No... not together!

A couple quick questions for Karen!

Karen, I made your steak with cumin aioli and it was utterly divine. Any suggestions about what I can do with left-over cumin aioli?

Also, I am making your Vancouver cheesecake for Christmas. Would it be sacriligious to serve with a topping? (I may have some fussy guests) If not, could you recommend one for me?

Hi bijou22,

Karen will be without internet access for a couple of weeks Anyone else with suggestions, feel free to jump in.

Wa'il

I'm not a pro like Karen, but I am a complete foodie... ... so my suggestions would be (keeping in mind that personal taste is all):

I'd use the Cumin Aoli as a dressing or spread, like any flavoured mayonnaise, for a meat sandwich... roast beef on rye comes to mind. Just pop it into a container, refrigerate, and try to use within a couple of weeks at most. Home-made is preservative-free after all, at best-tasting reasonably fresh. I wouldn't try freezing it.

As for the famous Vancouver Cheesecake, I'm a sucker for a fresh fruity topping on this creamy confection. At this time of year, consider making a choice of berry toppings. Possibly a package of frozen strawberries, defrosted, sliced and stirred with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, then left to sit to marinate for at least an hour to blend the flavours. I like a grind of black pepper in there as well, but don't tell anybody Another possibility is a warm cranberry sauce: 1 package cranberries, rinsed and picked over, then brought to a simmer with a quarter-cup of water (just enough to prevent scorching) and a cinnamon stick and a slice of ginger; simmer til the berries 'pop', then let cool, pull out the cinnamon and ginger, and stir in a bit of sweetener of choice. Will be very tangy.

Hope this helps.

I recommend cherry and blueberry daVinci syrups as a topping for low-carb cheesecake.