Ancient Recipes and Modern Holidays

When it comes to holiday traditions, it’s no secret that, in our house, we skew toward the unconventional. You’re just as likely to see a Halloween decoration in Spring as you are to see a wooden Easter bunny displayed on New Year’s Eve. One Christmas, we staged a fake kidnapping (and eventual dismemberment) of our Elf on the Shelf; his little head, eyes burned clean out, can still be seen between the branches of our sparkling Tannenbaum, a comically gruesome reminder of what the “true” Christmas is all about.

We celebrate the relentless passage of time neither by half nor by prescription. That’s what it’s like being married to a true mad Russian in a household of boys, and it’s made for some excellent stories. With our littles now all growed up, we have relaxed all holiday expectations to encompass only, “Are we happy and fed, spending time together doing something fun? Good.” As a culinary-aligned natural witch, I’ve fully transitioned from a past life of Thanksgiving turkeys, various casseroles, stuffing, multitudes of pies – even my own gorgeous homemade pomegranate cranberry sauce – into a more modern, gracious, and simple celebration of the holidays. (Except my recipe for mashed potatoes; sorry to everyone, but mine are the absolute best and it’s not even close).

These days, I am attracted only to recipes with a story behind them and the taste to back it up. If Paul and Pru would line it up as a technical challenge, I’m into it. So when I came across this website proposing a Byzantine Ricotta Honey Cheesecake that had survived thousands of years, I was intrigued: 5 pantry ingredients, one-bowl prep, and an hour in the oven – all with the promise of a creamy, delicious, historically dense cheesecake made using honey. I had to make it. And let me tell you: There is a reason this recipe has lasted 1,000 years and is gunna last a millennia more.

Of course, I used our Mad Russian Apothecary Cinnamon Witch Honey as the sweetener and drizzled element – you don’t have to … but then, why wouldn’t you? It’s kinda perfect for this recipe – I copied it mostly verbatim, but I did make a few adjustments based on my experience.

Ingredients:

Directions (copied from this site):

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth.

  3. Add the eggs, honey, flour, and salt. Stir until fully combined.

  4. Pour the mixture into a thoroughly buttered baking dish.

  5. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center has a gentle custard like jiggle.

  6. Cool to help the cheesecake firm.

  7. Drizzle with extra honey before serving.

The absolute coolest thing about this recipe is the story behind it, and while I love a good retelling, visit the site that inspired me and read about it yourself.

Cheers, and have a nice Thanksgiving!

Amber Gavriluk