I was watching La Strada on DVD this afternoon. It's a film by Fedelico Felini and even if you don't know this film you would have probably heard it's music somewhere before. The star here is Giulietta Masina (Felini's wife), and this trumpet music was played in her funeral.
I won't tell you the story here in case you haven't watched it, but it's a simple, beautiful, and sad story without being depressing. Giulietta Masina plays Gelsomina and her eagerness to please, her large innocent eyes, and her big tears are unforgettable. The last scene with Zampanò (played by Anthony Quinn) is very powerful and filled with regret and loneliness. His description in the film is "Oh, he is like a dog. You know how a dog, wanting an attention, can only bark."
I have seen some other Felini's films but I must say that they were a bit beyond me, and I was so pleased to find such a poignant film which I understood. Relaxing Sunday afternoon with a lovely film and some cheesecake.
Ingredients (for 20cm springform tin):
(for cheesecake top)
200g cream cheese
200g double cream
60g sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice
10g powdered gelatine
(for base)
6-7 digestive biscuits
40g butter
First you put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash the biscuits with a rolling pin, transfer the sandy biscuits into a bowl. Melt the butter and pour it over the biscuits and mix to make wet sand. Cut out a greaseproof paper to fit the bottom of the tin, spread the biscuits and push them with the back of a spoon to make a base. Put the tin in a fridge for now.
Whip the cream cheese and sugar together to a fluffy mixture in a largish bowl. Whip the cream in a separate bowl. Add the lemon juice into the cream and mix. Then put the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and mix gently.
Put the gelatine in a small pan, pour about 3 tablespoon of water, and very gently heat it up. Stop the heat when the gelatine melts. Cool slightly (it would become like a lump of silicone if you cool too much) and mix it with cream cheese.
Pour this cream mixture into the tin, put the tin back in the fridge and leave it for about 2-3 hours.
It would look fancy if you scatter some berries and sprinkle some icing sugar.