“I am thankful for small mercies. Some people expect only the best. I found that I begin at the other extreme…expecting nothing and am always full of thanks for unexpected blessings.” —Tim Man Lee, Wildlife Photographer
Since moving to my small “slice of Heaven” here in Ben Lomond, I begin each morning, along with my cup of coffee in hand, standing on my front porch while breathing in our fresh and sometimes misty air. Usually, neighbor Mike is on his way to work, and we wave at each other, and if other neighbors are on an early morning walk with their dog, they stop and chat, and then I give thanks for small mercies; that is how I start each day.
However, this morning was different, neighbor Mike and his family are on vacation and sadly, I felt their absence. Oh, their house isn’t empty as they have a house sitter, but tradition has always been important to me, and this morning there was no handwaving. I confess, I felt lonely, and when I feel lonely, I turn myself to thinking about cooking, and this morning it was what to prepare for the soup and salad luncheon for the seniors at the Senior Center in Scotts Valley, who I have come to love and respect, sweet and gentle people.
I have, in the past, written about our Forgotten Generation(s) and I do not want our seniors of today to be forgotten. I am doing everything I possibly can to prevent this.
These luncheons have become important for these seniors. It is a time when they can come together over food they did not have to prepare, a time when they can sit and enjoy each other’s company, and a time when they can put all problems behind them for a few hours, enjoying food that has been thoughtfully and lovingly prepared “just for them.”
My part in this is to find recipes that our local restaurants do not have on their menus, and if they do, I make sure the soup and salad is “over-the top,” and after hearing their comments, I seem to have “filled the bill” so to speak.
I have prepared Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean, French and Vietnamese, as well as American soup and salad recipes, and the cookies I have baked are from those same countries.
My grocery list this week has four 8 oz. bricks of Philadelphia Cream Cheese on it, as well as sour cream and eggs. Rather than baking cookies, I’ve decided “my” seniors should have individual strawberry-laced New York-style cheesecakes. I made a plateful this week, which was served to some of the senior residents of the Spring Lakes community, and they were a huge success.
Remember the Cheesecake Factory when Cheesecake was so popular? The closest to us is in San Jose, and if you want cheesecake today, it’s hard to find on any menu. However, should you wish to buy one, Harry and Davids have an 8-inch round, including shipping and tax, for $87. My recipe comes in at approximately $15 and easily makes 20-24 cheesecakes in jumbo-sized cupcake wrappers.
Cheesecake is easy to make. I look at it as having many rules; the first being to have ALL ingredients at room temperature. The cream cheese MUST be soft, otherwise it will not blend with the eggs well, and you will detect small lumps throughout. This is a no-no. Having your mixer set at medium speed is important. Too fast will result in having created too much air in the batter, which will result in your cheesecake cracking on top.
Adding eggs is another matter. Add your eggs one at a time, making sure each is well blended before adding another. And very important, stop your mixer between steps and stir from the bottom of the bowl, ensuring all is being incorporated. Simple rules, but important ones.
Mini cheesecakes do not need to bake in a water bath. Maybe one or two might have a slight crack, but that’s it. And when totally cool, refrigerate or wrap in saran wrap and foil and freeze. Remove from the freezer an hour before serving and top with the strawberry sauce.
New York-style Mini Cheesecakes
Makes 24
Graham Cracker Crust
15 finely crushed graham crackers 3”x5”
6 Tbsp. melted and cooled butter
Combine well and fill ea. muffin wrapper about 1/3 in.
Pack down with the back of a spoon.
Bake in a 350deg. oven 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
Cheese Mixture
4 eight oz. packages of room temperature cream cheese.
1 cup of granulated sugar.
1 cup of room temperature sour cream
4 lg. eggs, room temperature.
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method
On low speed, mix cream cheese with sugar and sour cream.
Add 1 egg and when it disappears, add another egg. Continue with each egg, one at a time.
Add lemon juice and vanilla.
Fill muffin cups with 1/4 heaping cup of mixture.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until no wobbling of batter occurs when lightly shaken.
Strawberry Topping
4 cups of fresh diced Strawberries (any fruit)
1/2 cup gran. sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
In a saucepan mix all ingredients together.
Bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at [email protected].
