Milk Street Television Season 5 Episode 12 The New NY Cheesecake!

The episode titled "The New NY Cheesecake!" from the second season and 12th episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, Season 2 season 5 brings viewers on a culinary journey to the Big Apple, where they explore the iconic New York City cheesecake and learn how to give it a fresh twist.

The episode starts with the host, Christopher Kimball, introducing the traditional New York cheesecake, which is known for its dense and creamy texture, velvety filling, and graham cracker crust. While the traditional recipe is a classic crowd-pleaser, Kimball is always on the hunt for new and innovative twists, providing viewers with a chance to see how to add new elements to a beloved classic.

The episode begins by exploring the roots of the New York cheesecake. Viewers will learn that the cake's origins can be traced back to the early 1900s in Jewish delicatessens located in the Lower East Side of the city. As the recipe morphed over the decades, bakeries adapted and created variations like Junior's original cheesecake, which still stands as one of the city's most popular cheesecakes.

Later, the host speaks with some of NYC's top pastry chefs for their creative takes on the dessert. One chef showcases how to make a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Another chef demonstrates how to make a ricotta cheesecake topped with lemon curd. The diverse and creative recipes are exciting and show the opportunity to adjust the classic recipe into something completely new.

Kimball rounds out the episode by creating his take on the New York cheesecake, which features a chocolate crust made of toasted almonds and studded with bits of bittersweet chocolate. He then mingles the vanilla-y cheesecake filling with sour cream, which helps balance out the sweetness. His cheesecake showcases how traditional ingredients can be combined with new and innovative elements, and finishes off with a beautiful bruleed sugar top.

The playful and investigative approach to this episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street is characteristic of the show, which has a reputation for providing viewers with a unique look at global cuisine. With a historical lens that highlights the origins of food and inventive takes on classic recipes, this episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street will leave viewers with a newfound appreciation for one of New York City's most iconic desserts, and inspire them to come up with new twists and flavors themselves.

The show makes a concerted effort to balance exploring the classics with discovering new innovations, which makes it a popular destination for foodies who want to stay in-the-know about different culinary cultures. For this episode specifically, viewers will appreciate Kimball's exploration of the New York cheesecake's origin story.

All in all, "The New NY Cheesecake!" episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, Season 2 season 5, brings a fun and playful perspective to a dessert classic and will make viewers eager to try out the recipe for themselves.