A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

April 2008, hosted by Kimberly

The menu for the evening was:
Cheese, Onion and Bread Souffle
Grilled bbq chicken
Green salad with shredded carrots
Dark chocolate cheesecake with whipped cream and raspberries
Decaf coffee

The souffle, made with stale bread, and the coffee were inspired by the book. "The Nolans practically lived on that stale bread and what amazing things Katie could make from it!..." The cheesecake was a nod to the novel's setting of Brooklyn, New York.

Cheese, Onion, and Bread Souffle
(Recipe from Real Simple Magazine)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 tbsp butter, plus more for the dish 10 slices (approx 10 oz) stale soft white or sourdough bread, crusts removed and torn into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups hot milk
1 small onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
4 eggs separated
7 oz swiss cheese grated
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2 to 2-1/2 quart souffle or baking dish and set aside. Place the bread in a shallow bowl and pour milk over it. Set aside until liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, melt the 2 tbsp of butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash the bread with your hands or a spoon and stir in the onions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Pour the mixture over the bread, stirring until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the bread mixture in 3 additions. Transfer to the baking dish and bake in oven until golden and firm, 45 to 50 minutes.


Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
(Recipe from epicurious.com)
Yield: 12 servings

Crust
24 chocolate wafer cookies (from 9 oz pkg)
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling
1 9.7-oz bar high quality 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
4 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs

Topping
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz high quality 70% Cocoa bittersweet chocolate
1 tbsp sugar

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch diameter springform pan with 3" high sides. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground (or crush in ziploc bag with a rolling pin as I had to do). Blend in sugar. Add melted butter and process until well blended. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until just set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For Filling:
Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hr. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight.

For Topping:
Stir cream, 6 oz chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hr.

Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving. I added raspberries and whipped cream to balance out the richness of the chocolate a little bit.