Pecan on a bitter pill… with a pinch of salt

I was dining at a popular restaurant in Beverly Hills a couple of weeks back. It was a Wednesday night and the bar was packed for some reason. My table was due in 20 minutes and I was ushered to the bar where I order a glass of Pinot Noir to while away my time with my dinner date. I noticed a couple who were angling to get a little space on the bar to place their order. They were probably waiting for a table too. I shifted a little to make way for them and they managed to squeeze in, all four of us huddled in this little gap at the bar.

The lady, a brunette was dressed in a little black number; a humongous diamond sparkling on her ring finger which she unconsciously rubbed every now and again. The man, dressed in a bespoke Burberry plaid casual jacket and oxblood oxfords was looking around sheepishly sipping on his whiskey. There seemed to be a sense of uneasy calm which was threatening in its own way. I knew in a jiffy there would be change in the demeanor where things would get stormy, especially from their body language.

I snapped out of it and went back to giving attention to my date and we got on to chatting about the going and comings of the week since Monday. In the midst of my rambling about a design perspective of a new project, there was a sudden tinkling of glass shattering and I saw the brunette had elbowed her glass of wine on the counter, smashing the glass lip and the stem dangling precariously off the edge of the wet bar. There was a flurry of tissues soaking up the red liquid in a second. Some drops found their way onto the oxblood oxfords making the man’s face contort into a look of disgust. He gets up and walks away without as much as single glance towards his better half (!), onto the direction of the restroom.

The lady was trembling slightly and I could see the look of disdain on her face. The bar was cleaned, a fresh glass of wine was placed in front of her and she sipped it meekly till he returned. Her eyes sparkled in the purple aura of the bright LED’s on the bar, giving a far-away look, one that spelt remorse. The man returned and cleared his throat. I heard snippets of the conversation which were sort of disturbing.

Man: Can you be careful with that, it isn’t the first time you are holding a glass of wine are you?

Lady: It was an accident!

Man: Well, you are always prone to dropping things, so I am not surprised.

Lady: I did not do it on purpose.

Man: I never said that, and now don’t make a scene.

Lady: Well, ok.

[It was a few minutes of eerie silence while he got busy on his cell phone, till she coaxed him into a possible lighter conversation]

Lady: Margaret told me the other day about this amazing caterer, would you like to consider them for our big day?

Man: [back to fiddling with his phone, barely looks up, out blurts] No

Lady: I just can’t seem to manage the cross-fits these days; shall we take a break from it?

Man: You can if you make a bloody attempt; you should have thought about it first considering it costs an arm and a leg

Lady: There is no need to use this sort of language.

Man: I can very well use whatever language I want….

…. By this time our table was ready and I had to peel myself off the bar, and was glad to do so. This was not bizarre as I have been privy to such couples before and it was an unnecessary situation, not to forget mentioning – disturbing.

“Bitterness” I have absolutely no idea how such rudeness can permeate someone’s thought process so much that no matter what the situation or the surrounding, it has become a way of life for most people. It is but obvious that people are a lot more impatient, obscure, self obsessed and egoistic than ever before. We can blame many reasons for such a change in behavior, influx of excess money which inadvertently put people in a sense of false power, continuous interactions with other such personalities on a constant basis (similar observations in the corporate world when ‘work culture’ of the senior management reflects the workings of the organisation as a whole) and a sense of personal empowerment which stems from insecurities.

I have been closely monitoring when people say how positive a house is when they walk in or the vibe emanating from a person when he/she enters a room. I have been tuning into more such vibes these days and they make me see much more than I can possibly imagine about that particular person and his habitat. This has helped me, over time, to be cognizant of how I should behave and limit my interactions with such people. This tuning skill, allows me the privilege of surrounding myself with positive people thus making life so much better for me.

In this case, I had nothing to do with the couple even though it left a bitter taste in my mind about the conversation I had just been subjected to. It reminded me how I have been conscious about my interactions with people and distancing myself away from such frivolities. Though I continue to see these atrocities spring up publicly (when earlier, I am sure they were more private), I feel nothing but pity that life is generously wasted.

Meanwhile, this topic kind of got me thinking of infusing a little sweetness in my life. I have been blessed (touch wood) with a fabulous opportunity across the seven seas. Travel encompassing my current status and a change of people (not that I regret many back home in India). It has made me aware that I can attract the right kind of people in my life when I want to. Nutty, bitter-sweet, comforting and to be taken with a pinch of salt (now and again, nobody’s perfect). Which brings me to this particular dessert which was developed after realizing that all these traits can be converted into a dish, and a delicious one at that too.

This cheesecake is easy and uses very few ingredients though the components maybe a little complex. It is through and through a star dish when you want to impress someone and definitely sating. I personally love the flavor of pecans (easily available in USA) as they have this toasty buttery-ness and go with anything sweet, beautifully. If you don’t have access to pecans, you can use pistachios or walnuts and feel free to substitute the pink salt with sea salt.

Sticky-Chilli Pecan Cheesecake with Dulce De Leche & Himalayan Pink Salt

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1½ Cups Graham Cracker / Digestive Biscuit Crumb [Blend crackers / digestive biscuits in blender till you get a smooth powder)
• 4 Tablsp melted butter
• 3 Tablsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg powder

For the Cheesecake

• 1 Kg Cream Cheese
• ½ Cup Pecans (toasted lightly and crushed in a mortar-pestle)
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg Yolk
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

• 1 Cup Pecans Toasted
• 2 Tablsp Honey
• 1 Tsp Paprika Powder (You can use smoked paprika if you have access to it)
• Sprinkling of Himalayan Pink Salt (or sea salt)

For the Dulce De Leche

• 1 can Condensed Milk

Method

For the Dulce De Leche

Pre-heat the oven to 220C.

Pour the condensed milk can in a 9” oven proof pan, cover tightly with a foil and place in another pan with a high lip (like a roasting pan), fill this roasting pan, halfway up with water.

Place in the middle rack of the oven, bake for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, check water, if it’s reduced, replenish it and bake another 45 minutes.

At the end of the baking process you will have a thick brown reduced condensed milk, this is Dulce de Leche. Add a dash of fresh vanilla extract for that extra burst of flavour.

For the Crust

Preheat the oven to 160C, setting a wire rack in the middle rack.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Mix together the cracker crumbs, butter, nutmeg and sugar with your hands till you get a nice crumbly and moist mix. Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and set aside.

For the Cheesecake

Combine the cream cheese and sugar with a spatula (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) till it mixes into a smooth buttery paste. Now add the yolk and incorporate it on a low mix setting. Keep adding the eggs one at a time till each one incorporates fully. Mix in the vanilla and chopped pecans.

Pour the luscious batter into the prepared crust. Pop in the preheated oven to bake for about 55 minutes. Check around 45 minutes just to make sure the tops are not burning brown.

The key to a good cheesecake is the wobble (the batter will not fully set when its hot) and the crumb in the center. Insert a toothpick around 45 minutes to make sure there is no sticky batter on it when pulled out, once you are sure shut off the oven, leave the door ajar to let the cheesecake cool completely inside.

For the Topping

Roast the pecans on a flat pan on med-low flame, shaking now and again.

Once you get a nutty aroma wafting from the pan, throw in the paprika and toss well, add in honey and turn off the gas. Stir well till honey coats the pecans. Remove onto butter paper or a sheet pan and cool it down in a single layer.

To complete

Once the cheesecake is cooled, unhook the spring from the pan and carefully place the cheesecake in a serving platter or a cake cloche.

Top with the Dulce which has been warmed a little (if it’s gone cold, just microwave for about 15-20 seconds). Spread the Dulce de leche with a flat spatula till it covers the top of the cheesecake. Place the toasted sticky pecans on the Dulce topping. Sprinkle Himalayan sea salt all over.

Refrigerate till absolutely cold and for a minimum of 2 hours.

This recipe can be halved, though trust me; you would want to make the whole one. Use a 6” springform pan for half the recipe, leave the crust ingredient quantity intact and just make a slightly thicker crust if you choose to.

… I got done with dinner and noticed on the way out the lady and the man had finished their evening too. I stepped back a bit, just in time to observe (and reinstate what I expected all along) the smug look on the man’s face as he stepped into his Bentley, leaving the valet to open the door for her and zoom off right on cue before her well heeled foot was in the door and had barely been shut.

It burnt a hole right through my heart.