It’s May -
the month of innumerable graduations. As
old as I am, one would think I’d be done with that sort of thing by now. In fact, I thought I was … at least until my
younger son Eric decided to start law school at the ripe old age of 26!
So last week
we headed to Philadelphia to attend his graduation from Penn Law. Way to go, Eric!
Of course,
if you are me, you will use an occasion like this to book a table at the best
restaurant in Philly. In my humble
opinion, that would be Vetri, which
is probably one of my favorite restaurants on the planet.
I’ll spare
you my description of the place, since their website does a far better job than
I could. Take a look at it and
put it on your radar screen if you find yourself in Philadelphia. It's like no other dining experience I've ever had . Because it’s situated in a
lovely brownstone, you might think it’s stuffy and formal, but it’s not. Instead, it’s warm, personable and fun!
Menus are presented to everyone, but you don’t really order
– you just tell them if there is anything you don’t like, then they create a
beautiful meal especially for you.
Every course is a surprise and of course, it goes without saying that
the food is phenomenal. Particularly if you pair it with their recommended
wines or beers (yes, a beer
pairing – Andy and Eric were happy campers).
One of our
favorite dishes was the Sweet Onion
Crepe with White Truffle Fondue. Our
wait person casually mentioned that the recipe was in Marc Vetri’s first book, il viaggio di vetri. Need I tell you what transpired the next
day? Suffice it to say that both Andy
and I now have copies of the book!
Now I have
not yet found time to tackle the aforementioned recipe, but I did manage to make Jenny’s Ricotta Cheesecake from the book. Jenny was Marc Vetri's grandmother. This is another one of those recipes where
the sum is greater than the whole of its parts.
It is also unlike your usual cheesecake (of which I am the queen, as you
may remember).
No, this one
is light, ethereal and addictive in its simplicity. It’s not particularly gorgeous, but make it anyway. Trust me!
Jenny’s Ricotta Cheesecake (adapted
from Mark Vetri's il viaggio di vetri)
2 pounds
fresh ricotta cheese (see below for recipe)
5
extra-large eggs
1 cup
granulated sugar
Juice of 1
lemon
About 1 ½ -
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven
to 350-degrees. Butter a 2- to 2 ½ quart
glass baking dish (preferably round). Set
aside.
In a large
bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar and lemon juice until well
combined and free of lumps. Pour into
the prepared baking dish and dust with enough cinnamon to lightly cover the
entire surface.
Bake the
cake for about an hour, or until just set.
It will puff up like a soufflé and when you remove it, it will fall and
form a delicious top crust. Let cool
completely, cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 10 –
12
See? I told you it wasn't pretty!
Homemade Ricotta (adapted from Ina Garten's How Easy is That?)
2 quarts
whole milk
1 quart
heavy cream
2 teaspoons
kosher salt
1/3 cup good
white wine vinegar
Place a
large strainer over a large bowl. Line
strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth.
Set aside.
Combine the
milk and cream in a large stainless-steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt and bring to a full boil
over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes until it
curdles and separates.
Pour the
mixture into the cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow it to drain for about 30
minutes. Pour off the liquid and allow
it to stand for 30 minutes more. Pour
off liquid again, then cover with a piece of waxed paper or plastic and place in
refrigerator to drain overnight. This
will result in a thick ricotta.
When ready
to use, transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any
remaining whey. Ricotta will keep
refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Yield: 2 pounds
OK, Liz - bring on the comments! Here they are ....
* Take the time to make your own ricotta for this recipe. It makes all the difference. Besides, since the cake recipe is so easy, you can devote a small amount of time to make the ricotta!
* As I said before, this is not a pretty cake. In fact, it looks downright awful. While in the oven, mine rose on the sides and stayed sunken in the middle. Uh-oh. I thought about trashing it, but persevered. Glad I did, as the sides deflated as the cake cooled and then it didn't look quite so bad. And the taste quite made up for it's lack of "gorgeousness."
* I was dubious about the lemon juice in the cake and the ground cinnamon on top of it. Cinnamon and lemon juice? Not necessarily a combo I would embrace. Nonetheless, the lemon juice gives the cake its brightness and the cinnamon helps create a lovely "crust" on top of the cake when it cools. Trust me, it works.
* I tasted this cake both after it had cooled to room temperature and after it had been refrigerated overnight. Both were delicious, but I prefer the unrefrigerated version as it was lighter and just sort of melted on the tongue. Nonetheless, I would happily consume this at either temp!
* Unlike most cheesecakes, this one does not need to be baked in a bain-marie (water bath) and is a snap to put together. To quote Ina Garten, how easy is that?
* Lastly, I made a blueberry and raspberry compote to serve with the cake. Don't waste your time on such adornments. This thing is best standing on its own. No fruit or embellishments required. So what if it isn't pretty?
Now let's talk about that homemade ricotta. It's absolutely delicious and it has a ton of uses. Mix it with fresh herbs and Parmesan and use it as a topping for crostini. Use it in your lasagna. Mix it with a little pesto and toss it into warm pasta. My favorite is to dollop some on a round of toasted baguette and top with a drizzle of truffle lavender honey. Heaven! Here's where you can buy the honey:
Now let's talk about that homemade ricotta. It's absolutely delicious and it has a ton of uses. Mix it with fresh herbs and Parmesan and use it as a topping for crostini. Use it in your lasagna. Mix it with a little pesto and toss it into warm pasta. My favorite is to dollop some on a round of toasted baguette and top with a drizzle of truffle lavender honey. Heaven! Here's where you can buy the honey:
I'm going to miss Philadelphia and its restaurants. Now it's on to DC, since that's where Eric will be moving over the summer. Recommendations, anyone?
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