“Because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake.”
Hedy Lamarr
My mother’s birthday was last weekend.  Finding a present for a woman who has everything is next to impossible, so I like to make a special treat for her birthday as she does with me (she makes my favorite vadaas, or Indian savory fried doughnuts).  On a trip to DC for work, I had two delicious meals at Kellari Taverna, both ending with the restaurant’s rich, decadent Greek yogurt cheesecake.  While I would make the trek to Kellari again for their fresh fish, excellent wine list, and certainly for this dessert, I decided to attempt my version of this dessert, with the help of a recipe (courtesy of Google) and a few small tweaks.  I used this recipe, skipping the ouzo-soaked figs and substituting fresh berries, using full-fat Greek yogurt instead of low or nonfat, added dashes of cinnamon in lieu of the cinnamon stick (giving the cake a lovely pale pink color), and cut and served the cake in small squares.  The result was a supremely rich, decadent dessert that my mother (and my whole family) loved.
On a completely unrelated note, I saw Craig L. from this season of The Bachelorette at happy hour last night at Ladder 15. Â This makes me 2-2 for local celebrity spotting at that bar (the previous time, met Booker from Q102’s morning show). Â Decided against asking him if he were Team Chris or Team Roberto. Â Ha.
