Anna Sultana’s Ricotta Pie

Oh, my! It’s almost September!
I hope it’s been a good summer for you.

It seems that we’re going to be a bit more normal this year.
According to the commercials the kids are really looking forward to seeing their classmates in person instead of on a screen.

Hope everything goes well and that everyone stays safe and well.

I took a peak at the ‘Top Recipes’ lists on the right side of this blog.
Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake) is currently the top recipe for both last month and last week.
It was the ricotta pie that Carmela Soprano took to Joan O'Connell in hopes that she would write Meadow a recommendation into Georgetown.
Maybe it did the job.

I posted that recipe in February, 2013, and it sure has proven to be a winner.
But, I never posted Ma’s recipe for Ricotta Pie.
In my opinion Ma’s recipe makes a better pie.
Ma’s pie is lighter than cheesecake, more like a thick custard, and really good.

Ma usually cooked family-sized recipes.
There were times when she was cooking for seven people, so she wanted to get as much as she could for the time she had put into preparing her recipes.

Ma’s recipe for Ricotta Pie will give you two pies.
Don’t worry… it will get eaten long before it goes bad.
Sometimes we ate it for breakfast.
Yes, it’s just that nutritious… and good.


Cheesecake has had a long and interesting history.
The first cheesecake recipe was made around 230 A.D. by Athenaeus, a Greek writer.
Since then, cheesecake in one form or another has become popular around the world.

The New York cheesecake is a simple mix of cream cheese, cream, eggs and sugar, with or without a sour cream topping, while the Japanese cheesecake is a cross between a sponge cake and a souffle, and tastes more eggy than creamy.

A German cheesecake has a flour crust and quark, a dairy product made from sour milk, while the English make their cheesecakes with a crushed cookie crust and topped with a berry compote or lemon curd.

Every country has created its own special cheesecake… including the Maltese.


Hints:

If you’re in a rush you can use a pre-made crust.

Ricotta is a soft bland cheese.
The texture is like a very well blended, smooth cottage cheese.
Ricotta is easier to work with than cream cheese which, if not fully softened to room temperature before blending, will result in a crumbly instead of a smooth cheesecake.

If you’d like you can add about 1/4 Cup mini-chocolate chips or 1 Tablespoon lemon zest per pie - more or less - to the filling before baking.

The pies do firm up in the refrigerator after they have cooled.
If you want a custard with more heft you can add 1/2 Cup rice to the filling before baking.
It is very traditional and will be more like a rice pudding, which is more filling.
Like I said, Ma wanted to get full value for the time she put into her baking.

The pies can also be topped with fresh fruit or canned pie filling, either blueberry or cherry or apple.
Or you can make the pineapple topping Carmela made for her Ricotta - Pineapple Pie.
This recipe is enough to top one pie:

Saving 1/2 Cup of the syrup, drain well
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in syrup

In a medium saucepan combine
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch  
Stir in
1/2 Cup reserved pineapple syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Cook, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute.
Add
the drained pineapple
Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread the pineapple mixture over the pie.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.


                                                Pat-in Pie Crust

Place in each of two 9-inch pie pan
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar         
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together.

Place in a measuring cup
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons cold milk
Beat together until creamy.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture in one pan and blend well.
Spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.
Set aside.

Make another mixture of oil and milk and add to the flour mixture in the second pan.
Blend well, spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.
Set aside.


                                                Ricotta Pie

Preheat the oven to 325º F

Ricotta Filling

Place in a large bowl
2 pounds ricotta cheese
6 large eggs
Stir together until smooth.
Stir in
1 1/4 Cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour the ricotta filling evenly into both pie pans.
Cover the edges of crust all the way around with foil.
Place pies in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Take the pies from the oven and remove the foil.
Bake an additional 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool completely, then refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream and lemon zest if desired (or see hints).

The Full Worm Moon, Easter, and a Planters' Punch Recipe for the Family

Well, it’s been a bit of an busy time.

A week ago we had Daylight Savings Time.

Sleepy or not, we soldiered on to bake traditional foods to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then St. Joseph’s Feast Day.

Yesterday was both the First Day of Spring and Palm Sunday.

That’s right, Easter is this Sunday.

I know, you haven’t finished setting all the clocks in the house and car ahead an hour.

Too bad.

Easter has to be held on the first Sunday following the first Full Moon of Spring, which is happening this Wednesday.

March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur, and April 25 is the latest.

No real reason, it just was decided to do Easter this way in the Fourth Century.

If you’d like to plan ahead, here are the dates for the next four Easters:

2017    April 16

2018    April 1

2019    April 21

2020    April 12

So, yes, it’s a bit early this year.

Too bad.

If you’re in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, thanks to the Julian calendar, you can ignore all of the above.

You usually have a bit more time.

Don’t gloat.

If you’re not so lucky, you might be hosting the family Easter dinner this Sunday.

I know, it just gets better and better.

I’ve posted a page with links for Easter Recipes.

Also a page that has some of Carmela Soprano’s best family dinner menu items: appetizers, vegetable and pasta courses, main meat courses, and desserts.

Hopefully they’ll help you plan your menu.

You’re welcome.

But, since the family is coming, it might be a good idea to have something on hand to, well, smooth over the rough edges.

Like when everyone's favourite uncle comments on the fact that a certain nephew is still living with his parents.

Back in his day, a man that age was a man…

Yeah, family… gotta love it.

Planters' Punch is a simple cocktail made of dark rum, lemon juice, Grenadine syrup and a dash of Angostura bitters.

So it’s quick and easy to make more of  this punch to keep those glasses filled.

This recipe has been around a while.

The September 1878 issue of the London magazine Fun mentioned it.

The recipe is a classic that everyone will most likely enjoy.

In the 1942 spy thriller Across the Pacific Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor both order a Planter's Punch at a bar in Panama.

The movie's plot was set on the eve of World War II.

If the writer thought a glass or two of Planters' Punch could help Humphrey Bogart get through an oncoming world war, well, who am I to disagree?

Hints:

Some people also add orange juice and pineapple juice.

The glasses can be garnished with a cocktail cherry and a pineapple slice.

                        Planters' Punch

In a large pitcher pour

a fifth of dark rum

1 Cup lemon juice

3/4 Cup Grenadine syrup

1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Stir well.

Pour into tall glasses filled with ice.

Garnish with 

a cocktail cherry and an orange slice

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On March 20 we welcomed spring with the Vernal equinox. This marks the change of seasons where the length of daylight hours begin to win out over the length of nighttime hours.

On March 21 the waxing gibbous Moon is very close to the planet Jupiter, which will be just northwest of the Moon.

On March 23 we’ll have the first Full Moon of Spring. 

See the video on how March's Full Worm Moon got its name.

On March 25, and for the next two weeks, look to the western sky for the Zodiacal light or “false dawn,” in the early evening.

On March 30 the Moon reaches its southernmost point, sometimes referred to as lunar standstills.

Blue Moon, Hawaii Kai and Proms by Margaret Ullrich - Blue Hawaii recipe and Sweet and Sour Mix

A couple of weeks ago I posted the recipe for Piña Colada.

If you liked it, you’re going to love Blue Hawaii.

Blue Hawaii was invented in 1957 by Harry Yee, head bartender of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, Hawaii, when a sales representative of Dutch distiller Bols asked him to design a drink that featured their blue Curaçao liqueur.

Yee is also the father of the  tiki bars such as Trader Vic, and did much to popularize a faux Hawaiian tiki culture, both in Hawaii itself and on the Mainland.

Back in 1967, my classmates and I - and hundreds of other recent grads - rounded out our Senior Prom night by going to Manhattan to have a drink at Hawaii Kai.

That was just the thing to do in the 60s.

The owners saw us coming and slapped a three drink limit on each customer.

They weren't about to face a bunch of angry parents of drunken kids.

But, for one night, we were dressed up as adults, and in a night club.

Ah, the days of wanting to be older and all grown up.

Back to Blue Hawaii…

There had been a 1937 Bing Crosby film called Waikiki Wedding. 

Also there was a 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.

That was inspired by the song written by Leo Robin for Crosby’s movie.

Yes, everything is connected in life.

Because Blue Hawaii is easy and inexpensive to make, it is often served as a punch. 

Basically it is a bottle or two of plain or coconut-flavoured light rum, a bottle of blue Curaçao, a can of pineapple juice, and a bag of ice, mixed together in a punchbowl. 

It’s perfect for summer get togethers.

Because it contains yellow pineapple juice, the Blue Hawaii will look green.

Now you know.

Hints:

You can substitute vodka for all or some of the rum in this recipe.

You can also use a flavoured rum or vodka,or add crème of coconut. 

The pineapple juice can be replaced by an equal amount of Sweet and Sour Mix.

For best results do not use bottled Sweet and Sour Mix.

Make your own with fresh citrus juice and simple syrup. 

In the spirit of Trader Vic, have fun with the glasses when serving this drink.

Dig out the Tiki mugs, hurricane glasses, over-sized cocktail glasses, parfait glasses, coconut halves or carve out a few pineapples.

It’s a fun drink, so have fun.

                        Sweet and Sour Mix

Place in a small saucepan

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup water

Bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Then turn down the heat to low.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

Pour the syrup into a jar that has a cover.

Add

1 Cup lemon juice

Cover and refrigerate.

                        Blue Hawaii

Combine

3/4 ounce light rum

3/4 ounce vodka

1/2 ounce Curaçao (blue colour, if you can find it)

3 ounces pineapple juice, unsweetened 

1 ounce Sweet and Sour Mix

Blend or shake very well.

Pour into a glass with ice.

Garnish with 

a pineapple or orange slice scored and on the rim of the glass

or

use a toothpick or cocktail umbrella to spear a maraschino cherry through the centre and attach it to the top of the fruit slice 

or

float a cherry on top of the ice

About the moon this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On July 31 there will be a Full Blue Moon.  

it’s called that because it is the second of two full Moons in July. 

The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight, and appears full for three days. 

Don’t forget to put out your crystals for recharging!

Piña Coladas and Slurpees by Margaret Ullrich - Piña Colada recipe

If you like Piña Coladas, 

getting caught in the rain

If you're not into yoga, 

if you have half a brain.

If you like making love at midnight 

in the dunes on the cape.

I'm the love that you've looked for,

write to me and escape.

lyrics by Rupert Holmes

Yes, I know that’s a rather odd picture.

Doesn’t look like a beach scene, a Piña Colada, or anything drinkable.

Don’t worry… it’ll all make sense later.

Today is national Piña Colada Day!

So that’s why I’m a bit early with the new moon drink post.

Didn’t want you to miss the fun.

And… speaking of fun…

Tomorrow is Free Slurpee Day here in Canada!

Don’t want you to miss that fun, either.

Drink on, fellow Winnipeggers, and let’s keep owning our Slurpee supremacy!

Long may we endure our Slurpee induced brain freeze headaches!!

Last year Paul and I sat outside our local 7/11 while sucking the slush and freezing what few remaining brain cells we have.

The 7-11 manager walked past us and said 

It tastes better when it’s free, doesn’t it. 

But, of course it would for any Winnipegger!

Back to the piña colada…

It has been the national drink of Puerto Rico since 1978.

The name piña colada means strained pineapple.

I’ve posted the basic recipe.

There are variations, so, if you're out of rum, you don’t have to run out to the store.

Assuming you have coconut milk and pineapple juice on hand.

So yes, maybe you'll have to go shopping.

Aren't you glad I posted this early?

You can use different proportions or different types of rum or other liquors:

Amaretto colada — amaretto substituted for rum

Chi chi - with vodka in place of rum

Lava Flow — strawberry daiquiri and piña colada blended together

Staten Island Ferry — coconut rum and pineapple juice over ice

Looking for something you can drink before driving?

Try virgin piña colada or piñita colada.

That’s coconut milk and pineapple juice without the rum.

So yes, maybe you'll have to go shopping.

About the song…

It’s original title was Escape and Rupert had a few problems with the recording.

Maybe the drummers were sampling a few piña coladas.

                        Piña Colada

Pour into a blender or shaker with crushed ice

3 ounces coconut cream (milk)

6 ounces pineapple juice 

1 1/2 ounces white rum

Blend or shake very well until smooth.

Pour into a chilled glass.

Garnish with 

a pineapple wedge and/or a maraschino cherry

A frozen piña colada would be perfect for the heat wave we’re having.

It will have more of a kick than what you'd find in either a frozen Lemonade or a Raspberry Sorbet.

Definitely not for the kiddies!

About the moon next week (and that odd picture)…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

July 15  – New Moon - nothing to see.  

Be patient.  There’s a treat in store in a couple of days.

July 17 – Look to the west after sunset to see planets Venus (on the left) and Jupiter (on the right this time, different from last month). 

The very tiny waxing crescent Moon will be just above the horizon, and the trio will form a crooked smile, just like the picture!

July 18 – Check out the waxing crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the sky just after sunset – Venus and Jupiter are nearly parallel to each other, with the Moon just skimming Venus to the left.  

And for weather warnings (also thanks to the Farmers Almanac):

July 15 — If on St. Swithin’s Day ye do rain, for forty days it will remain.

July 25 — Puffy white clouds on this day foretells much snow in the coming winter.

July 26 — Rain on St. Anne’s will continue for a month and a week.

Now you know.

Strawberries and Gardening by Margaret Ullrich - Strawberry Daiquiri Recipes - Virgin and Not

We seem to be having one of those summers in Winnipeg.

Frosty nights last week had people grabbing blankets.

Both for themselves and for their gardens.

Oh, well, we’ve had worse.

I’m starting my second month as an official senior.

I now have a Winnipeg Transit senior I.D. card.

A regular adult bus ticket is $2.25.

I can now use the senior fare bus tickets.

They cost a mere $1.13 each.

That’s half price!
Winnipeggers dearly love any and all bargains!

There will be a full moon tomorrow night.

The Algonquin tribes called the June full moon a Full Strawberry Moon.

In Europe people called it the Rose Moon, a Mead Moon and a Thunder Moon.

As this is a food blog, I’ll elaborate on the Strawberry Moon.

Ah… strawberries…

They’re at their best right about now.

For maximum flavour, don’t wash them until you are ready to eat or use them.

They’re great as is, or you could top them with whipped cream.

Or serve them in a Strawberry Daiquiri.

Daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice and sugar.

It is similar to the grog British sailors drank from the 1740s onwards. 

By 1795 the Royal Navy daily grog ration contained rum, water, 3/4 ounce of lemon or lime juice, and 2 ounces of sugar.

Yo ho ho!

The daiquiri was supposedly invented by an American mining engineer, named Jennings Cox, who was in Cuba at the time of the Spanish–American War.
Daiquirí is also the name of a beach and an iron mine near Santiago, Cuba.

The drink was enjoyed by writer Ernest Hemingway and President John F. Kennedy.

It became popular in the 1940s, after wartime rationing had made most strong booze hard to get from Europe.

Because of Roosevelt's Good Neighbour policy it was easier to get rum from Cuba. 

So rum based drinks, once strictly for sailors and down-and-outs, became fashionable.

There are other daiquiri variations:

Daiquiri floridita – with maraschino liqueur

Hemingway daiquiri – or papa doble – two and a half jiggers of white rum, juice of two limes and half a grapefruit, six drops of maraschino liqueur, without sugar

Banana daiquiri - regular daiquiri with a half a banana

Daiquiri Mulata - made with rum and coffee liqueur

Many alcoholic mixed drinks made with finely pulverized ice are called frozen daiquiri.

They come in a wide variety of flavours made with various alcohol or liquors.

Another way to create a frozen fruit-flavoured daiquiri is by using frozen limeade.

Hints:

A bag of frozen sliced strawberries from the freezer section works just as well for the virgin daiquiris.

If you are freezing fresh strawberries:
Clean them by rinsing, removing the green stem, and slicing for 1/4 inch wide pieces. 

Place them on a lined baking sheet, and freeze them for 4 hours, or until frozen solid.

You’ll need 4 Cups of berries for this recipe.

                        Strawberry Daiquiris

Combine in a shaker with ice cubes

9 parts white rum

5 parts lime juice

3 parts strawberry syrup

Shake well. 

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a strawberry

                        Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris

Place in a blender:

1/2 Cup lime juice

1/2 Cup diced pineapple, fresh or canned

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar

Blend these together on high, until the sugar is dissolved. 

Test this by rubbing a bit of the liquid between your fingertips. 

You shouldn’t be able to feel any sugar granules.

Add 

4 Cups frozen strawberries

1 1/2 Cups soda water

Blend the berries by starting on low, and work your way up to high. 

If the mixture is too thick, pour in some soda water until it begins to move.
Once blended, pour the daiquiri into 

4 – 8 oz glasses

Garnish with whipped cream (optional)

Add a straw and serve.

About the moon this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On June 2 there will be a Full Moon. The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered “full” for the entire day of the event, and appears full for three days.

June’s full Moon is called the Strawberry Moon. 

On June 4 the Moon and the planet Pluto will appear very close in the sky.  Also, after the Sun rises, look for a daytime Moon.

About your garden…

If it rains on the feast of St. Medard (June 8), it will rain forty days later; but if it rains on St. Prottis (June I9), it will rain for the next forty days.

Rain on St. Barnabas’ Day (June 11) is good for grapes.

If St. Vitus’s Day (June 15) be rainy weather, it will rain for thirty days together.

If it rains on St. Peter’s Day (June 29), the bakers will have to carry double flour and single water; if dry, they will carry single flour and double water.

Rain on Peter and Paul (June 29) will rot the roots of the rye.

Now you know.

Anna Sultana's White Fruitcake

Four years ago I posted the recipe for 

1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press).

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe 

for Light Fruitcake.

I recently got a request for a white fruitcake recipe that has crushed pineapple.

It’s about time for another fruitcake recipe.

Yes, this recipe has crushed pineapple in it.

Marilyn F., I hope this is the recipe you are looking for.

Not sure if it's too late to make a fruitcake this year?
Check out this post: Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints
Along with the explanations on why fruitcake making is such a hassle here are links for three cakes that could pass for the holidays:

Ma’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake 
Ma’s Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping 
Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake 

Hints:

There’s a light touch of almond flavouring in the cake.

If you'd like a stronger almond flavour, you could increase the amount of almond extract, or you could replace the lemon extract or vanilla with another teaspoon of almond extract.

You could replace the coconut with 8 ounces (250 g) sliced almonds.

Or you could use 4 ounces (125 g) of each.
You could also use just red or green candied cherries, especially if a large tub of either was on sale.

Leave the fruitcake wrapped in the wax paper for storing.  

Remove it just before slicing and serving so it will stay moister.

Why not make both a dark and a white fruitcake?  

Then you could present alternating slices of each on a a festive platter. 

Marilyn mentioned that “her mom loved it (white fruitcake) as it contrasted so well with her dark fruitcake.”

Your guests would love it, too.

After aging this cake can be stored for an indefinite period in the freezer. 

(Maybe next year you could make it in September to get a jump on the season).

                    White Fruitcake

Grease well an 8 inch square cake pan

Line with two layers of wax paper

         

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C)         

Bake 2 3/4 to 3 hours

Drain over a large measuring cup (you want to save the juice)

1 can (19-ounce / 540 mL) crushed pineapple

If necessary, add enough water to make 1/2 cup (125 mL) of liquid.

Mix together in a large bowl

1 1/2 Cups (375 mL) golden raisins 

4 ounces (125 g) chopped mixed peel or citron

8 ounces (250 g) candied red cherries, quartered

8 ounces (250 g) candied green cherries, quartered

1 Cup (250 mL) coconut 

Sprinkle with 

1/2 Cup (125 mL) flour 

Toss until all the fruit is well dusted. 

Sift together in a medium bowl for the flour mixture

2 1/4 Cups (550 mL) flour

2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1 teaspoon (5 mL) nutmeg

In large mixer bowl place

1 Cup (250 mL) butter, room temperature

Cream the butter.

While creaming the butter gradually add

1 1/2 Cups (375 mL) sugar

Mix until light and fluffy.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition

3 large eggs

Then add

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla

1 teaspoon (5 mL) lemon extract

1 teaspoon (5 mL) almond extract

the reserved pineapple and 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Stir well.

Add 1/4 of the flour mixture and stir just until mixed.  

Make 3 more flour mixture additions, stirring just until mixed after each one.

Stir in dusted fruit.

Turn batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. 

Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2 3/4 to 3 hours.

A skewer inserted in centre should come out clean. 

Cool cake in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. 

Turn out onto rack to cool completely. 

Wrap in aluminium foil and store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Anna Sultana’s Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping

Got an email about Ma’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

She doesn’t use pecans normally and asked if there’s another recipe that would use more of the pecans, since they come in a fair-sized bag.

No Problem.

Ma had a recipe for a Pineapple Cake that had a Coconut Pecan Topping.

Pineapple and coconut were popular in the United States in the 1950s.

That was because Hawaii was becoming the 50th State.

So Ma saw this recipe in the newspaper, made it and we enjoyed it.

A good recipe is a good recipe.

Even if it is over 50 years old!

Hints:

As with the coffee cake, if you don’t have pecans then chopped walnuts or almonds also works in the topping recipe.

After pouring the topping over the cake, some folks like to run the cake under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the coconut a bit.

If you do this, keep an eye on it so the coconut browns and doesn't burn.

You can use this coconut topping over a chocolate cake and call it German chocolate.

No, Germany wasn’t planning to become a state!

                        Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350º

Grease a 9×13 inch pan

In a large mixer bowl combine

1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well at medium speed, about 5 minutes.

Scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, stir in

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple

Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes.

The cake’s centre should spring back. 

WHILE THE CAKE IS BAKING:

For the Coconut Topping

In a large pot place

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup butter
5 ounces evaporated milk
1 Cup pecans, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 Cups coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring to a boil.

While stirring, allow to boil for 6 minutes.

While the cake is still warm pour the topping over the cake and spread it evenly with a heatproof spatula.

Carmela Soprano's Ricotta - Pineapple Pie (Cheesecake)

I haven't posted a dessert recipe in quite a while.

Well, what with trying to drop the holiday pounds, it didn't seem like a good idea.

But Valentine's Day is coming up.

And what's a Valentine's Day without a dessert?

Carmela's chapter Feeding my Family in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a nice dessert recipe.

Ricotta - Pineapple Pie.

This recipe comes highly recommended by Carmela:

I once made a ricotta pie with pineapple to give to a local professional woman to do me an important favor… She must have really enjoyed it - she came through so nicely.

Yeah… It was the pie that made the woman come through, MRS. SOPRANO.

Like the local professional was clueless about Carmela's hubby Tony.

Whatever…

It's a good recipe.

Ricotta is a soft bland cheese. 

The texture is like a very well blended, smooth cottage cheese.

So, yes, this is a cheesecake recipe.

I've learned a lot from blogging over the past three years.

One of the first things I learned is to never insult a cheesecake recipe.

That I learned from getting snarky about Carmela's New Jersey Cheesecake.

It's a motherhood type of thing.

Maybe because cheese is made with milk.

Milk… Mothers… 

No, don't insult anyone's cheesecake.

Even if it's not as famous as Lindy's Cheesecake.

Or as much a sentimental favourite as the 1960s Co-op Refrigerator Cheesecake.

If you're in a rush - or prefer cherries to pineapples - you can top the cooled cheesecake with canned cherry pie filling.

Or blueberry… or apple pie filling.

Hey, it's your pie.

Prefer a ricotta cheesecake without fruit?
Try Carmela's Ricotta Cheesecake.

Just pick a cheesecake recipe, cook, serve and enjoy.

And keep your opinions on cheesecake recipes to yourself.

Trust me.

                        Ricotta - Pineapple Pie

Serves 8

Preheat the oven to 350º

Spread over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan (or a springform pan)

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Add

1/4 Cup fine graham wafer crumbs

Shake the pan so the crumbs coat the bottom and sides.

In a large bowl combine

1/2 Cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch 

Add

1 15-ounce container of ricotta

2 large eggs

1/2 Cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes.

The pie should be set around the edges, with a slightly soft center.

Cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

The Topping

Drain well, but save the syrup

1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in syrup

In a medium saucepan combine

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch  

Stir in 

1/2 Cup of the saved pineapple syrup

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cook, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute.

Add 

the drained pineapple

Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread the pineapple mixture over the pie.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Would I make Ricotta - Pineapple Pie again?

Sure.  

I like it better than Carmela's New Jersey Cheesecake.

Oh, Lord… Why did I say that?

One recipe down.  Forty-two more to go. 

Light Fruitcake by Margaret Ullrich

Ah, fruitcake!

The stuff of memories, legends, jokes...

Ah, holiday recipes and the memories they hold...

Even my Pop once made a fruitcake!

Please, give this recipe a look.

I mean, the holiday season is coming.

Company will be at the table, hungry.

You are going to need a dessert or two.

And this recipe can be prepared in advance.

This fruitcake recipe is traditional, but open to suggestions.

And, it is actually good.

How many fruitcake recipes can say that?

About the fruits...

Over the years I've substituted 2 1/2 Cups deluxe fruitcake mix for 

the citron, peel and pineapple part.

No complaints.

And the nuts...

Almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts - mixed or all of one - work well.

One year I used apricot nectar instead of the juice, and that was nice, too.

Another year I substituted raisins for half of the sultanas.

Like I said, this recipe is open to suggestions.

You know your family and guests.

If they prefer more of a particular fruit or nut, go for it.

Happy Holidays!!

                    Light Fruitcake

Grease 2   8 1/2 x 41/2 x 2 3/4" pans

Line with brown paper 

         

Preheat oven to 275º           

Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Mix together in a large bowl

1 Cup diced citron

1/2 Cup diced candied lemon peel

1 Cup candied pineapple (cut in 1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 Cups whole candied cherries

3 Cups (1 pound) sultanas 

2 Cups nuts 

1 Cup flour

Sift together in a medium for the flour mixture

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

Place in a small bowl

1 Cup oil

1 1/2 Cups sugar

4 large eggs

Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or electric mixer 2 minutes.

Stir oil mixture into the flour mixture ALTERNATELY with

1 Cup pineapple or apple juice 

Pour the batter over the floured fruit and mix thoroughly.

Pour the battered fruit into the two prepared pans.

Bake.

After baking, let cakes stand in pans 15 minutes.

Remove the paper-wrapped cakes from the pans and place on a rack.

Let cool completely.

Remove the paper, and wrap in foil.

Store to ripen in a cool, dry place.

Makes 2 3-pound loaves