My no-bake (no-fuss) cheese cake with mixed berries

Food, to me, is an essential element of good living. I am particularly hopeless when it comes to food shows on TV (note: I am not just talking about cooking shows, any show that is remotely related to food is guaranteed to have my full attention). A couple of years ago, I got hooked on an Australian cooking competition show called 'My Kitchen Rules' (MKR), where teams from all around the country cook their best 3-course meal in their own home to win the judges' votes. Inspired by the show, me and a couple of foodie friends decided that we should have our own MKR dinners at each other's homes. Since there were six of us (teams of two), the hosting team will cook the main, and the other two teams will cook entree and dessert. At the end of the night, votes are cast to determine which team makes the winning dish. The monthly tradition was going strong until the second half of 2011, when busy schedules and health issues got in the way of party planning. At the end of 2011, we decided to bring back the MKR tradition in 2012. I still remember the moment, as I was marking the MKR dinner on my calendar, I started to drool because I was picturing images of beautifully-cooked and garnished food, sitting as pretty as a picture next to polished cutleries, on a lovely table for six.

The day has finally arrived. T and J are hosting the dinner, so the main is their responsibility. D and I are in charge of dessert-wait, I should rephrase, I am in charge of dessert, as D cannot even tell the difference between parmesan and ricottta. After a week of going back and forward on recipes, and weighing the uncomfortable effects of the hot weather with the importance of 'showing off', I finally locked in on a no-bake cheese cake with mixed berries. The recipe is the embodiment of simplicity and beauty-simple to make, yet, it looks as pretty as a picture, and is guaranteed to get the tastebuds excited. I started by processing 3.5 packets (roughly) 340 grams of Oreo biscuits (the cream filling and all) with 60 grams of butter to a sandy rubble in a food processor, then press the mixture into the sides and bottom of a standard tart tin. The mixture needs to be put in the freezer for 15 minutes to set, then popped in the fridge to keep cool. While the mixture is sitting comfortably in the fridge, chilled, I could only wish I was THAT chilled in the kitchen, on a hot summer afternoon. I decided that before the heat got the better of me, I need to tackle the hardest part of the recipe-melting mash mellows (anything that requires the stove is going to be a challenge, I thought). Don't get me wrong, melting mash mellows isn't difficult technically (all you have to do is melt the mash mellows with a dash of cream or a small nob of butter on low heat), but any form of COOKING would cause me discomfort and possible dehydration on such a hot day. For 400 grams of cottage cheese, you need 3/4 of a packet of mash mellows, which serves as a 'setting' agent for the cheese cake. It is perfect for no-bake cheese cakes as such, as you get both the gelentine AND the sugar in mash mellows-that is 'killing two birds with one stone' for me. Cream the cheese in a food processor/blender with the juice of one lemon, then add the melted mash mellows till all the ingredients are well combined. Pour the cheese filling into the tart base and spread it evenly. You can use whatever summer berries, but I picked blackberries, strawberries and blueberries for color and flavour. The vibrant colour of the fresh strawberries provides a sharp contrast with the deep colours of the blackberries and blueberries, and brightens the whole cheesecake with that touch of 'glamour'. Arrange the berries in a decorative manner, and pop the cheesecake back to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours. I know that it would be a struggle to have to wait that long, but trust me, it is going to be well worth it. I was opening and closing the fridge every half hour to poke, drool and admire, but I am not one to boast self control when it comes to food this yummy and beautiful. This simple recipe is going to get you plenty of brownie points from loved ones, as it looks like you had been slaving in the kitchen for hours (when the only cooking you did was melting mashies!).