Haines His Way

Yes, Jane, I'm also planning on watching NUMB3RS.  In addition to the cast you listed, it also has the always wonderful Peter MacNicol, whom I always enjoy.

I know the premiere is on Sunday, but I believe I heard that the regular timeslot will be on Fridays... anybody else know about that?

And from personal advice and experience...

When mixing cheesecakes, try not to whip the batter too much.  You do not want to incorporate any air into batter.  You just want to make it as smooth and lump-free as possible.  Slow and steady blending is ideal.  Air bubbles in the batter can result in a dry cheesecake, as well as cracks on the surface.  -Although some people do think that "real" cheesecakes must have cracks in them.  Not so.

And to make your mixing and blending easier, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.  Just take out you cream cheese a few hours before you plan to mix things up.  You can also leave your eggs out for a while too - they'll be safe.  If you are a little squeamish about leaving eggs out on the counter, just put them in a bowl of very warm water when you take them out of the fridge for about 10 minutes.  That will warm them up slightly.

-And if you have a "cool" kitchen like I do, just soak a dish towel in very warm water, and wrap it around the bowl to keep it from "absorbing" the chill from the air while you mix things up.  *I have to use this trick a lot when I'm baking in the winter, especially when trying to get the right consistency for creaming butter and sugar for cake batters.

Finally, if you are feeling adventurous and want to turn out your cheesecake...

You have to make sure the cheesecake is absolutely cold and set up or this will not work.  Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan if necessary.  Unlatch the side of the springform pan (if using one).  There should be some condensation on the plastic wrap and/or the cheesecake when you take it out of the fridge.  -This also assumes that you've wrapped your cheesecake in plastic wrap before putting it into the fridge.  If not, just very lightly sprinkle a few drops onto the surface of the cake.  Turn one of your oven burners on low.  -A gas stove really comes in handy here.  "Take up" enough of the plastic wrap so that it's no longer on the sides and bottom of the pan.  Place the cheesecake pan over the flame/heat for about 15 seconds - just enough to warm the bottom of the pan, and consequently, gently melt some of the butter in the crust.

Working quickly and fearlessly(!), place a plate or cake circle on top of the pan/cheesecake.  Flip the pan over, holding the plate in place.  DO NOT HESITATE!!  The cake should fall out.  If not, give it a gentle tap here and there on the bottom of the pan.  If it still does not fall out, then invert the pan again, and place over the heat for a few more seconds.  Repeat.

Once the cake plops out, remove the pan sides, then remove the cake bottom from the cake.  Place your serving platter on the cake and flip again.  -The plastic wrap keeps the cake from sticking to the plate, and the condensation helps the cake from sticking to the plastic wrap.  Voila!

I never believed this would work until I tried it a few years ago, but it does.  However, if your cheesecake has some additional toppings on it, you may want to flip out the cheesecake before placing the toppings on it.  Additionally, I'm not sure a cheesecake with a sour cream topping - like DR Jane's recipe - would work with this procedure.  However, the cookbook I got this procedure from says it will work with any cheesecake recipe in the book, and there are few sour cream topped recipes in the book, so...  Maybe I'll find out next week... Or not...



-And that concludes today culinary lesson.  You may drop off your toques and chef's jackets and aprons in the baskets by the door on your way out.

What to eat, that is the question.

Jed thanks for one more reason to watch NUMB3ERS.  We have more than enough shows to watch on Fridays-sure hope you are wrong.  

Funny, I have plenty to watch on Sundays and nothing on Friday!

I have read to prevent a cheesecake from cracking when baking it, place a small pan of water in the oven.  I think it works but I just live with the occasional crack in the topping.  Does anyone use the water trick?

Most cheesecake recipes call for a water bath - place the pan in another pan, and then pour some hot/boiling water until it reaches up he side of the pan, then place it all in the oven.  -Or safer yet, pour the water in the pan while the pans are already in the oven.  *This is when heavy duty foil comes in handy to wrap around the pan so that the water does not seep into the pan.

I've also seen recipes where it calls for placing a separate pan of water on the bottom of the oven or on the lowest rack.

Basically, it's all to help provide a very gentle and even heat for the cheesecake to bake in.  And the moisture also helps too.

However, I've been reading here and there, and different books say different things.  Even the latest edition of "The Joy of Cooking" doesn't give a definitive answer to the whole "to water bath or not to water bath" question.  

A friend of mine who has a cheesecake business in Richmond does not use a water bath.  As long as your oven temperature runs true and there are no hot spots in your oven you should be fine.  He also found that just lowering the oven temp a few "ticks" below the suggested temp also helps.  In other words, low and slow.

And most importantly, the cheesecake should never fully cook in the oven.  It should still jiggle a little bit when you take it out of the oven.  It will still continue to cook and set up as it cools.  *All you're really doing by baking the cheesecake is cooking the eggs - some recipes I've seen even give a temperature that the filling should be at when you take it out of the oven (using an instant-read thermometer).

I've baked with and without a water bath.  I've found no major differences in texture.  But I will say baking without a water bath is heck of lot less fussy.  -And taking the pan out of the water bath is always an adventure too.  And if you position the foil in the "wrong way", a lot of times you'll get condensation running down under the pan anyway, so...

Calling DR SWW!  Calling DR SWW!

Hmmm, I know they said that the 33M on Tues was the highest rated show of the year (or something like that).  I could swear they said that it was their best debut.

Anybody know for sure?  33 million sounds like a lot of viewers.

The 33+ million on Tuesday was their highest premiere ever. The 26+ million on Wednesday was down from last year's second night (which was a MOnday-Tuesday-Wednesday lineup last year). Also last year, IDOL wasn't facing off against the season's 2nd most popular new show LOST (whose ratings were still very potent on Wednesday night even though it did finish second to IDOL.)

DR Jose... I'm thinking it may be easier if you just make the cheesecake and send it to all of us.....or is that only if you win the lottery!

I will probably weatch NUMBERS tomorrow night on CBS after DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES on ABC if the football game hasn't run long and delayed the start. Hopefully that won't happen.

DR Jed is correct: NUMBERS' regular timeslot will be Friday at 10 on CBS. I believe it's going to be on Sunday this week and next and then switch to Friday afterwards.

Only got a little of TERMINATOR 3 watched tonight. Boy, is that sound mix house shakin'!

dear dad has left...I must now fend for myself

one Thanksgiving my dad brought home some pumpkin cheesecake, it was very yummy

We're all here should you need anything.

 

DR Ann, great to see you posting.  Take it easy and get some rest.

GOOD HEALTH VIBES TO DR ANN!

There's no way any regular person could order an appetizer, entree and dessert and clean their plates.

I recently spent a week in Florida with a family who ate most of their meals at the Cheesecake Factory.  One morning, they decided that we ought to eat breakfast there.  Every member of that family (young, old, male, female, skinny...etc.) ate a slice of cheesecake as an appetizer, a major dinner entree as a main course, and a second slice of cheesecake for dessert.  I was horrified...and more than slightly impressed!

Has anyone ever been to The Little Pie Company in NYC?  They have wonderful cheesecake, but then, everything they make is wonderful - especially their sour cream apple walnut pie!  Mmm...sour cream apple walnut pie...

Before signing off for the night, I just had to mention that I was supposed to go to a luncheon today in Cincinnati.  Thursday night I received a call that it was being postponed, due to forecasted bad winter weather (which didn't really materialize).  Now I see on the closing/delay announcements scrolling at the bottom of the TV screen that the new date is March 19 - the Saturday of the big HHW get-together in NYC.  It's a no-brainer - Penny's show wins over a panel discussion about the UN!

...201, maybe?