I recently took part in an interview with Madilynn Dale from The Chapter Goddess, about writing, the Writers of the Future experience, and the creative life in general. I think I’ve mentioned that I’m a little shy, but Madi gave a fun and friendly interview and I had a good time. Hope you enjoy it too.
This is a collection of questions answered by this amazing author for her “Creative Spotlight on Award-Winning Author J.R. Johnson” article featured here. They may or may not have been answered in the live. I loved chatting with her and hope you take some helpful information away from our chat.
One cool thing about being a writer with writer friends is that sometimes, you have the opportunity to read their stories before other folks. I’ve just finished reviewing a friend’s new novel and it is excellent.
I don’t know when it will see the light of day so I’ll wait to promo it, but it was a treat. Can’t wait until you can read it too!
Difficulty rating: easy, except for questions around the pan and the ingredient updates, but now I’ve got the process figured out. Also, my current pan makes cutting difficult.
Appearance: not terrible, despite the cracks caused by over-baking. Next time I’ll stick to the temperature guides and ignore the jiggle factor. The 9” x 3” pan made that less than reliable. Also, next time I’ll fancy it up with whipped cream and fruit.
Flavor: Mr Man’s assessment, and I quote, “F’ing delicious.”
I’ll take it.
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Again, here is the original recipe and my version of the updates, recorded here for posterity (and by that I mean the next time I make this, which will be soon!):
Crust: 225g Biscoff cookies 57g melted butter pinch of salt
Cheesecake: 905g full-fat cream cheese, brought to about 70°F/21°C 112g fresh goat cheese (not pre-crumbled), brought to about 70°F/21°C 32g Dutch-process cocoa powder 1 tsp espresso powder (didn’t have this so I steeped 6 coffee beans in the cream, remove after boiling) 15g vanilla extract 1g Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight 250g plain sugar 300g/6 large eggs 170g heavy cream 225g semi-sweet chocolate, added to the cream after boiling and stirred until melted
“If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it’s within your reach. And it’ll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
I am trying something new today: cheesecake. I am sure that I have made a cheesecake at some point because my lizard brain remembers the pain of a hot water bath slopping up against my forearm, and the annoyance of a leaky springform pan. That said, I don’t remember many other details because I’ve been avoiding this kind of cake for years.
But I had a special request. Mr Man wanted a cheesecake. And not just any cheesecake, he wanted it to be chocolate.
Ok, I said. I can do that. (Pretty sure I can do that.)
After much research and a number of modifications, I am doing it.
If you are unfamiliar, cheesecake is typically a multi-day affair. It requires a bake and then a cool and then a chill, preferably overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can try some of the no-bake variants out there, but they still tend to require significant time in the fridge.
Here’s the base recipe I’m using: Epic New York Cheesecake From BraveTart. (No water bath! My forearms are thanking me. And how did I not realize that there is no flour at all in cheesecake?)
Modifications are required because my pan isn’t quite the right size and the original formulation is for a lightly citrus-flavored version. For Mr Man’s chocolate extravaganza, I’m using some of the changes posted by GregLasky in the recipe comments, along with most of his ingredient list: Chocolate Cheesecake.
The bad thing about a recipe like this is that I have to wait before I know if it worked. The good thing about a recipe like this? I have a whole day to imagine how great it’s going to be.
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If I’m lucky, my cheesecake will look something like this. Except not as dark chocolaty. Or as well plated. And what is that tasty-looking beverage? Photo by Allen Rad on Unsplash
I’m on a day job vacation at the moment and I’d hoped to get to some actual writing today. Instead, we juiced limes. Lots and lots and lots of limes. Eight pounds of limes, in the end, which is what happens when one shops at Costco’s Business Center.
On the plus side, our Lime Freeze future is assured, and the Breville Citrus Press is still one of the best presents Mr Man has ever given me. Spendy and single-use, yes, but worth it.
This morning: hot oatmeal and a cool breeze from the patio door. We leave the door open for the fresh air, which brings the scent of wildlife to entertain the cat, as well as some of the unexpected moments of aggravation and joy that help make a life.
Aggravation: noise from a construction site down the block.
Joy: halfway through breakfast, I hear a beat, a pattern drummed out as from a wooden handle on a large metal surface. It is from the construction site, but it is not the sound of machinery or backup beeps or men shouting. Is it a wheelbarrow, a water drum, a backhoe scoop? Whatever the source, there is both intention and musicality. A bored worker, perhaps, or an aspiring musician. Or just someone inspired to create a moment of beauty in an otherwise average day.
And then send that art out into the world, carried on the wind.
The recipes include a lot of interesting food, like medieval mead, garum, pirate rations, and the fascinatingly named “Hardtack and Hellfire.” Some of these items are still familiar, others not so much.
I am so down with this.
Previously, I’ve mentioned Krista Ball’s What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank, on how to feed your fantasy adventurers, but seeing these recipes come to life takes historical food to another level.
Enjoy (or at least feel happy that we have more on tap these days than sweet potato coffee)!
“Are you writing a book and worried that it’s awful and you suck and everyone who said they liked it is lying to you? Welcome to being a writer! I’d say most of us struggle with those feelings, even people who are highly successful. Keep going, you’ve got this.”
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