At age 7, Isabelle became a self-styled authority about cheesecake. Her grandmother had treated her to her first trip to New York City and to her first stage play followed by her first dinner in a New York City restaurant. From the dessert cart wheeled to the table, adventurous Isabelle chose a sweet she had never tasted ? cheesecake ? served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. With the first bite, her big, deep blue eyes enhanced by long, thick black eyelashes, widened.
"Grandmama!" she exclaimed. "This is yummy. Really, really yummy!"
"Isabelle, you are eating cheesecake, New York style cheesecake."
"Oh, this is wonderful. May I have another piece?"
A few months later at a large fair, Isabelle tasted cheesecake again, served with frozen strawberries but no whipped cream. "This is okay but it's definitely not New York cheesecake," she intoned, now 8. A year later, at a restaurant chain, she ordered cheesecake that she said was "too thick" and not particularly flavorful, "definitely not a New York cheesecake," she sniffed with all the certainty of a 9 year old.
Isabelle was 11 when her grandmother invited her to New York City again, to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then attend the ballet at Lincoln Center. "Will we be eating there? Because I want cheesecake ? New York cheesecake!" They had lunch at the Met's cafeteria where Isabelle ate her dessert first. "This is good but it's not as tasty as the first one." Then she ate the chicken entree.
Now 15 going on 27, Isabelle continues to search for a New York cheesecake that will equal the first one she ever tasted. "I've tried chocolate cheesecakes. I've tried cheesecakes with lemony sauce. With blueberries. I want a plain cheesecake that's smooth, creamy, and a crust that's not too sweet. I'd sell my brother for a perfect New York cheesecake."
There's good news and bad news. There is not one definitive New York cheesecake, not when there are at least a hundred different recipes, each claiming to be authentic New York cheesecake. Some call for cottage cheese, some cream cheese, some ricotta. or a combination. Some use cinnamon. Some prefer pineapple. Baking temperatures range from 300 to 450. Some beat; some blend. Some reflect a New York Italian lineage, or Greek.
The perfect New York cheesecake Isabelle seeks may be hiding in Duluth or Mobile or Sacramento waiting to be discovered.
In the meantime, Isabelle's brother is living on borrowed time.
The beauty and magnificence of all pearls should be appreciated whether, they are natural or cultured. The metallic radiance of a superior strand of Akoya pearls , the diverse shades of a dark peacock Tahitian black pearl, the size and royal grace of the South Sea pearls and last of all but not the least, the variety available in cultured freshwater pearls are the reasons of uniqueness and high value of this beautiful jewel piece.
For researchers as well as admirers of pearls, the term freshwater brings forth a vivid and amusing association. These pearls are well known for their quirky and unusual shapes and the natural shades that are exclusive to the class of mussel species from which they are harvested. A long time favorite for hobby designers, freshwater pearls have always been an affordable substitute for the more luxurious and costly seawater pearls. As a result of their affordability, average lower qualities and abundance, freshwater pearls have long held a humble rank as compared to the other pearls. This position has however witnessed a change.
Since the past five years, those in the pearl industry have been privy with a most unusual and amazing advancement in the pearl market. They have witnessed the metamorphosis of freshwater pearl from amusing lighthearted trifles to ornaments of unbelievable importance. The finest of them now compete with the best of the seawater pearls. Freshwater pearls even excel to a status that was never considered conceivable for it. A bonus that comes with these pearls is that even though they are the only cultivated pearl totally comprised of solid nacre, they radiate the desired qualities of naturally formed old pearls and they do not become discolored or lackluster over time.
Freshwater pearls are now being considered the world's finest pearls. They possess shine, luster, shape similar to its saltwater cousins and a rare quality of emanating light from within. This light creates a soft prism like shine that hovers translucently on its surface that can truly be defined as a pearl's beauty in its truest form.
So, the next time you plan to invest some money on pearl necklaces or other pearl products, let it not be on Akoya pearls or the black pearls. Select one of the freshwater pearl necklaces and it would bring you much satisfaction and a true and rare visual treat.
Both Mark Woeppel & Pattrick Jhonson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mark Woeppel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cooking Tips, Sales Training and Family. Mark Woeppel has been writing and eating desserts longer than most. In his day, he often dated Scarlet O'Cheesecake, who was a bit of a dish herself. Now she beguiles with her tales, both bland (well, not really) and spicy (verily). More of her stories a. Mark Woeppel's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.