The science of cheesecake

COLE CAMP — Cooking hasn’t always been easy for forensic biology student Jennifer Martin, of Cole Camp, but through trial and error she now has it down to a science.

“I will tell you a funny story,” she said. “I got married very young. I was 18 and I decided to learn to cook and ... I had a dog who would eat bricks, but he wouldn’t eat my meatloaf.”

After the meatloaf incident, she began watching food shows on television and the scientist in her began experimenting. Soon a hypothesis was formulated and a solution born.

“I discovered I could make the pretty food you see on TV,” said Martin. “I’m happy to say that now everyone likes my meatloaf.”

Martin, 36, decided to return to college after the company she worked for downsized. She hopes someday to work in a genetics lab.

“The medical field is exciting, it’s growing, it’s changing,” she said. “There’s always something going on. It’s like cooking because you go into a kitchen to create something and make something new, just like you go into a lab.”

She enjoys “dissecting” and analyzing recipes to see what flavor combinations work best and how to achieve just the right taste.

Her non-traditional cheesecake was created with this scientific approach. She’s invented such tasty delights as Limoncello cheesecake made with Italian lemon liqueur, lime cheesecake with tequila drizzle and a tiramisu cheesecake with mocha drizzle. She is working on a creme de menthe cheesecake recipe for Christmas.

Her Limoncello cheesecake is a combination of ideas.

“Actually it’s a cookie bar recipe,” she said. “But I changed it around a little. I changed it to accommodate a cheesecake. I made it creamier, fluffier and lighter.

“I love cheesecake. It’s always been my favorite dessert.”

She decided to try and create the perfect cheesecake because of her disappointment when eating it at restaurants.

“They were missing something. With mine, the flavor is inside the cheesecake.”

Martin’s cheesecakes have caught the attention of local bistro owner Mary Van Dyne.

Now due to simple cause and effect, The Holding Tank Art Gallery and Battle Row Bistro has one of Martin’s cheesecakes on the menu every Friday night.

For those who don’t like to make cheesecake or are too busy, Martin is accepting orders for the holidays. Both non-traditional and traditional cheesecakes sell for $15.

Her cooking experiments have steered her toward organic ingredients. All of her cheesecakes are made with organic graham cracker crumbs, eggs and raw sugar.

She’s incorporated organic ingredients and fresh produce into her other recipes too, and found ways to cook healthier.

“Going on the healthier side, I cook with a lot of organic ingredients. I cook with chicken and ground turkey. I don’t use beef or pork,” she said.

“The last couple years I’ve gotten more health conscious about my cooking. By cooking healthier, my blood pressure has dropped to normal.”

Her teenage children, Jay and Morgan Wallace, especially like her Springfield cashew chicken.

“The kids really love that one,” she said. “You put the chicken on the rice, pour the sauce over it and top it with the cashews and green onions.”

She also enjoys making chicken cordon bleu stuffed with turkey ham and Swiss cheese.

“It’s actually a very simple recipe,” she said. “It looks very classy for a dinner party, and it can be made in about an hour. It’s a beautiful dish and it tastes good.”

Finding ways to get her teenagers to eat vegetables led to other food experiments. She developed a vegetarian lasagna made with eggplant instead of pasta and found alternative ways to get them to eat spinach.

“You can’t get a child to eat spinach, but I use baby spinach in a salad, which makes for a yummy day and a happy mom. I want my kids to know that healthy eating and healthy living is good for you.

“If I feel better, I know my kids feel better.”
So why did she choose science and not cooking school as a new career path?  

“I’m very stubborn and stuck in my ways; I just enjoy being a cook. That’s one thing I’ve learned — you don’t have to be a chef to cook.”

Chicken Cordon Bleu
4 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
Salt and pepper to taste
4 thin slices turkey ham
2 ounces Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley (fresh)
1 1/2 teaspoon chives (fresh)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Flatten each chicken breast. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper to taste. Top with a slice of turkey ham and Swiss cheese. Roll each chicken breast and fasten with a tooth pick.

Roll in flour; melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add chicken rolls and brown on all sides about 4 minutes. Remove from pan.

Melt remaining butter; add onions and sauté until clear. Add chicken stock, parsley, and 1 teaspoon chives. Bring to a boil, return chicken rolls and simmer 30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter. Bring sauce to a boil stir in heavy cream. Lower heat and simmer until thickened. Pour over chicken sprinkle with chives.

Source: Jennifer Martin

Veggie Lasagna
2 medium eggplants
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 small yellow zucchini
1 small green zucchini
1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 4-ounce can tomato paste
3 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
16 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
8 ounces cheddar cheese
2 eggs

Slice eggplant length wise 1/4-inch thick. Chop the rest of veggies and sauté in butter until soft; add tomatoes and paste and seasoning, heat through. Mix all cheeses together with eggs.

Layer in baking dish starting with eggplant, sauce and cheese mixture. Bake at 350 until bubbly.

Source: Jennifer Martin

Quick take
Holiday cheesecake orders:
$15, traditional and gourmet
Jennifer Martin
Cole Camp
660-619-2649