Butternut squash caramelized onion gratin

Pichet Ong's Kabocha Squash Cheesecake

I've beeing wanting to make this cheesecake for years. it's been in the NY times as well as in his cookbook, Sweet Spot. well finally came around to it. the grahm cracker-walnut crust is crisp, strumptious (though maybe more butter than called for to firm and crisp up). the custard is sweet, creamy and not-too-leaden as most cheesecakes tend to be. (afterall it calls for just one package of cream cheese as opposed to most other recipes which average around 3 packages!

the recipe calls for steaming the squash as opposed to roasting (or using canned pumpkin) as typically suggested. i found Kabocha to be denser than butternut so this worked well but not sure if it would with less denser species.

after our rich and extended portguese dinner, the family didn't seem too enthused about this one. but i'm willing to bet it was more about timing and state of stomach than the actual results and am willing to make (after some tweaks) this one more often. (perhaps in the form of mini cheesecakes.

Spinach mushroom mini quiches

This is one of my first recipes from "The Sweet Side of Amy's Bread," fast becoming one of my most trusted and useful cookbooks. the cust is a butter/cream cheese, whole wheat flour concoction which ends up being more short than flakey which isn't to say i minded that. i loved using my mini tart pans as these yielded perfectly portioned meals; great for storing in the freezer and ready on command (after a brief whirl in the microwave) on those desperate nights with nothing but celery in the fridge.

spinach and mushrooms sauteed in butter...3 eggs and 1 cup half and half (or my adaptation: 2/3 skim milk, 1/3 heavy cream) the perfect "filler" for baked tarts/quiches.