Amaretto cheesecake and hibachi/sushi in Koto

Another b-day at work! unfortunately I forgot to take a photo :( I salvaged a slice for Brian, so i will post the pix. The cheesecake is topped with a sour cream-sugar-amaretto layer, then the toasted almonds. I usually use almond essence rather than vanilla for the batter. As usual, it was a hit. I have no idea how many billion points per slice the cake it. Not even worth it to figure out through the e-tools :)

We had friends visiting us over the weekend and since one of them was not into sushi, we decided to go Koto's (exit 4 off Northway) where both sushi and hibachi is offered (instead of our fave Sushi-Na in Clifton Park). The hibachi was outstanding but i was not impressed with the sushi. Plus, they brought out the sushi literally 5 minutes after we placed our order, and the hibachi chef hasn't even come out. As a result, i was nearly finished with my dinner by the time everybody else has gotten their hibachi. The more sushi I try, the more I am convinced that the best sushi in the area is our little Sushi Na in CP.

Birthday cakes for Nicky

At work (our group anyway), we have a great birthday cake tradition (started by me 7 years ago :)). over the years, the group grew, and a lot of us joined Weight Watchers. So long gone are the days when 1 cake would do.

On the occasion of Nicky's birthday, I made the following: carrot cake (not very WW-friendly), a strawberry-rhubarb pie (not too WW-friendly either) and a chocolate-tofu torte (2 points per slice!!!).

Given that we were having the cake party on Friday (i.e., I had to bake on Thursday after work and gym), these baked goods would not be classified as "epicurean masterpieces". However, I am excited to make a real first entry into the blog!

I am particularly pleased with the strawberry-rhubarb pie - it was a last minute decision as the recipe came from TU 5/28/09 edition. But rhubarb was plentiful in the garden, and I still had a lot of frozen strawberries from last summer (picked at Bowman's orchards in Clifton Park).

The carrot cake was made with organic carrots, and the eggs came from my co-worker's free-range chicken. So I guess 2 out of 3 cakes could be classified as "local".

I started cooking at about 9:30 pm and the last pie (strawberry-rhubarb) came out of the oven shortly after midnight. The oven (36") easily accommodated the 2 pans for the carrot cake, the torte, and the pie dish.

So it begins...

I have decided (after being inspired by various amazing food blogs) to blog about new dishes, cakes and such that I am cooking in my new kitchen. Occasional dinner and farm outings will be noted as well :)