A spicy cheesecake for a white Christmas with friends....

~ Spicy Kabocha Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust ~


This recipe is an extention to a previous article on Kabocha.
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."


Crust:
1 3/4 cups ginger snap crust
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup roasted Kabocha, pureed
4 eggs
~2/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the roasted Kabocha
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
2. In medium bowl, combine crumbs and melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch cake pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, yogourt, sugar and the spices. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and bake in a waterbath for 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Bon Appetit!

Let's Give the American Classic with an Asian Kick....The Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha!

Recipe: Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha


This article is an extension to a previous post on Kabocha:
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."

Since most of us have our favourite recipe for this American Classic, I will not insert a recipe here.

~ Roasted Kabocha ~


1 (~ 2lb) Kabocha
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 tbs Unsalted Butter
4 tbs Brown Sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice


1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF
2. Split the Kabocha in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon
3. Place 1 tbs of butter in each of the halfs, sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice
4. Place 1 cinnamon stick in each half and bake for 1 hour
5. "Base" the Kabocha with the melted butter and sugar in its cavity, then bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden


~ Pecan Pie with Kabocha ~

1. Follow your favourite recipe for Pecan Pie, first prepare the crust
2. Slice the roasted Kabocha thinly and evenly spread the slices at the bottom of the crust in one single layer
3. Pour the filling over the Kabocha and decorate it with pecan halfs


4. Bake the Pecan Pie according to the time indicated in your recipe, plus 3-5 minutes



Bon Appetit!

Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin....

Sugar pumpkins....mm mmmm....often the choice for the luscious yet velvety pie to celebrate the season filled with foliage, and thankful wishes. While roaming the farmer's market that spanned the 3 square blocks of Union Square in NYC, bombarded by stands with farmers proudly displayed various species of squash and pumpkin, I could not pass on this opportunity to conduct experiments with this knobbly-looking one....the Kabocha!


Kabocha is a Japanese variety of winter squash that is commonly known as the Japanese pumpkin. Today many of the kabocha in the market are of the type called Kuri kabocha, which was created based on Seiyo kabocha (buttercup squash). It's popular for its intense yet sweet flavour and moist, fluffy texture, which is similar to its perfect partner, the chestnut.

Kabocha is firm one shaped like a squatty pumpkin, and has a dull finished deep green skin with some celadon-to-white stripes that wraps the an intense yellow-orange flesh within, which often reminds me of sunflowers gazing the setting sun in Italy.


With its amiable flesh comes the explosive package of nutrients; Kabocha is high in carotene and could provide protective effects against vision loss, heart disease, and cancer. It is also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins C & E and iron, with smaller traces of calcium, folic acid, and minute amounts of B vitamins.

When kabocha is just harvested, it is still growing. Therefore, unlike other vegetables and fruits, freshness is not as important. It should be fully matured first, in order to become flavorful. First, kabocha is ripened in a warm place (77°F) for 13 days, during which some of the starch converts to carbohydrate content. Then it is transferred to a cool place (50°F) and stored for about a month in order to increase its carbohydrate content. In this way the just-harvested, dry, bland-tasting kabocha is transformed into smooth, sweet kabocha. Fully ripened, succulent kabocha will have reddish-yellow flesh and a hard skin with a dry, corky stem. It reaches the peak of ripeness about 1.5–3 months after it is harvested.


With this golden gem roasting in the oven, the experiments begin....