Shouldn't You Just...?

String festive holiday lights all about the place?

Modern advice on etiquette for the not-so-new-millennium.

Coconut-Sweet Potato Cheesecake

I nabbed this recipe from epicurious.com and it was a big hit a few Thanksgivings ago. It really is fabulous. I decided to make it again this year and as several friends asked for the recipe, I thought I'd share it here on Evenings With Peter. It's separated into three parts--the sweet potato mixture, the crumb coating, and the filling. It's a little time intensive but I think you'll agree it's worth the effort. Do enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Coconut-Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2004
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients
Sweet potatoes
4 cups 1/3-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
1 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Crumb coating:
Powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 15-ounce can sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Additional sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preparation
For sweet potatoes:
Combine first 13 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until potatoes are very tender and most of liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor; puree until smooth. Whisk egg and cream in medium bowl to blend. Add 2 1/3 cups sweet potato puree and whisk to blend well. Cover and chill sweet potato mixture until cold.

For crumb coating:
Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch-high sides; dust with powdered sugar. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom and up sides of pan (coating will be thin). Chill 30 minutes. (Sweet potato mixture and crumb coating can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; chill separately.)

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add cream of coconut, lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Fold in 1 cup flaked coconut and sweet potato mixture. Pour filling into prepared pan. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet and bake cake until filling is just set in center, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer cheesecake directly to refrigerator and chill uncovered overnight (center may sink). (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) Run small knife between cake and pan sides to loosen cake; remove sides. Place cake on platter. Sprinkle toasted unsweetened coconut over top edge of cheesecake. Serve chilled.

*Available in the liquor section of most supermarkets.

Peanut Butter & Candied Bacon Ice Cream!

A friend recently told me the reason why her marriage has lasted for so long is because her husband never questions her. Don't question me on this. Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Candied Bacon. Serve it with small glasses of blueberry port as we did for our guests, like a deconstructed PBB&J sandwich. That's all you need to know. And do enjoy!

Baby's Cranberry Compote

Baby's been making this combination of dried fruits and juices for years. This year we also added a good throttle of blueberry port! It's a perfect complement for turkey and any leftover compote you have may be served on top of ice cream for dessert.

Baby's Cranberry Compote
Serves 12 generously

Ingredients
12 oz dried cranberries
4 oz each dried sour cherries, dried currants, golden raisins
1 vanilla bean, split
Zest and juice of one lemon
Zest and juice of one orange
4 whole cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly grated cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground grains of paradise
1 tsp real vanilla extract
Pomegranate juice (any Pom Wonderful variety will do) and orange juice

Method
Combine first 12 ingredients in 4-quart Dutch oven. Add the pomegranate and orange juices to cover. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Let simmer 3 minutes and then cover. Turn off flame and let sit for 4 hours to cool. Place in refrigerator overnight.

A Friend Writes...

Just in time for Thanksgiving!

"This is a really simple recipe and it's quick and still tasty."

Pumpkin Chiffon
Ingredients
3.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 box of crackers equals 4 cups of crumbs)
½ cup sugar
1 cup melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 3-ounce packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cups canned pumpkin
Cinnamon to taste
Large container whipped topping

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch dish. Press over bottom. Beat cream cheese, eggs and ¾ cup sugar in bowl until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool. Combine milk with pudding mix in bowl. Beat for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and cinnamon. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread over cooled cream cheese layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding mixture. Chill until serving time. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

Peanut Butter Beer Chicken

I don't know about you, but peanut butter, beer, and chicken are certainly three of my favorite things. Here they are gloriously combined in one delicious dish!

Thanks to Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor cookbook, for sharing with me here on Evenings With Peter!

Peanut Butter Beer Chicken
Adapted from tonionny.com

INGREDIENTS
½ eggplant, cubed
4 T olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 T crushed red pepper flakes
1 pt Stout (Guinness Beer)
2 T brown sugar
¼ c peanut butter
2 oz cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS: Coat eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Sear chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until golden brown. Remove. Saute garlic and onion for 3 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, red pepper, beer, brown sugar and peanut butter. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, eggplant and cilantro.

PAIRING: Stout, Ireland

Chad Carns author of The Gourmet Bachelor: Global Flavor, Local Ingredients cookbook invites you into his Greenwich Village kitchen every Friday night to show you how easy it is to cook gourmet! Chad picks up a few fresh, local ingredients from his Bleecker Street markets and shows you how to prepare a quick and easy gourmet dinner paired with wine for your next Friday night date. Stop by every Friday for a new Date Night Recipe!

Shouldn't You Just...?

Set a proper table with as much room and resources as you have?

Modern advice on etiquette for the not-so-new millennium