Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) graham crumbs

3 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine

1-1/2 lb (750 g) cream cheese, softened

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

3 eggs

4 tsp. (20 mL) grated lemon rind

4 Tbsp. (60 mL) lemon juice

2 cups (500 mL) any kind of fresh or frozen berry


Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
  • Combine crumbs, sugar and butter and press into a 9 inches (23 cm) spring form pan.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Using an electric mixer or a food processor, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, until just blended.
  • Add lemon rind and juice and mix well.
  • Pour over crust.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the center is almost set.
  • Remove from the oven and run a knife around the rim of the pan.
  • Cool at room temperature.
  • Slice and refrigerate or freeze.
  • Put fresh or frozen berries into a mixing bowl or a food processor and process until pureed.
  • Just before serving, spoon berry sauce on cheesecake and decorate with fresh berries.
Makes 16 servings.

Real Cooking
Did You Know?
Of the various components that are found in the human body, water occurs in the largest quantity. As a food substance, it is an extremely important feature of a person's diet. Its chief purpose is to replenish the liquids of the body and to assist in the digestion of food.

Although nature provides considerable amounts of water in most foods, large quantities must be taken in the diet as a beverage. In fact, it is the need of the body for water that has led to the development of numerous beverages. Besides being necessary in building up the body and keeping it in a healthy condition, water has a special function to perform in food preparation and cooking.

Ranking next to water in the quantity contained in the human body is mineral matter. This constituent, which is also called ash or mineral salts, forms the main part of the body's framework, or skeleton.

In the building and maintaining of the body, mineral salts serve three purposes--to give rigidity and permanence to the skeleton, to form an essential element of active tissue, and to provide the required alkalinity or acidity for the digestive juices and other secretions.

Plants in their growth seize from the earth the salts of minerals and combine them with other substances that make up their living tissue. Then human beings, as well as other living creatures, get their supply of these needed salts from the plants that they take as food, this being the only form in which the salts can be thoroughly assimilated.