I Heart Fantasy
February 1st, 2010 by Elizabeth Phillips
Kids don’t watch documentaries. Sure, they love animal shows and the Planet Earth movies, but even those entertainments offer a wonderland in which a child’s imagination can roam. When it comes to reading material, books about wizards, elves, and time travel draw young readers back to the shelves. And tween moviegoers crave the heady mixture of magic and romance offered up by the Twilight movies.
We parents, wrapped up in daily cares, don’t spend much time with our imaginations. Caring for small kids leaves us too busy to think about romance. And we work so hard to safeguard our kids’ health and well-being, we’re reluctant to unleash another tide of chocolate on their nervous systems. So it’s easy to let Valentine’s Day slide.
We forget that Valentine’s Day is all about fantasy, especially for a little girl with her first crush, or an awkward young boy who wonders if another year will pass with his only cards coming from Mom. (I’m all in favor of those mom cards, by the way.) Kids can grow mighty big expectations, and experience real letdown. But parents can buffer some of that emotional weather with an hour or so of togetherness in the kitchen. It’s not easy for us pragmatists, but a flight into whimsy can do us all some good.
I’m definitely guilty of the sin of practicality. When I received a copy of Annabel Karmel’s Cook It Together (DK 2009) and turned to the recipe for heart-shaped Strawberry Cheesecakes, my first response was “bleah.” The recipe uses Jell-o, for Pete’s sake. But when my 6 ½-year-old came home later that day, he found the book and was instantly entranced by its brightly colored photos of kids slicing berries and drizzling chocolate while the always smiling Annabel Karmel looks on warmly. Now that is fantasy. I think my facial expression when my son works with me in the kitchen comes a lot closer to a grimace.
The book isn’t perfect — Karmel has kids whisking egg whites and cream to states of stiffness that are not easily achieved in the span of a parent’s patience limit. She’s vague about pan sizes, and some of her terminology hasn’t been translated from British to American usage. But the book is colorful and the recipes are simple with foods kids generally like. It’s probably best for somewhat experienced cooks with interest.
If that’s you, suspend your disbelief for an afternoon. All the food in this cookbook is fun. Rice shaped into stars, chocolate cakes with “sweet treasure” buried inside, salmon skewers decorated with curls of scallion. Though I’m inclined to sneer at the gelatin-based cheesecake and all the tarted-up presentations, a look at my son’s rapt face reminds me that once upon a time I wanted a four-poster bed with ruffles and a wall painted to resemble a Rousseau jungle scene. Kids crave fantasy more than even food, maybe more then even candy. And when fantasy and food meet, it’s a taste of nirvana — for kids and their grownups.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Adapted from Annabel Karmel’s Cook It Together
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
• Cooking spray or oil
• 6 oz. graham cracker crumbs or 11 graham crackers, crushed in a ziploc bag
• ¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup whole strawberries (150 g., frozen are fine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 3-oz. package strawberry gelatin
• 7 oz. cream cheese
• 7/8 cup heavy cream
Special Equipment: a 8-9” springform pan (Wilton makes both small and large sizes in heart shapes), or several small heart-shaped cake molds with removable bottoms; hand mixer or stand mixer
1. Spray cake molds or pan with cooking spray or grease with an oiled paper towel.
2. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl, then press into cake molds or pan to make bottom crust.
3. Chop strawberries into small pieces with a knife or pulse a few times in a food processor.
4. Simmer berries with sugar and water until berries are soft and sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir until smooth.
5. While strawberry mixture cools, whip the cream cheese with a hand or stand mixer. Pour strawberry mixture onto the cheese. Whisk together.
6. Whip cream to stiff peaks, then fold into strawberry mixture. (It will start to set.)
7. Spoon creamy mixture onto crumb crusts in pan(s). Smooth the tops and refrigerate 2 hours until set.
8. Remove sides from pan and decorate with sliced strawberries before serving.