Things Remembered, Cheesecake Forgotten

I am reminded whenever I visit my cousins, J and The Demon Baby, of a bit of a rant I went on once in a seminar paper. Not about my toddler relations, but about the way digital photography is changing the way we experience/remember things. It's a strange thing that we can immediately view our experiences, assign a value judgement, and (if necessary) completely re-stage the moment. There's hardly such a thing as candid photography anymore. It's all performative. My cousins are a perfect example of this. Their first question after having their picture taken is, "can I see? can I see?" Despite having actually lived whatever it was being photographed only moments before, they want to see it again, and usually re-do it. It's kind of a bummer that J & TDB won't ever know the excitement of picking up developed photographs, laughing at crappy photos, or having something physical to hold while remembering.

However, it's hard to completely dislike the ubiquity of digital cameras when Roomie's new BlackBerry made it much possible to capture a moment like this for posterity.



So is it any wonder - with every little thing being recorded and the necessity to actually remember things waning - that I began soaking nuts for a raw cheesecake on the Solstice, forgot about them; used the nuts to make the components of a raw, vegan cheesecake on Christmas Eve then forgot to put it together until Christmas Day; forgot that I had it in the freezer until New Year's Eve, and then forgot to eat it until just tonight?
Obviously I'm going to have to start videoing everything I do. Desserts are at stake here, kids!! Desserts!!
Picture-Perfect Forgotten Cheesecake(adapted from the December 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times)

for the crust:1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
for the topping:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked 3+ hours
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup apple cider/juice
1/2 cup lemon juice (Note that unless you fresh-squeeze the juices, this dish is "technically" not raw. Check the label to see if the juice is cold-pressed. Either way it'll still be vegan.)
1/4 cup raw coconut oil (plus a bit extra for greasing the dish)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
to make:In a blender or food processor, chop the walnuts, un-soaked cashews, and raisins until the mixture begins to stick together. You might need to scrape the sides once or twice.
Press the mixture into a 9x9 glass baking dish, greased with coconut oil. Chill 30 minutes or overnight.
Drain the soaked cashews and with the rest of the topping ingredients, puree in the blender until smooth. Add up to 3 tablespoons of warm water to facilitate blending. Chill overnight (though, if you don't forget about it, you can spoon it on top of the chilled crust right away).
Once the cheesecake is put together, freeze for at least an hour before serving. Thaw for about 5 minutes, then slice and top with fresh berries, chocolate syrup, or whatever else might strike your fancy.
The best part? Since this is stored in the freezer, there's little chance of spoiling. You can forget about it for a week and still go back for another picture-perfect slice. Also good? It's raw and vegan. So you can "forget" about your New Year's Resolution to cut back on the desserts with little to no guilt.
Just remember to spend a few extra minutes on the treadmil/in the pool/on your yoga mat in the morning.

After all, there are cameras everywhere...