For the past week I’ve gone market shopping, both at the Sunday Tlacolula market and at the smaller, though equally satisfying Teotitlan del Valle market where I live. It’s easier now that I have LaTuga — a market trip can be spontaneous.
As the invitation list for my New Year’s Eve house warming birthday party dessert open house grew to over thirty, I realized I might not have enough pastries and wine. So, I made multiple trips to Amado’s tienda to stock up on red wine and mezcal.
At the market I bought flowers, queso fresco, sweet bread, goat cheese, and the ingredients to make tomato ginger chutney. I usually do this in the North Carolina summer when there is a two week window for ripe tomatoes. Here in Oaxaca, they are ripe year round. The chutney is great warmed and poured on top of the goat cheese, then spread on bread slices.
I made the fruit salad recipe I shared with you last week, but added mandarin oranges and poached, spiced crab apples. Eloisa baked me three giant Chocoflan cakes, and on impulse I bought a big homemade, layered jello extravaganza at the village market. It was a dessert buffet.
Yesterday morning, I decided on the spur of the moment to make a New York style cheesecake when I saw Amado had two pounds of Philadelphia cream cheese in his case along with Alpura brand sour cream and a tube of Maria’s cookies. My friend Ani gave me a gift of butter earlier, and I picked up a few extra eggs. Instead of liquid vanilla, I used fresh squeezed lemon juice (called lima here) and zest. I augmented the cream cheese with mashed and pureed queso fresco. When it didn’t look like I would have enough cookie crumbs for the crust, I added some of the sweet bread to the Maria crumbs. Adaptation is an important element for living in Mexico.
Lupe came to help me get the house ready and we prepared the cheesecake together. Her son Daniel hung the papel picado flags and the piñata filled with candies for the children to dismantle with a stick at the end of the party. Our village is party central. On December 30, I was at Janet and Jan’s home for her birthday celebration. The flowers were abundant and the food delicious.
I was too busy greeting, serving and schmoozing to take photos of my birthday accoutrements and friends. The cheesecake disappeared before I could stage a photo shoot. Maybe those who did take photos will share them! After everyone left, the rockets, firecrackers and band played on into the night to welcome the procession of the baby Jesus to Las Cuevitas. Even my ear plugs didn’t help. We will join that celebration later today.
Meanwhile, I am wishing you a very satisfying, joyous, content, and healthful new year. May peace and fulfillment be yours for 2014.
Norma’s Pie de Queso — Mexican Style Cheesecake Recipe —
Disfruta! Enjoy!
The Crust:
- 1 package Maria cookies
- 1 slice of sweet bread or any sweet roll
- 4 T. sugar
- 4 T. melted butter
In a food processor, add the cookies and sweet roll, process until fine crumbs. Add sugar. Pulse until completely mixed. Add melted butter. Combine until butter is mixed throughout. Pour out into a parchment paper lined 8-10″ springform pan. Press crumbs firmly on bottom and up sides of pan about 1/4-1/2 inch. Set aside.
The Filling:
- 2 lbs. Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 lb. queso fresco (Oaxaca crumble cheese)
- 1 C. sugar
- 5 eggs
- juice of 1/2 large lemon
- 1 T. lemon zest
- 1 C. sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl with electric beaters on high speed, blend the cheeses until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and mix until white and smooth. Add eggs one at a time until completely mixed. Add lemon. Beat for about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and blend in on low speed until just stirred in. Stir in lemon zest.
Pour into a buttered springform pan (line with parchment to make clean-up easier). Put into preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Turn oven off. Leave cake in oven to cool for 30 minutes or more before removing.
The Topping:
- 1/2 C. sour cream
- 3 T. sugar
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1/2 t. lemon zest
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir all ingredients together. Pour over top of cooled cheesecake and spread evenly over top with spoon or spatula. Put into hot oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Watch that topping does not brown or burn. Remove and cool.
Strawberry Fruit Topping (optional)
- 1/2 c. mashed berries
- 3 T. sugar
- 1/4 c. Cointreau (or Controy here in Mexico)
In a stainless steel pan, mix together the berries, sugar and liqueur. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes until berries are mascerated, juice begins to form and the sugar is melted. Remove and cool for about 2 minutes. Pour over the sour cream topping of the cheesecake.
If you cut a circle in the center and then make the slices from this circle, the cake will yield 16-20 servings. The remaining center circle can then be cut in 4-6 wedges.
And another sunset from the terraza to celebrate life’s infinite beauty.
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Oaxaca Tropical Fruit + Tomato Ginger Chutney Recipe: With Some Heat!
Tropical Fruit + Tomato Ginger Chutney atop Boulanc’s walnut infused rye bread
I’ve been sequestered in my Teotitlan del Valle casita for some days now (without internet connection), more out of choice than anything. Best to hide from the heat of the day under the ceiling fan with a sewing or cooking project.
Saucepan with fruit and spices before taking the heat
So, after a trip to the Tlacolula market on Sunday where I saw an overabundance of fresh mango and papaya piled to the rooftops, I had to have some. Then, there were the tomatoes, everywhere. Did you know that tomatoes are one of Mexico’s gifts to the world?
A full pot as the cooking gets underway!
I went home and made up this recipe for a chutney jam that is great on toast or to accompany meat, poultry fish or top on steamed veggies and rice.
Lime juice and zest makes this recipe tangy sweet a la Oaxaca
Ingredients:
I grow these peppers in a pot on my rooftop terrace. They add the heat! They are either Fresno or Serrano peppers. Not exactly sure!
Put all fruit and spices together into a six quart saucepan. Add lime juice and zest. Stir in sugar. Stir well. Put saucepan on a heat diffuser over low heat for temperature control and so bottom of pan doesn’t burn. Sugar and juices will dissolve together into a thin syrup with fruit floating around. Bring to simmer.
Note: Remove the peppers mid-way through the cooking process if you don’t like spicy.
Continue cooking on simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid reduces by 50% and thickens to a jam consistency. You can use a thermometer or test for doneness if liquid drops in thick globules from a metal spoon raised about 12″ above the sauce pan.
When it’s done, it looks like this. Of course you can always sample for thickness.
We live at 6,000 feet altitude here in Oaxaca, so cooking takes time. The chutney jam was ready after about 2 hours on the burner. Patience here is a virtue!
The lowest flame on my stove. Note the heat diffuser.
Refrigerate to eat within the next week or two. Or, process for 10 minutes in canning jars in a water bath until the tops seal.
I’ll freeze a small batch and eat the rest. Maybe you’ll come for dinner?
Tips: Last week I used cantaloupe and did not use tomatoes or pineapple. I also substituted kumquat for ginger. You could also add thin slices of oranges and lemons instead of the lime and use 1/4 c. vinegar. Muy sabroso!
Candied ginger, my stash from Pittsboro, North Carolina, used with consideration.
I want to acknowledge two friends who gave me recipe inspiration: Natalie Klein from South Bend, Indiana, and David Levin from Oaxaca and Toronto. Natalie is a friend of 40+ years who shared her tomato ginger chutney recipe with me and I have adapted it many times, even canning and selling it.
Close-up of the fruit and spice medley
David (and friend Carol Lynne) returned from Southeast Asia a few months ago where they took cooking classes. David has made chutney ever since. He inspired me to try my own hand at the concoction.
Lime zest sits on pile of julienne white onions
More years ago than I care to count, I owned and operated a gourmet cookware shop, cooking school, and cafe. It’s in my DNA.
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Food & Recipes, Photography
Tagged candied fruit, chutney, condiment, cook, eat, food, ginger, jam, Mango, Mexico, Oaxaca, papaya, pineapple, recipe, tomato