
Food For Thought
As the holidays approach, our lives become flooded with the pressures of upcoming family events. Dinners and receptions decorating and shopping, the Christmas tree, and don't forget the cards (does anyone still mail Christmas cards?). As we try to remember all the little details and all the little children on our list, at times, we can forget about ourselves. We can get lost in the preparations of the season and unconsciously forget to take time to enjoy the moment.
From a culinary viewpoint, I would ask you to consider what can be done ahead of time in your meal preparation, which would help you to enjoy the holidays just a little more. How about a dessert which in fact is actually better when prepared several days in advance - a cheesecake.
Having started my catering business many years ago, I began with a small cheesecake service. I provided a selection of over 45 different cheesecakes to local restaurants, resorts and private clients. Selections ranging from French white chocolate almond cheesecake to a German black forest cheesecake. At one point, we had so many cheesecakes coming out of our kitchen, my daughter (three years old at the time) thought her last name was Ventura Cheesecake. No joke!
But, there are those of us who believe that a cheesecake is not a cheesecake unless it is a simple . . . cheesecake. So, here is my recipe. Make it, call it your own, but promise me that you will enjoy the holidays a little more this year.
Ventura Cheesecake Recipe