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Kitteh! So fuzzy...

Hey dudes. I just got back from a family trip to Key Largo, in the mosquito-ridden mangroves (thus explaining my absence). Weather was stifling, itchiness was aplenty, privacy absolutely nonexistent...but there were definitely some lovely moments in the whole peninsula of Florida - Bowman's Beach, with its quiet shelled beaches and gentle waves, manatee sightings, a friendly neighborhood cat, kayaking in the setting sun through the eerie mangrove waterways. The beach towns of Key West were also nice, though a bit of a ways away, as were the shopping centers in Ft. Lauderdale. On that positive note, I'd also like to say that family time this year passed without any major disturbances, just some minor ripples that I'm sure will grow into waves later (when I, fortunately, will be at a farther distance from the source). Overall, the trip was pretty darn okay.

Only one major complaint. You know what city seems to lack all charm? Miami, Florida. Miami sits about 1 hour north of Key Largo, and while it does have beautiful beaches, I'm also fairly certain that the city includes some definition of hell in it nature. I have a friend who lives there, and I'm not quite sure how he does it. All I could think, when I was walking up and down the crowded, steroid-laden streets of South Beach and the Art Deco district, was that Miami is not for the weak of spirit. Not only do you constantly feel like you're walking circuitously around in a cast iron skillet, but the streets are also loud, cantankerous, filled with terrible drivers and loud tourists (cruise ships ahoy!), and overflowing with people holding an inflated sense of overindulgence and superficial beauty. Or maybe that's what fun is and I'm just terribly old and misinformed. Perhaps I was just with the wrong crowd, and would have enjoyed myself more with a little less care, a little more booze, and a lot more money. Oh Miami.

Despite the reprieve of a vacation, I've never been more at peace than when setting my rear down on the plane back to Baltimore. I love returning to this grimy little city. I know I'm home the minute my foot hits that pavement. All past sins are forgotten the minute I begin to miss Baltimore. It makes little sense. I wonder if it's because this city holds the ones with whom I am irrevocably connected (that's probably it). Whatever the reason, I'm hesitant to leave it, against my better judgment. I know time's a ticking and that there are plenty of other cities in which I should live that don't have half as much of the unattractive problems plaguing Baltimore, but this is where my feet feel grounded. On this messed-up pavement. Baltimore wears on the soul excessively, drawing at one's patience reserves with a greediness that knows no bounds, yet at the same time manages to maintain its charms and eccentricities. It sounds parasitic, I know, but maybe that's what it is  about this city - it eats away at you until you feel like you can't live anywhere else. I can't help loving it.

On that weird note, I decided to flavor this post with a little bit of influx from Florida, a little bit of Key West in Baltimore. Who knows, maybe that's what Charm City needs, influx and turnover. 

I know Key limes are from the Key West, but they do pop up in supermarkets up North occasionally so keep an eye out for those familiar little nuggets. For those of you who haven't had Key limes, let me tell you, they are super tart. I waited until they were golden in color before I squeezed them, in hopes of bringing out some natural sweetness, but to no avail. Tres tart. Also super small. It takes 2-3 Key limes to get just a tablespoon of juice, and that's only if you have a good juicer. None of these are bad things, but I do think they are more difficult to work with than regular limes. It's my first time working with these little suckers and they didn't leave me with a good impression, maybe because I had a cut on my hand and that was certainly hellish at times. I mean, I love lemons and regular limes, but in regards to Key limes, I really don't see what the fuss is all about. I had a bit of Key lime cheesecake when I was down in Florida and there was definitely some intense face crinkling going on. Still though, when you have a huge bag of key limes, you got to do something with them. Damn my curiosity!

I should have gone with Key Lime Pie - it looks like there's a ton of sweetened condensed milk in it and a sugar laden meringue top, which would certainly tone down the tartness of the limes. Meringue seemed time consuming though, so I went with a cheesecake with a Key lime curd. This curd is pretty sweet, which helps to tone down the tartness of the overall cake, and there's certainly more sugar than I usually use in the cheesecake filling. So for those of you who want something tangy but not overwhelming, you're in luck. I present, Key lime cheesecake.  

Key Lime Cheesecake

1 8-inch cheesecake

curd

3/4 C sugar

3 large egg yolks

3 TB Key lime juice

2 teaspoons grated Key lime zest

crust 

8 oz cinnamon graham crackers

8 TB of salted butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

filling 

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 C granulated sugar

3 TB flour

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 C Greek yogurt

1/4 C heavy cream

3-4 TB lime juice (~6-7 Key limes)

Prepare the curd. Mix all ingredients, except the zest, into a small sauce pot. Heat on med-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and picks up the marks of the whisk. Turn off heat and strain. Stir in lime zest. Place in the refrigerator, with a piece of plastic wrap pressed to it to prevent any thick skin from forming, and chill until ready to use.

Prepare the crust. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into a crumbly mixture. Mix the crumbs into the melted butter until all the crumbs are saturated, then press the graham cracker mixture into an 8-inch spring-form pan. All sides of the pan should be evenly coated and the crust should be high, all the way up to the top. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan, tightly to prevent water from getting in when baking later. Place this crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and flour and mixture is fluffy and smooth. Then mix in the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the sides, on a lower speed or by hand - at this stage, it's all right if the mixture is a bit lumpy. Add in the Key lime juice. Finally, fold in the yogurt and cream, and be careful not to over-mix at this point. Remove the crust from the fridge and pour the filling into the crust.

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 375 and continue baking for 1 hour or more, or until the middle of the cheesecake has puffed up. It will still jiggle, but there should be not deep well in the middle when you remove it from the oven (aka that means it is under-baked). Cool overnight, then serve with the Key Lime curd.