Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake // Surgery Fellowship

We have some big and exciting news – B was accepted to a surgical fellowship in University of Pennsylvania so we will be in Philadelphia next year. B makes fun of me for being in the Ivy League, and now he has joined the club.

Philadelphia makes me think of Philly cheese steaks and Philadelphia cream cheese. This is a very belated recipe from the summer, back from when we went berry picking, but it’s fitting since it’s a cheesecake with Philadelphia cream cheese (and it’s B’s favorite food). Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence at Food Network.

B called me immediately when he got the news, but I was in Grand Rounds, so I didn’t pick up. He called me again when we were about to round with the attending, so I didn’t pick up again. So he texted me in all caps, “PICK UP” – I did, and he told me the good news (I may have sworn “Holy &j#*3! that’s amazing!” loudly in the middle of the hallway, causing everyone to look at me in confusion)

I can’t describe much of a huge weight off our shoulders this is – we can finally look forward to living together after so many years of long distance.

I will be looking for hospitalist positions in the Philadelphia area to work in the interim before I myself apply for hematology/oncology fellowship.

Applying to podiatry fellowship is super stressful and competitive, especially for B’s choice of foot and ankle reconstruction –  programs only have one position per year. B got into a wonderful program, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. Looking forward to Philadelphia!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients
CRUST
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

CHEESCAKE
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract

TOPPING
1 cup blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

CRUST
In a food processor, grind the graham crackers. In a bowl, mix the graham crackers, cinnamon, and melted butter. Cover the bottom and sides of an 6-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crust is golden; remove and set aside.

FILLING
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla.  Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour water into the roasting pan until the water is about 1/3 up the sides of the cheesecake pan (the foil keep the water from getting into the cheesecake). Bake for 35 minutes, until edges are firm but the center is still jiggly. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes, the chill for at least 4 hours (I like to freeze my cheesecakes)

TOPPING
In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Let cool before spreading on cheesecake. Top cheesecake and enjoy!