Say cheese! That's right, today is National Cheesecake Day, a whole day dedicated to that sweet treat we all love, but our waists do not! If you are up for celebrating this delicious holiday, you can take advantage of a special offer at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in the Danbury Fair Mall. They are offering slices of any of their cheesecakes for half-off July 30th and 31st.
According to Wikipedia, The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμα—plakountopoiikon suggramma). Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently. In 1912, James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese. Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark in 1928, and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.
Whether baked cheesecake should be classified as a cake, a custard, a torte, or something else is a matter of debate.
The early Greeks considered it a cake. Some modern authors point to the presence of many eggs, the sole source of leavening, as proof that it is a torte. Still others claim that the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour prove that it is a custard pie.
No matter whether you consider it a cake, custard, or torte, most will agree cheesecake is a delicious dessert! So go out and get your cheesecake on!