If it's 93° F outside and you're basically cooking outdoors (big open kitchen at mother-in-law's place on Long Island), and the oven is on for much of the day at 350°F, is there a way to calculate the real temperature? I'd like to know. I'd say it's close to 100°F. Throw in the little detail of being almost eight months pregnant, and you have yourself a winner of a situation.

It was hot yesterday.

I managed two recipes. One worked out really well. The Anise Seed Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (left) was easy to develop, easy to bake and is quite delicious. The Raspberry Ginger Cheesecake (right) was disappointing. Technically, it still needs some time to chill down in the fridge before serving, but I dug into it anyway and found problems other than those that would be solved by a night's nap in the icebox. The crust somehow absorbed some fat or liquid and developed a dark ring halfway up the sides. It also never cracked on top, which may or may not be a sign that it wasn't cooked enough (despite leaving it longer than I expected, and getting quite an oven tan on top.

Five more to go. Hopefully it will be done by the end of the weekend.

Recipes Tested: 2 (70, total)
High Temperature in the Kitchen: 93
Cold Showers Taken: 3