Do you have a dish that is your absolute favourite thing in the world? Perhaps it’s a creation that, when someone who loves you makes it, feels like so much more than food – like a hug for your soul.
For my husband’s 50th birthday, I asked myself: “What gift do you buy for the elusive male?” The answer, as it turned out, was cheesecake.
Not just any cheesecake: Mimi’s legendary lemon cheesecake. Mimi is like a grandmother to us and she had been making this lemon cheesecake for decades.
It takes hours to prepare and it is one of those recipes that carries a little bit of family history in every bite. The first time she made it for us, I served it and left the entire chocolate biscuit base on the serving platter. My family has never, ever let me forget that fiasco.
My hubby’s birthday was celebrated at the Gold Coast Pacific Airshow. Mimi had to catch an Uber to Palmwoods station, then a train to Helensvale, followed by a tram to our high-rise apartment in Surfers Paradise for the party. It was quite the journey for a cheesecake. And Mimi. But they made it.
We spent the day watching the incredible aircraft streak across the Gold Coast sky – the RAAF Roulettes, the fighter jets and the magnificent old Mustangs and Spitfires – all from the rather spectacular vantage point of our apartment.
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And then it was time. Time to put down our wine glasses and sing Happy Birthday. But the cheesecake had not fared particularly well on its journey. I opened the tin and, in what felt like slow motion, tried to prise the cheesecake out. And then… half of it dropped onto the floor.
My brother and sister sprang into action and scooped it all up. They put that piece of art back together like they were surgeons. And then, because there was nowhere else to go, we found as many sparklers as we could and stuck them into the cheesecake.
We all belted out a very loud and extremely off-key version of Happy Birthday, roaring with laughter. And you know what? It tasted divine. Cold and creamy, with that little tang of lemon juice. It was absolutely delicious.
Sometimes things simply don’t go to plan. When life gives you lemons, turn them into lemon cheesecake.
Sami Muirhead is a radio announcer, blogger and commentator, wife and mum of three.
