The Cakes  

The Inspiration

I've been making these cheesecakes for decades, not so much with the various toppings but the crust and filling have always been at my heart. My Mom and Dad made everything from scratch and all us siblings would watch and pitch in. I guess this is where the love of cooking all started for me.   I chose ingredients that I really enjoy the most such as ginger snap cookies, pecans, cashews and coconuts... all for the crust alone! I like having the crust being on the same playing field as the cake itself; it's delicious on its own. When I made my very first cakes, I was just a teenager and impatient so I didn't really follow the recipe like I should have. The result, believe it or not, was really good and I knew I was onto something. Over time, I experimented with the process and came up with what I thought is my ideal cheesecake. I didn't want something that is traditional to the letter; I enjoy rustic qualities in my cuisine. My cakes look elegant and refined but they're really not. For instance, if a trained baker or chef saw me making my cakes they would probably yell at me and tell me that is not how you make a cheesecake. I don't follow the rules so well. I enjoy the light airy texture of my cheesecakes, as opposed to the more dense and creamy ones we are all so used to. My cakes have air. I'm not knocking the traditional kind at all. In fact, they are fantastic! They're just not a wattle and daub cheesecake. When baking my cakes, I want all my senses to share the experience, and I want to share that experience with you. The flavors, colors, textures and tastes of the ingredients combined together makes these cheesecakes extraordinary. The only thing that inspires me more is when a client first see's the cake... their expression is priceless and further proves to me that I can make my advocation my vocation. Enjoy!