Summer Berry Cheesecake

Local berries of all types are in everywhere, and are at their peak - the perfect inspiration for topping my classic New York Style Cheesecake. So I suggest you run out to your local farm stand and get them while they are there! 

TIP: 

• Bake it blonde, with no color. Put a small piece of foil loosely on the top of the cheesecake an hour into baking to keep the cheesecake from coloring on top.

New York Style CheeseCake

Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 12-16 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle Magazine

To prepare the crumb bottom:

1-1/2 cups *vanilla wafers, grind into crumbs, or good cake crumbs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Line bottom and sides of a 10 inch tart pan, or 9 inch spring form baking pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper can overlap sides to make removal of cheesecake easier after baking. Place cookies in food processor; process until fine crumbs form. In a bowl mix cookie crumbs, melted butter and press onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate ten minutes.

2 pounds, 4-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Turbino (natural sugar in the raw) sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 whole eggs, beaten and at room temperature

3 yolks, add to whole eggs

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

To prepare cheesecake:

Preheat oven to oven to 400°F.

At medium speed with an electric mixer cream the cream cheese until smooth. Mix cornstarch with sugar and add to cream cheese. Reduce the mixer speed to low until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, mix just until blended. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream in two stages, stopping mixer and scrape bowl after each addition. Pour cheesecake filling over crumb bottom.

Bake 10 minutes at  400°F.; lower temperature to 225°F and continue baking 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until center is set. 

Cool 1 hour, un-mold cheesecake carefully from baking pan, refrigerate 2 hours. 

Add a Topping:

2 cups fresh mixed berries

1/4 cup raspberry jam, warm

Just before serving, arrange berries on top of cake. Warm jam in a microwave safe container for a few seconds, to slightly melted. Drizzle jam on top of berries and serve. 

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Know Your Fire Fridays: Ancient Grilling

One of the oldest cooking techniques in existence, the art of grilling meat on a skewer was derived from medieval Turkish soldiers who used their swords to cook meat over open fires. An Adana kebabi from the south of Turkey is a savory mixture of minced lamb, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, dried oregano and mint. The meat is shaped into a long cylindrical shape like a long hot dog or sausage, then pierced onto a long metal skewer and grilled in one piece. It is served removed from the skewer and cut up.

Adana is named after the 5th largest city in Turkey, Adana. There are very strict guidelines and inspections that must be passed by The Adana Chamber of Commerce in order to be an authentic Adana kebabi vendor.

Adana kebabi has to be made from the meat of a male lamb. The skewered meat, must be roasted on fireless, charcoal embers exclusively from oak wood. The skewers are frequently turned during grilling using caution so the melting fat is not dripped on the embers causing a flair up. The Adana is served on flat bread by pressing the meat off the skewers after cooking; when wrapped and served in a flat bread, it's called a Dürüm. Authentic accompaniments served with adana include; charred tomatoes, green or red peppers, onions and parsley seasoned with sumac or lemon pepper seasoning, and warm hummus.

Adana or Kiyma Kebabi

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 pound ground lamb or ground beef 

1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper

1/2 teaspoon each; ground cumin, dried oregano

1 Tablespoon each: fresh parsley and fresh mint

1 egg white

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch Sea salt

Olive oil

2 fresh lemons, quartered

Fresh Mint 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt, optional. Or, serve with Tzatziki Sauce

Mix the meat with the cayenne, cumin, oregano, parsley, mint, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add the egg white and continue to combine until the mixture is well blended.

Grease skewers with cooking spray or oil. If possible, use long, flat metal skewers. Divide the meat mixture into 2-4 (depending on the length of skewer), 2 inch wide thick sausage shapes. Push the skewer through the middle, lengthwise, and squeeze the mixture up and down the skewer, spreading it evenly. Repeat with the other skewer. 

Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. This will help the meat hold together. When ready to grill, brush the outside of meat with olive oil.

Preheat the grill to high. 

Place skewers on very hot grill. Grill 5 minutes, turning frequently, or until cooked through. Serve immediately with sides of yogurt, fresh lemon, fresh chopped mint, and an onion & parsley salad.

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Dessert Grilled

I don’t have a sweet tooth and unlike most people I can pass on chocolate. However, growing up, it would not be summer without my mom whipping-up a bunch of banana boats, my favorite summer sweet treat. It's one of those summer dessert traditions I look forward to every year. I know your whole family will love them. And, so much so I included Banana Boats in my first cookbook!

Tips: Use large yellow bananas with the barest green tips. Avoid using bananas that are too ripe. For true decadence, top the bananas with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and some chopped pecans before serving.

Grilled Banana Boats

Makes 6 adults servings, or 3 child servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

6 bananas

Three 1-ounce good quality chocolate bars; milk chocolate, dark chocolate, broken into small pieces, or 6 Tablespoons chocolate chips

2 cups mini-marshmallows

six 12 inch squares aluminum foil

Preheat a gas grill, or use a hot-charcoal grill; after cooking your main food item.

Split bananas down the inner sides, but do not remove the peels. Spread the peels apart and evenly place the chocolate pieces and marshmallows between the bananas and the peels. Bring the edges of the peels together as closely as possible and wrap each banana in aluminum foil.

Grill the bananas for 4-5 minutes; turn them and move them to the cooler edge of the grill for 4 to 5 minutes.

Serve and eat immediately.

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5 SPICE New York Strip Rubbed Steak

Grilling a good steak is easy, grilling a good steak with stellar results requires a couple of simple steps. My signature rub will enhance virtually any meat. Here it's used to great effect on strip steaks, but is equally good on rib eye, porterhouse, and sirloin. 

5 SPICE New York Strip Rubbed Steak

Makes 4 to 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle  

1 Tablespoon each: sweet paprika, powdered garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper

2 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar ("sugar in the raw")

2 (32—36 ounce) boneless New York strip steaks, cut 2-inch thick

Olive oil

2 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced

Black pepper, to taste

Pinch sea salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into 4 pieces 

Combine spices, herbs, pepper and sugar. Rub all over steaks and refrigerate for one hour to overnight.

Remove rubbed steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, pepper and salt. 

Preheat grill to high. 

When it's hot, place steaks on grill and top each one with a piece of rosemary. After 2 minutes lift the steaks, using tongs or steak spatula, and rotate them 45 degrees to make crosshatch marks. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove but do not discard rosemary, turn the steaks over and move them to the cooler edges of the grill, or lower the heat to medium. Replace rosemary sprigs, and continue cooking until the meat is done. (An instant-read thermometer will read 125 for rare, 130 for medium-rare, 140 for medium.) Avoid turning the steaks over several times.

Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and olive oil before serving. 

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Sour Cream Apple Pancakes

A great idea to surprise DAD this Fathers Day with Sour Cream Apple Pancakes!

So enjoyed my time with Msgr. Jim, host of Telecare's Real Food chatting up my features from GHL and all my creative friends! Enjoy my apple pancake recipe inspired from fresh picking..

Msgr Jim Vlaun, George Hirsch on GHL set for Telecare's Real Food, image Alex Goetzfried

Breakfast? Brunch? Easy Dinner? or Dessert? ans. all 4

Pancakes are one of the earliest forms of bread and are served up geographically in different ways. Be all traditional with baking powder, or try prospecting with sourdough pancakes like the early pioneers. Flip ‘em with oatmeal or buckwheat when in Vermont; or for a Dutch Style treat serve with lemon, powdered sugar and jam.

from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series, apple picking Halsey Farm

Sour Cream Apple Pancakes 

Makes eight pancakes | chefgeorgehirsch.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon pure cane sugar

3/4 cup milk, variable

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

*1 cup mixed sour sweet apples, peeled cored, and chopped

Additional butter to grease griddle

In a large bowl, mix together well with a whisk all dry ingredients the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients the sour cream milk, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Yes, use two bowls so the dry and wet ingredients blend better when combined. Add the wet to the dry and just strip with a large spoon or spatula until the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet. There may still be a few lumps, hats OK. Do not over mix, or pancakes will become tough.

Pre heat a non stick pan or lightly grease a griddle over medium high heat at 375 degrees F. Test the temperature by dropping a drop of water on surface of pan. Water will dance across the surface when at the correct temperature. You can test one cake before proceeding.

Check consistency of batter with a sample test pancake, if too think adjust with a few drops of milk. Pour one 1/4 cup scoop of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Add apples at this time. You will begin to see bubbles form on the top side when brown on bottom, flip and brown on second side. Serve hot with syrup or favorite topping eaten immediately right off the griddle.

Finish off your stack with honey, molasses, can syrup, Nutella, or Maple Syrup.  Top with toasted nuts and powder sugar. If serving apple pancakes for dessert sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon sugar on top of sliced apples prior to flipping. 

Note: After peeling apples maybe chopped or sliced thin depending on your own preference and taste. Chopped apples can be added to the batter or placed on top of raw side of pancake while on the griddle. Sliced apples should nay be arranged on raw side of pancake while on griddle before flipping. And If making batter ahead the night before, add apples just before cooking. 

Tip: When using double acting baking powder (the most common available today) prepare my batter the night before, cover bowl and refrigerate. This not only saves time but more importantly allows the gluten to relax from mixing the batter, which makes for a more tender pancake. When you are ready to cook pancakes just gently stir the batter, do not mix too much or they will be tough. 

Test Your Baking PowderHow old is your baking powder? 

Replace baking powder every 6-12 months after opening. The exact amount of time is determined by how much moisture gets into your container of baking powder. Do you immediately recover the cap; as you should, or do you leave the top off and cover it later when cleaning up? Store in a cool dry place. 

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