Tina Martini swoops onto the stage like a Las Vegas showgirl. Only she's modestly covered by a blue uniform. And she doesn't dance. She cooks.
"Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini" is the newest show at M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas. Martini performs in what looks like a TV food show studio, complete with cameras, lights and top of the line appliances and utensils.
Comfortable theater seats face a counter with a place setting for each person. This is the best part of the show, eating what Martini cooks. And she cooks with a vengeance. Her non-stop high energy spiel gets her through a lot of dishes in an hour. And when she's done, she swoops back where she came from.
But the show isn't over. A ticket includes a reserved seat for M's lunch or dinner buffet, depending upon show time. And it's a good buffet, judging by the dessert section, which is all that I had time to explore.
The show, with a rotating variety of topics, takes place three times a day Sunday through Thursday. For more information, go to www.themresort.com.
From the performance that I saw, here is the perfect dessert for Valentine's Day, a cheesecake that is as light as it is rich, with a pistachio biscotti crust and lots of pretty berry sauce.
HONEY RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
From Chef Tina Martini
The Cheesecake
8 ounces pistachio biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange blossom or clover honey
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
4 eggs
Raspberry Sauce
1 pint raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Additional berries for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Wrap the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.
Place the biscotti in a food processor and grind to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened.
Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan but not the sides. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool completely.
Clean the food processor. Add the ricotta and process until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl.
Blend in the honey and orange zest. Add the eggs and pulse just until blended.
Pour the cheese mixture over the cooled crust and smooth with the back of a moistened spoon.
Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Bring the foil slightly above the sides to protect the filling. Add hot water to come half way up the sides. Bake until the cake is golden and the center moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes.
Transfer the cake to a rack and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut into wedges and serve with raspberry sauce.
To make the sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in the food processor and process until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
Spoon the sauce over each slice, adding additional berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to the sauce if desired.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
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