The Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook: Remarkable Recipes from a Chicago Legend, 40th Anniversary Edition, teaches readers how to make a perfect cheesecake just in time for the holidays.
Also included are festive savory dishes from Eli’s The Place For Steak, one of Chicago’s most popular dining spots from 1966-2005.
In addition to over 100 recipes, the cookbook takes readers on a historical ride from 1940 to present, through the lens of Eli Schulman’s colorful career and rise to restaurateur and baker extraordinaire. From surviving the Depression by selling shoes out of the back of his car to 35 years later creating “Chicago Style” cheesecake in his restaurant’s kitchen, Schulman, with no formal culinary training, managed to create one of the country’s most loved desserts.
It was there that he dreamed up dishes like Liver Eli and Shrimp a la Marc, put his own spin on Shrimp De Jonghe and Chicken Vesuvio, all recipes in the book, and created the signature dessert for the restaurant. When it came to cheesecake, Eli broke all the rules, (no water bath, and a fast and hot bake), resulting in a creamier texture than its New Yorkcounterpart, and baked on a shortbread cookie crust instead of graham.
The cookbook includes 12 most requested recipes from his famous namesake steakhouse, as well as recipes for 21 cheesecake batters, 12 crusts and 15 chocolates, caramels, and compotes, allowing readers to mix and match as many as 3,177 different combinations to create their own signature desserts. There’s also a new section devoted to Eli’s team members, from Kosovo to the Congo, sharing their favorite family recipes and food memories. Beautiful photography, archival snapshots, and celebrity anecdotes complement the recipes.
Celebrity collaborations include honorary Chicagoans Miguel Cervantes, who portrayed Alexander Hamilton in the Chicago production of Hamilton: An American Musical, and reprises his role on Broadway, and acclaimed actor Joe Mantegna.
Cheesecake recipes include: Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake • Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake (Joe Mantegna) • Carrot Cake Cheesecake • Lemon Cheesecake Tart with Blueberries (Chris Kennedy) • Crème Fraîche No-Bake Cheesecake with Blackberries • Goats Milk Cheesecake with Huckleberries • Stroopwafel Cheesecake (Jeff Tweedy, Wilko) • Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake • Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (Miguel Cervantes) • Baked Apple Cheesecake with Toasted Oat Streusel (Mike Ditka) • Salted Caramel Flan Cheesecake • Savory recipes include: Chateaubriand • Liver Eli • Shrimp de Jonghe • Potato Pancakes • Pepper Steak • Chicken Vesuvio.
The Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook ($30) is published by Agate Publishing, Inc. Get your copy at EliCheesecake.com with code CURE21 to donate a portion of sales to CURE Epilepsy in November, or purchase wherever books are sold. A cookbook and cheesecake combination gift box is also available.
