Thank you all so much for your sweet comments and emails and texts and tweets about my last post. Fritz was such a part of our lives, that I couldn’t NOT write about him that way. The words just needed to get out. I am grateful to you for reading it and for letting me get that post, those emotions, out there.

Through your words back to me, I felt your hugs. And I’m doing better. I really am.

I’m sharing a few good things with you today, things that have brightened up this month for me. There’s no recipe in this post, just a little list. A happy list.

Good thing #1: Those tomatoes up there? Those are from our raised-bed garden in the back yard. I’ve returned to my same pattern of checking them, almost daily, for any little change in color from green, to the yellowish-orange you see in the photo, and finally, after what seems like an eternity, to red. I’ve already harvested the first two cherry tomatoes from another one of my plants, immediately popping the little sun-warmed orbs in my mouth right off the vine. Fresh bruschetta is right around the corner.

Good thing #2: This lovely kitty – Mitzi. She and Fritz were litter-mates, and she’s doing just fine right now. She’s more loving than ever, and I hate to say this, but I think she may be happy she’s now an only cat.

Good thing #3: I’m spending this weekend away from home – in Atlanta for the BlogHer Food conference. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you can expect lots of food prattle from me.

Have a lovely weekend.

One week ago today, we took our cat, Fritz, to the vet for his very last appointment. He didn’t come home.

Sometime this week, we’re supposed to pick up his ashes.

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Thanksgiving weekend, 1994: I was home from school for the Thanksgiving holiday. I was living in Georgia at the time, a few months into a Master’s program in psychology. I was living alone and feeling dissatisfied with the choice I had made to attend graduate school. I just wasn’t happy with where I was in life, and I was grateful to be at home with my family. My brother had not yet been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and we were getting along with each other. My parents had a beautiful cat – a Maine Coon named Tipper – who had recently had kittens. I left my family on that Sunday afternoon to head back to Statesboro with two new kittens  – Fritz and Mitzi – and a lighter heart.

Fall 1997: I was living in Miami, a newlywed for about 6 weeks, but I was alone. My new husband was finishing up dental school at the University of Florida, and I had just started attending medical school five hours south of him. Our separation was a necessary thing, and we were comforted by the fact that it was only for a year, and also by the fact that I had Fritz and Mitzi to keep me company in that tiny apartment overlooking the Miami River, in a not-so-great part of town. I studied for gross anatomy on my living room floor, with Mitzi in my lap, and with Fritz sprawled out on my copy of Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy.

July 2001: Sam and I were living in our final destination, back in north Florida. I was a newly minted MD, an intern, struggling to survive during my first hospital month, learning the ropes of an academic hospital. I worked over 100 hours a week during my first few weeks, and I came home exhausted and near tears. After hugging my husband after getting home each night, I cuddled on the sofa with Fritz, trying to stay awake and have some semblance of a normal life. Two months later, on September 11th, I came home from work and hugged Fritz tightly, promising myself I would not bring children into a world that lets people use airplanes as weapons.

December 2003: Madeline is born three weeks early, jaundiced and difficult to nurse. Fritz stopped sleeping in our bedroom and began sleeping under our daughter’s bed each night.

October 2006: Oliver is born, entirely too late for my preference. He’s perfect in every way. Fritz starts sleeping under his crib, and when Oliver cries, he meows insistently.

October 2009: After Fritz begins having trouble eating and loses 10 pounds, we finally take him for a second opinion at the university’s veterinary school. We learn he has an aggressive form of lymphoma. I find this ironic because one of my specialties is lymphoma, and my grandmother has just gone through treatment for lymphoma. I also find it incredibly unfair. Fritz starts treatment, and he starts eating again, starts purring more, begins playing again. We keep going. But we start preparing. We read Cat Heaven to the children at bedtime, and I think my husband and I take more comfort in the message – that cats go to heaven when they die – than do our kids.

May 7, 2011: I’m in the middle of working a two-week stretch in the hospital. I’ve come home unexpectedly early on a Saturday and I have some free time. So, I make Jennifer Perillo’s ricotta for the first time. I notice that Fritz isn’t acting right. He begins pacing the house. He’s had an accident outside the litter box. That night we celebrate an early Mother’s Day dinner out with both sets of grandparents. When we get home, Fritz is still pacing. I decide to make cheesecake with the fresh ricotta. He walks through the kitchen and around my feet. He does this the entire time I’m baking. He won’t eat. He won’t purr. He doesn’t seem to recognize me. We make our decision.

May 8, 2011: Mother’s Day. Fritz resumes his pacing, his staring, his not eating. We know we’re making the right decision, but it hurts. I take my children to work with me and Sam takes Fritz to the vet. After an hour, Sam meets me at the hospital and gets the kids. Without Fritz.

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This cheesecake (adapted from and inspired by this recipe from Redbook Magazine) is now my favorite cheesecake. I’m not a fan of the super-sweet ones that make one feel about 10 pounds heavier just after eating one slice. This has great texture – light and creamy – with the right amount of sweetness. I like mine unadorned, with perhaps a few strawberries or blueberries on top.

Yield: 12 servings

Ricotta Cheesecake

I used fresh homemade ricotta, but feel free to substitute store-bought ricotta.

Ingredients:

Ingredients For Crust

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (approximately 20 cookies)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Ingredients For Filling

1 1/2 cups fresh whole milk ricotta, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan (or grease with nonstick cooking spray) and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix gingersnap crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Press into bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake 10 minutes then allow to cool on a rack.

In a food processor, process ricotta cheese, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Add cream cheese and process just until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in 1/4 of the cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining cheese mixture. Pour over the crust and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the edges rise, and the center is just set, but still jiggly. Place on wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

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I’m right in the middle of an 18-day stretch of work, so posting — and cooking, photographing, housekeeping, gardening, and spending time with my family – has been a bit challenging. To top it off, we lost a beloved pet – our almost 17 year old cat, Fritz – on Mother’s Day. All of this is to say that I could really use a break right about now.

Thanks to my friend, Brian, from A Thought For Food, I don’t have to leave you all completely hanging. When I asked him if he’d be interested in posting here, he graciously accepted, and I’m so glad he did. Brian has been writing his beautiful food blog for almost two years – he celebrates his two year anniversary in June – and it’s one of my favorites to read. His photography is stunning, with a warm, vintage feel to his food photos that draws the viewer in. He has quite a way with words, and his recipes are always inspiring. I’ve never met Brian in person, but when I make it up to Boston one day, I plan to remedy that.

You can connect with Brian on Twitter and on Facebook, and, of course, through his blog. And you really should.

When Merry-Jennifer asked me to do a guest post for her beautiful blog, I immediately knew that I not only wanted to make something that she would enjoy, but a recipe that her kids would have fun making (and eating) as well.

I’ve always enjoyed MJ’s ability to have balance in her life. She juggles her work, her children, her blog… her husband (had to throw him in here, because we all know how much work that can be)… so seamlessly, I wonder how she stays sane. But she does, and she does it all with a big smile.

In a way, MJ is a kid at heart. She’s incredibly hard working and focused, of course, but she also has a playfulness to her. Which is why I couldn’t think of anything better to share on The Merry Gourmet than this recipe for Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats.

You may be thinking, “Really, Rice Krispies treats? You couldn’t think of anything slightly more sophisticated?” But before you judge, just try them.

The recipe comes from the Flour Bakery Cookbook, a recent release that has become a favorite of mine. The Flour Bakery is a Boston establishment, and almost anyone you talk to has a story to tell or a favorite pastry they recommend. Now, prior to making these treats, I had never had them from the store. In fact, I don’t think I’ve had a Rice Krispies treats since elementary school.

But the first bite of this decadent dessert brought on an enormous grin (and a giant, almost sensual, moan).

If you aren’t quite getting how incredible these are, maybe this will do it: take a look at the ingredients below and note the quantity of butter.  That’s right… two sticks.  Two sticks of butter, that has been browned in a pan, releasing a wonderful, nutty flavor.  Then it’s mixed with two bags of marshmallows, tossed with a box of rice cereal, and spread across a pan.  These aren’t just the simplest dessert you can ever make, but they are dangerously addictive as well (Eric, my husband and model, and I had a tough time stopping ourselves from taking slivers off them).  I highly recommend giving away at least half of them right away.

Otherwise, I can guarantee they won’t last more than a day.

Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats

From Joanne Chang's Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean
2 10-oz bags marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
9 cups crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Add the butter to a large saucepan set over low heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan with the butter. The butter will melt then begin to bubble and foam. Eventually it will start to turn brown and smell nutty - be patient and watch carefully, it can go from brown to burned quickly. Once the butter is browned, add all of the marshmallows and the salt. Stir the mixture constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Turn off the heat under the pan and add the cereal. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to coat the cereal evenly with the buttery, marshmallow liquid. Spread the mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Let cool for at least an hour before cutting and serving. You can store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

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