Oct. 24, 2012 - Issue #888: Winter Guide 2012
Provenance
Six things about cheesecake
Modern cheesecake was developed in 1872 by William Lawrence from Chester, New York. He was attempting to recreate the French cheese Neufchâtel, but instead ended up finding a way to make an unripened cheese that was heavier with a more creamy consistency. Earlier accounts of a form of cheesecake are said to date back to ancient Greece.
The key ingredient
Cream cheese as we know it today, meaning the Philadelphia variety, was trademarked in 1928 by James Kraft.
Going beyond cream cheese
Cheesecake in North America uses cream cheese to create cheesecake, but other countries have their own methods. In Italy, ricotta or marscapone cheese is commonly used, while Germany, the Netherlands and Polands use quark.
Minus one
The only difference between a baked and no-bake cheesecake is the presence/absence of eggs. No-bake cheesecakes often use gelatin to help them set.
Pint-sized powerhouse
World champion eater Sonya Thomas holds the record for cheesecake eating. The 100lb competitor ate 11 lbs of cheesecake in nine minutes.
Lotsa cheese
The world's largest cheesecake, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was made in Mexico City in 2009. Chef Miguel Angel Quezada and a team of 55 chefs created a cheesecake that yielded 20 000 slices, The giant cake took 60 hours to make and used nearly one ton of cream cheese and yogurt, 772 lbs of pastry, 551 lbs of sugar and 331 lbs of butter. V vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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