Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

One of my roommates just had a birthday, and I, looking for any excuse to make a dessert, asked him to pick something for me to make. His choice was a cheesecake. More specifically he asked for a strawberry swirl cheesecake, as opposed to a plain cheesecake with a strawberry topping.

Cheesecake and I don't always get along. Don't get me wrong, I love cheesecake. And sure, I can make 'em fine, but often times something goes amiss. But, the man made a request and I endeavored to fulfill it. So I went searching through the internets, and found a recipe that I liked. I liked it because it seemed fairly simple. I wasn't about to get cocky, however, because often times the simplest things to make are the simplest to get wrong. This would not be a cheesecake afflicted by hubris.

I gathered my ingredients together, which was easy enough. Cream cheese, strawberries. graham crackers, etc. I did depart from the recipe slightly in the crust. Nothing big, mind you. But I like my graham cracker crust to have some... character, I guess you'd call it. Rather than use pre-ground crumbs, I take whole crackers and crumble them up by hand in a plastic bag. It makes for a more rustic texture, and I really like it. (OK, I admit, it's also and AB thing)

Other than that, I followed along with the given method, and I didn't have any hiccups. I thought for sure the strawberry sauce wasn't going to work. After all, it's just frozen strawberries and a little cornstarch liquified in a blender and applied with heat. But it turned out well as a sauce, and it swirled into the cheesecake rather nicely.

I'm also happy to say that the waterbath worked correctly for once. I figured out the trick to it: you have to use large sized heavy-duty foil. Anything else will just tear. Yes, I know, it seems obvious doesn't it? But sometimes you learn that the things you miss are often the things that make the most sense. The point is: now I know, and I won't have a repeat of past mishaps. (Trust me, hot water plus graham cracker crust in a leaky springform pan is not fun.)

All said and done, it turned out pretty well, and was quite tasty, so I'll give you a few money-shots to ogle for a while:

Also, it has been pointed out to me that while I have plenty of cooking, I am lacking in shenanigans. Now, I don't want to do crazy just for its own sake (at least not all the time), but I do want to experiment more. So, If anybody has any suggestions on something I can try, let me know. Even if it's, "hey, what would happen if you (insert action here) with that mac and cheese recipe?" It can even be something simple with the challenge of making it more interesting.

Anyway, if you have any thoughts, please post them in the comments section. Thanks everyone!