This is a chapter from my fourth book called When hunger yearns
It's three in the morning and all through the house is quiet and not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. I bet a mouse's favorite dessert is cheesecake and so is mine. So it's in the wee hours of the morning and I am thinking about cheesecake and specifically who makes the best cheesecake? I suspect it would be some recipe handed down from generation to generation. Probably someone's grandma from the town where cheesecake originated from. I read that even though we may think that cheesecake originated in New York that it actually goes further back to over four thousand years on the Greek island of Samos. The Greeks there created the earliest known cheesecake. No wonder I think that the cafe in my village that sells Samosas makes the best cheesecake. Is there a connection between Samos in Greece and Samosas? There is not much written about this on the internet but I did find one blog post that tried to make the connection.
The fascinating thing to me is that Samos is known for being the birthplace of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. Did Pythagorus come up with pythagoras theorem while admiring the triangular beauty of a Samosa? Have I triangulated a theory? That would be wild if only it was true. By the way, yesterday was Pi day. Is cheesecake a pie? Because then I should have ordered a fancy Japanese cheesecake from the bakery on the outskirts of my village. I tried it once and it was most delicious. So maybe to answer my question, the Japanese make the best cheesecake. Did you know that Japanese cheesecake is often steamed instead of baked? Me neither. Also, some say cheesecake is a hybrid between a cake and a pie, while others say it's neither. Maybe it is a pie in the sky or rather a pie from the sky. A treat from heaven above.
A cheesecake variety that has fascinated me but I have not tried as yet is the Basque cheesecake. I suggest you pause and Google this and admire a most beautiful looking cheesecake. To me it is the cream cheese de la cream cheese of cheese cakes. This is what "bask in the glory" would look like if it was a cheesecake. It is baked without a crust and has a golden caramelized top and originates in San Sebastian, Spain. Because it is left a little longer in the oven the top appears burnt and the inside is goey. One fancy food blog describes it as having bittersweet notes. Who knew cheesecake was like perfume and had notes? I bet you someone has invented a cheesecake scented perfume. Off to Googleland I go. Yes. Cheesecake perfume exists. They say you are what you eat. Perfect, now you can smell like what you eat. Back to the question though. There is no Basque cheesecake in Trinidad, I do not think. Just like they say the best camera is the camera you have (smile and say cheese), maybe the best cheesecake is the cheesecake you make yourself or you could get your mom to make it. I challenge myself to make a Basque cheesecake one day. I would like to end on a high note. With some wisdom. They say do not put all your eggs in one basket. I would like to say, do not put all your eggs in one Basque cheesecake. Make multiple cheesecakes so you have enough for later and the next day and you can share with the neighbours too.
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Nasif