Subject: Re: Want to know history of cheesecake

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 1993 22:34:38 EST

In article <[email-masked]>
[email-masked] () writes:
>
>I would like to find out about the history/origins, etc. of 
>cheesecake.

Of course the definition of cake - which we often associate with dessert - may
make this a purely semantic exercise. However, in a discussion of the use of
cheese in 16th century France (Savouring the Past, Wheaton, University of
Pennsylvania Press) there is the following quoation from another work:
We also have soft new cheeses which are served with coarse salt. Little cream cheeses, eaten with cream and sugar;..."However this would appear to be more of a sweet.
Larousse Gastronomique defines a cake as being "made from a somewhat limited
number of basic doughs" and then lists eight in the French confectionary list.
"In France, from the earliest times, a large number of provices have produced
pastries peculiar to themselves. Thus in Artois were made the gateaux razis,
and in Bourbonnais the ancient "tartes de fromage broye" (crushed or ground
cheese pies). Hope this is helpful. If nothing else you have theamakings of an
excellent Dave Barry column here. - Barry LAzar

---

From: [email-masked] (Pat Churchill)
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1993 00:58:51 GMT

> excellent Dave Barry column here. - Barry LAzar

I wonder if cheesecake had it's origins in pascha?
-- 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
            The floggings will continue until morale improves              
    [email-masked]  Pat Churchill, Wellington New Zealand     
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

---

From: [email-masked] (Jane Beckman)
Date: 9 Jun 93 01:21:08 GMT

>I would like to find out about the history/origins, etc. of 
I seem to recall encountering a few recipes for medieval
cheesecake, so we can assume it goes well back in history.  I've
actually *made* Anne Bolynn's recipe for cheesecake (yes, it is
preserved in a collection of royal documents in England), and can
attest that it's not too different from the more "cake-y" versions
of cheesecake (the baked variety), though it's heavy on almond
flour, which gives it a nice redolence of almonds.  

The "no bake" variety seems to date from the 1930's, though.

--
  Jilara   [[email-masked]]

"Every now and then, a big rock falls out of the sky, and everyone has 
a *very bad* day."  --from the PBS "Dinosaurs" special.