It’s good to be the king…

The four suits in a standard deck of playing cards originated from France in the fifteenth century (around 1480). French playing card manufacturers assigned names to the faces of the four kings.

The King of Spades was King David, the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. The King of Clubs was Alexander the Great, the ancient Greek King that conquered most of the world. The King of Hearts was King Charlemagne who was the leader of the Franks, whilst Diamonds was Julius Caesar.

This practice had largely disappeared by the 19th century however.

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake

yield: Makes 12 to 14 Servings

Bake this at least one day ahead.

crust

• 1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

filling

• 1 pound good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), finely chopped

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, halved
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons brandy

for crust:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

for filling:
Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, then salt; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Bake cake until top begins to brown but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Open oven door slightly; turn off oven. Leave cake in oven 30 minutes. Chill cake uncovered overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)

Run small knife between pan sides and cake. Release pan sides. Starting at outer edge of top of cake, arrange strawberry halves in slightly overlapping concentric circles, covering top completely. Stir preserves and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain preserves. Brush glaze generously over strawberries, allowing some glaze to drip between berries. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Chocolate-and-Strawberry-Cheesecake-103290#ixzz0j6mbbGj3

Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins

Nutty toasted wheat germ and tangy dried apricots give these muffins a homey, satisfying flavor. Plumping dried fruit before adding it to the batter keeps the muffins moist.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I love these muffins! They were exactly what I needed to curb my sweet tooth. The muffins only needed 15 mins of baking time. The recipe called for orange zest but I didn't have an orange on hand so I used a 1/2 tsp of orange extract to...

1 dozen muffins

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ,divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
  2. Combine apricots and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High for 1 minute. (Alternatively, bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat.) Set aside to plump.
  3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup orange juice. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Add the plumped apricots and juice and mix just until blended. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon wheat germ.
  5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

  NUTRITION

  Per muffin: 220 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 185 mg sodium; 284 mg potassium.
  2 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

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Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers

The simple, sweet orange glaze for the chicken can be whipped up fast; marinating time is just 15 minutes and the marinade caramelizes deliciously on the grill. Serve this with carrot sticks and baked potato wedges, tossed with herbs and olive oil 

READER'S COMMENT:

"I don't know if I would focus on the "Orange" in the title. This is more of a honey mustard grilled chicken. Still tasty, but the orange flavor barely shines through. I did use 1 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate straight out of...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. Cut chicken crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Whisk mustard, orange juice concentrate, honey, sesame oil and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare grill or preheat the broiler. Oil the grill rack (see Tip) or coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade, discarding remaining marinade. Grill or broil the chicken until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and serve.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 173 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 341 mg sodium; 249 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (28% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat