During my many years as executive chef I was blessed with working with wonderful pastry chefs. Joseph Tarantino made a rich New York style cheesecake lined bottom and sides with cookie dough. Willy Ritz at The Waldorf – Astoria lined the molds with cake crumbs and baked the cheese cake in a water bath.
Dipping into recent history the legendary pastry chef Albert Kumin working at the Windows on the World restaurant topped the cheesecake with strawberries and took it to the Joe Baum, the legendary restaurateur for approval. “Don’t f…. with a good product” was the answer. The cheesecake stayed plain.
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