I’ve always had a thing for cheesecake. The really fantastic kind, that when I went to Corky and Lenny’s in suburban Cleveland made me want to pass up the corned beef and chopped liver and just do dessert. The kind that made you grab people and say “you have to have some.” The kind that will make you ever forget you just signed up for Weight Watchers. Cool bit of trivia from Livestrong - the first recorded instance of cheesecake being served? The Olympics in 776 BC! Calorie count in what would be considered the usual serving? Um.....somewhere say, around 400 or so. I know, don't ask you killjoy! And yes, there is a certain amount of what shall we say are strong feelings are what a "real" cheesecake is. One description from What's Cooking America is very precise; “New York cheesecake is the pure, unadulterated cheesecake with no fancy ingredients added either to the cheesecake or placed on top of it. It is made with pure cream cheese, cream, eggs, and sugar. Everybody has a certain image of New York Style Cheesecake. According to New Yorkers, only the great cheesecake makers are located in New York, and the great cheesecake connoisseurs are also in New York. In the 1900s, cheesecakes were very popular in New York. Every restaurant had their version. I believe the name "New York Cheesecake" came from the fact that New Yorkers referred to the cheesecakes made in New York as "New York Cheesecake." New Yorkers say that cheesecake wasn't really cheesecake until it was cheesecake in New York. Arnold Reuben, owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49^th and Broadway in New York City, claimed that his family developed the first cream-cheese cake recipe. Other bakeries relied on cottage cheese. According to legend, he was served a cheese pie in a private home, and he fell in love with the dessert. Using his hostess’ recipe and a pie she made with ingredients he provided, he then began to develop his own recipe for the perfect cheesecake. Reuben soon began to serve his new recipe in his Turf Restaurant, and the cheesecake quickly became very popular with the people who frequented Reuben’s Broadway restaurant.”

    But as someone who has Weight Watchers to thank for keeping me as honest as I can be, I’ve found three different cheesecake recipes so we can all enjoy a taste, from fattening, to low fat to gluten free. The classic recipe comes from our own Mimi Lawson, who you hear doing traffic mornings. The one morning she brought in this cheesecake, it was truly the breakfast of champions as far as we were concerned. But…you do pay the price for that kind of indulgence on a continuing basis. I've always enjoyed my cheesecake with the crust, but this one does not have it and I never missed it. Delicious!

  So, take a look at the three choices I’ve found and especially the gluten free cheesecake from my friend Carol Kicinski. She’s working on a new book, and when that’s ready she come in to Kelly’s Kitchen to share more great recipes. Thanks also to one of my favorite go-to sites, The Food Network, for the low fat recipe.  No pressure, no worries, it’s just cheesecake.

  Remember, you can share your favorites here in Kelly’s Kitchen. I’d like to know where in Tampa Bay you’ve found outstanding cheesecakes. Send them along to me at ann.kelly@coxmg.com and I’ll be more than happy to pay them a visit and let you know what I thought. And if you’d like to share your own recipes, please send those. I’ll have a special gift from Kelly’s Kitchen for the top three recipes!

   By the way, I was down in Hyde Park last weekend, and really enjoyed stopping in City Street Sweets for a salted chocolate caramel. What a delectable combination! Make sure you stop in soon, and join us for the Fresh Market the first Sunday of every month from 10 am to 3 pm. I'm planning to stroll the circle to start my April in a perfectly delicious way!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where she is." - Ellen Degeneres