July 30 is National Cheesecake Day, a day to treat yourself with a slice (or two) of this decadent dessert made of cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and a graham cracker crust.

Believed to have originated in ancient Greece, cheesecakes, whether baked or chilled, have become a restaurant and bakery staple around the world. There are many different regional variations of the cake. For example, the Germans use Quark and a freshly made pastry as the base for their version of the cake. In Brazil, on the other hand, cheesecake is served with a thin layer of guava jelly or marmalade.

What To Do?

• With a big slice of cheesecake of course! Add some fruits to it, and you can claim that it is healthy!
• Bake a cheesecake at home and add new twists to the traditional recipe. Here are some ideas: replace the graham cracker crust by chocolate cookie crust, add bacon to the crust for a salty and smoky flavor, or replace the cream cheese with ricotta or goat cheese.
• Make a savory version of the cake for dinner and a sweet version for dessert.
• In honor of National Cheesecake Day, many restaurants and bakeries have cheesecake specials on their menus. Take your family and friends out to try out one of these specials.

FYI…

…that a turophile is someone who loves and fancies cheese?