Dining

Cheesecake lovers rejoice! Half Price Cheesecake this Saturday for National Cheesecake Day

By  | 

Mmmmmm, cheesecake.

Just saying those words incites salivary glands to moisten with anticipation. Stomachs growl in hope that at least one bite of cheesecake will find its way down the esophagus. And the sweet tooth – well, on second thought, you might not want to alert the sweet tooth about the cheesecake. Who knows what it might do if it gets the hankering for some sweets.

Cheesecake lovers rejoice; Saturday July 30 is National Cheesecake Day. In celebration of its namesake, The Cheesecake Factory is offering dine-in guests “Any Slice at Half Price.” Be warned, with more than 30 flavors from which to choose eating only one slice might not be an option.

Not only will The Cheesecake Factory provide patrons with the opportunity to indulge on half-priced cheesecake, but those who choose to take part in this delicious holiday could also be among the first to try The Cheesecake Factory’s newest flavor: Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake.

Hershey's Chocolate Cheese Cake

Uh oh, the sweet tooth just woke up.

Featuring silky smooth Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake between layers of moist chocolate cake and ganache, finished with creamy chocolate frosting and chocolate chips, the newest flavor could quickly become a best-seller.

Taking part in The Cheesecake Factory’s celebration of this unofficial national food holiday is not the only way to enjoy a treat that has been around since the era of the ancient Greeks. In fact, in North America alone seven different styles of cheesecake exist, including the uber-popular New York and Philadelphia styles, not to mention the sour cream or lactose-free varieties.

Tradition cheesecake consists of a topping made of soft, fresh cheese, usually on a crust or base made from biscuit pastry or sponge cake. New York-style utilizes a heavy cream and the cheesecake is usually made from cream cheese, eggs and egg yolk to add a richness and smooth consistency. Philadelphia-style, on the other hand, is much creamier and lighter in texture but often richer in flavor.

While most varieties of cheesecake in the United States and Canada use cream cheese, Italy, Germany and Poland each have different, distinct ways to make cheesecake with ricotta cheese, in Italy, and quark cheese in Germany and Poland. Other varieties of cheesecake include Dutch/Belgian-style, Asian-style, which is considerably less sweet than its counterparts, Greek-style, which is called Tiropita, and Swedish-style, called ostkaka.

Homemade Cheesecake

It is understandable that the ultimate cheesecake fan might not be satisfied just with simple cheesecake. That is why many different ways to enjoy the cheesecake flavor exist. One of the new favorites is the cheesecake martini. Girlydrinks.com lists 16 different cheesecake cocktails, including the FIVE Cheesecake, Apple Cobbler Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie Cheesecake martinis.

In 2007, InStyle magazine listed the Raspberry Cheesecake Martini as one of actor George Clooney’s favorite cocktails.

Whether you choose to celebrate National Cheesecake Day by eating out at The Cheesecake Factory, making your own home-made variety or imbibing a delicious cheesecake beverage, one thing is certain: cheesecake, while delicious, is loaded with fattening ingredients..

No, that should not dissuade you from celebrating on Saturday, but it should urge you to work out on Sunday. According to a CBSNews.com article, a 150 lb. person who eats a 411-calorie slice would have to do 61 minutes of strength training, 52 minutes of biking or elliptical training, 121 minutes of cleaning, or 91 minutes of gardening.

See, not only are there many ways to enjoy eating cheesecake there are also many ways to enjoy shedding the calories after eating cheesecake.

Okay, enough talk already, it’s time to celebrate.

Photos courtesy of The Cheesecake Factory and Zingyyellow via Flickr.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *