks. I wouldn’t have thought this the cookbook spot, but someone there knows what they are doing when selecting books to sell. I recommend that you stop in to browse the books and furniture when in town.

6. Peggy’s Kitchen: Per my post last Thursday, my friend Peggy has an awesome kitchen and dining room. As you can tell, she has an insanely good eye for decorating, having designed the entire interior of her house by herself. In addition to decorating, she is an accomplished cook and has a cookbook selection that makes me weep with envy. I should note, however, that if you go to cook in Peggy’s kitchen it is best if you are 5’8″ or taller, she had it custom made for tall people like herself. Luckily, we had the privilege of eating in her lovely dining room one evening. It was prettier, and more delicious, than any restaurant in the whole city.

7. Monza: More pizza! It seems that Charleston is a little pizza-crazy. After a trip to the children’s museum (see more below), we were famished. I was thrilled to discover this delicious pizzeria right down the street. We settled into the back patio for a bite. The pie was delicious, as were the salads and frothy cappucinos. It was the wonderful end to a great morning.

8. Paolo’s: Some time ago Paolo moved from Italy to the Southeast US. With him, thankfully, he brought the Italian method for making gelato. Every year he orders all of this ingredients from Italy so that his gelato tastes truly authentic. I seriously have never tasted gelato this good outside of Italy. Walk, no, run, there as soon as your plane touches down.

9. Charleston Receipts: I’ve often heard about this wonderful cookbook so you can imagine my delight when Peggy loaned me her copy. I have already thumbed through it twice and can’t wait to get started on the delicious recipes. Stay tuned for more recipes from this book, I am sure they will prove to be easy and delicious, perfect for Naptime Chef-ing.

10. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry: Given that we were traveling with a toddler meant that we couldn’t spend all of our time eating and shopping. One morning we had the pleasure of spending some time at the CML. It was the perfect place to take an active toddler, there were more than enough fun and age-appropriate activities to keep her occupied. Her favorite activity was the fake shrimp boat, complete with scale for measuring fake shrimp! If you are traveling in Charleston with children I highly recommend a visit.

Stay tuned for a new recipe this Thursday!