Cheesecake has been considered a sweet reward since early civilization. It was even served to the athletes in the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. It made its way to America with European immigrants who, along with bringing their hopes and dreams, carried with them favored old-world recipes and cooking techniques.

Cheesecake has always been a symbol of decadence -- so rich that one can only eat a small slice. In earlier days, it also had the reputation of being time consuming and hard to make. But electric kitchen tools changed all that. Now cheesecake is one of America's most popular desserts -- and it can be surprisingly good for you. It can even help you simplify life in the kitchen, as it can be made ahead of time, and in most cases, frozen until ready to serve. Not many desserts can make that claim!

As you will see in this issue of the DuPont SilverStone® Cooking School, cheesecake is not only easy to make, but it can even be full of nutrition.