Culture Magazine

12 culturecheesemag.com ENTERTAINING 202 3 CHEESE BITES W hile both Dunkin' and Starbucks start pushing pumpkin latte season as early as late August, the right time in most parts of the United States—botanically speaking—to buy the gorgeous orange gourds fresh from the farm starts in late September and stretches into late November. For culinary purposes, pass on the jack-o'lantern varieties and reach for sugar pie or baking pumpkins with names such as Baby Bear, Early Sweet Sugar Pie, and Orange Smoothie, as they are smaller with much sweeter flesh. To prepare a homemade pumpkin puree consistent with canned pumpkin (over 80 percent of which is produced in Illinois from a cultivar called Libby's Select Dickinson Pumpkins), cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast it cut sides down on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven until it's fork tender, which will take between 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the fruit. Cool the baked pumpkin to room temperature, scoop out the flesh, and whizz it in a food processor until very, very smooth. Depending on both the variety of the pumpkin and how much rain fell while it was growing, you may want to strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth for about 30 minutes. The amount of puree a pumpkin yields will vary based on the overall water content of the fruit. But as a rule of thumb, a 3-pound pumpkin will give you enough puree for a recipe that calls for a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree. If your gourd is bigger than that, freeze the remaining puree in an air- tight container for up to three months and thaw for use without any change in texture. c No-Knead Pumpkin Focaccia recipe on p. 55. WHEYS Less TRAVELED A Cheesecake That's Anything But Sweet A LOST CHEESE FINDS A NEW HOME AND A GENERATION OF FANS written by Jenn Rice I n San Sebastián, Spain, Basque cheesecake rules in the dessert department. The coveted confection is a result of Chef Santiago Rivera's experiments with cakes in 1990 at the city's famous cafe, La Viña. By trial and error, Rivera developed a Basque cheesecake recipe and the dish exploded internationally. Basque cheesecake is not smooth or dense like regular cheesecake, but instead, scorched and caramelized on top with a rich and gooey interior texture. There's a version so unique that it will stop you in your tracks: the cheesecake at Fismuler—an acclaimed restaurant in Madrid, opened by El Bulli restaurant alums, with a second location in Barcelona. Think: light and custardy, anything but sweet; a collision of Basque-style cheesecake and Spanish cheeses in a pleasantly textured cake. At first glance it tricks your senses into thinking it may be sweet, but blue cheese plays a crucial role, making it a creamy, salty delight. The inspiration behind Fismuler cheesecake comes from the Basque restaurant Zuberoa (now closed), where chef and restaurateur Nino Redruello worked for some time—and where he created one of the most unique cheesecakes in Spain. Redruello, who opened Fismuler in Madrid in 2016, wanted to create something unexpected: A cake that catered to cheese lovers that wasn't too sweet but mighty in flavor. He achieved this by using a variety of cheeses: cream cheese, blue cheese, and Idiazábal cheese. The result is a cheesecake with an intensely salty flavor; the smoky Idiazábal complements the spicy pungent blue cheese, and cream cheese binds it all together for a creamy and satisfying texture. The Fismuler cheesecake can now be found at all of the Familia La Ancha restaurants, including the Omar, inside the Thompson Madrid hotel, where I first discovered it by way of smell while walking past the kitchen to our dinner table. Some might call it potent at first bite, and with a fluid texture, it's anything but what you'd expect—visual proof that looks can be deceiving. If you love cheese as much as I do, you won't soon forget its appeal. It's creamy and custardy on the outside with a buttery crust, but the inside oozes like melted raclette—it's everything a cheese fanatic could dream of. c Fismuler Cheesecake recipe on p. 54 Pumpkin Palooza EMBRACE AUTUMN BY PAIRING CHEESE WITH THE SEASON'S NOTORIOUS GOURD written by Christine Burns Rudalevige In SEASON PHOTO: Fismuler Cheesecake: La Ancha; Pumpkins: baibaz_ Adobe Stock; No Knead Pumpkin Focaccia: Christine Burns Rudalevige

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