Italian Ricotta Cheese Cake

Every Time Hank Farrentino came to visit he would bring this fabulous cheesecake.Finally I got the recipe from him.
12 oz Ricotta
3 eight oz packages of cream cheese
1 and 1/2 Pts (24 oz.) Sour Cream
9 Tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Vanilla
1 2/3 cups of Sugar
9 eggs

Mix Ricotta cream cheese and sugar till well blended. Add eggs one at the time, blend well after each egg. Add sour cream, flour and vanilla making sure that each ingredient is well incorporated. Pour into a ten inch well greased spring form pan.

Bake at 350 degrees, in a pan of water (1-2 inches of water for 90 to 100 minutes.
Cake will rise above lip of spring pan and top will brown. . A good indication that it is done(If the top is not too brown don't wory and go to next step). Turn oven off and allow to cool in the oven for two hours. Cool cake using a cooling rack further till room temperature before refrigerating.


You will need a large mixing bowl, probably 5 quarts or better. Wrapping the outside of the spring form pan with aluminum foil will minimize leakage. Hank puts the spring pan into the larger pan and then pour the batter into it, then he adds the water.

Spanish tortilla 10.000 miles away from Spain

Spanish tortilla 10.000 miles away from Spain

Since you want it nice and easy…



TORTILLA A LA ESPAÑOLA ( by Luisito)



2 lbs French fries (if possible done from peeled raw potatoes cut in two and thinly sliced)

2 lbs. Fried onion up to a brownish colour

Cheddar cheese grated or sliced

1 Dried Spanish sausage (salamín) slice thin

12 eggs

¼ cup olive oil



Heat half of the oil in a good heavy Teflon coated frying pan.

Place half of the French fries on the bottom

Add half of the fried onion on top of the French fries.

Enough slice or grated Cheddar cheese to make another layer

Same with the Spanish sausage

The rest of the fried onion making another layer

The French fries as final layer



Very carefully move the frying pan so as to heat the oil evenly

Pour the beaten eggs.

Keep the frying pan on the move over low heat so as to cook evenly and slowly

Be sure the “tortilla” moves independently from the pan so it won´t stick when ready to turn.

When the egg is creamy on the top (and solid on the bottom), flip over a serving dish.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same frying pan.

Return the overturn tortilla by sliding it.

Couple of minutes moving the pan around and it is ready to serve.

It should be golden yellow on both sides and slightly creamy in the middle.



Great with a good Cabernet Sauvignon, but if you can find a Uruguayan Tannat “with some time in an oak barrel” you will achieve perfection.

Buen Apetito!

Luis