Here’s how I came to be sitting on my living room floor, in my pajama top, wiping my hands on a ripped pair of house jeans, chew-shoving toasted brioche smothered in spicy honey cheese into my mouth: I went to spin class.
A few years ago when I lived in Venice (CA, not Italy), I’d go to a quaint little exercise class called Soul Cycle. Actually, Soul Cycle was never quaint, and no workout in Santa Monica is to be taken lightly… those beach people are SERIOUS. But! I’d go to Soul Cycle, it was on the high end of my exercise budget but hey.. I’m a Californian and I’ll splurge to exercise my thighs into submission. The spin classes are essentially super-intense stationary cardio bike rides set to super loud, so so loud club music. Sometimes it’s Mariah Carey and everything is right in the world.
In New Orleans, no one moves the speed of spin class, and God bless it. It just doesn’t make sense. But when I’m back in California I treat (treat?) myself to a spin, a deafening in-place spin.
Here are some thoughts:
- There are two places I want to hear Seal’s Kiss From A Rose. 1. Inside a burgundy Toyota Camry Solara WITH SEAL HIMSELF. 2. In spin class while everyone is setting up their bikes for impeding torture.
- The front row of spin class is a big deal. Imagine all of the girls from the movie Mean Girls except in their mid to late twenties, wearing expensive work out clothes, vying for teacher’s attention, in a dark noisy workout room… also they have their butts in your face. They all have good hair, too. And probably a lot of credit card debt (speculation).
- The spin instructors thighs will be skinnier than a normal human’s arms. Just know that going in.
- The music is so loud, you won’t be able to hear yourself think. That’s perfect. If you were able to think you’d realize that , EVERYTHING HURTS. Just pedal to the beat (or to the fancy pants in front of you) and try not to die.
- Trying not to die is exactly and all you’re doing in spin class. The instructors will throw out some encouraging mantras and quotes… essentially all they’re saying is ‘hey, try not to die’.
So… I went to spin class. And then I flew back to New Orleans and ate a bunch of cheese. All is back to normal. All is well.
Our ingredients are simple: two kinds of cream cheese, the power of a stand mixer and whisk attachment, honey, spicy salt, and black pepper.
Ricotta and cream cheese will smooth and fluff into a light and spreadable dream. And Jacobsen Ghost Chili Pepper Sea Salt combined with honey is more perfect that I know how to say.
After five minutes of medium-speed whisking, the ricotta and cream cheese (and a good splash of heavy cream) will be aerated, light and smooth.
It’s incredible the way ricotta smooths under agitation. I wish I were as malleable.
While spreadable cheese is certainly appropriate any time of day, I think this sweet and spicy ricotta is a really lovely brunch addition. By Brunch I mean, you sitting alone on your living room floor with a bowl of this cheese, a few slices of toasted brioche, hard-boiled eggs, and hot coffee. That’s really the only way I brunch, on my floor alone… I’m sure you’re just like me.
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Whipped Ricotta with Honey and Ghost Pepper Salt
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk if that’s what you have)
- ghost chili pepper sea salt + fresh cracked black pepper + honey
- toasted bread and hard boiled eggs for serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth and pliable. Stop the mixer and add ricotta and cream. Beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is less grainy and fluffed. Remove from the mixer and place in a bowl of platter. Sprinkle generously with spicy sea salt, black pepper, and a good drizzle of honey. Serve with toasted bread and hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy!
33 Responses
This looks superyummy!!
https://justsem.wordpress.com/
That’s it. No spinning ever for me! But food on the ground is good for posture. So, win win.
am making this for a halloween party tonight! so excited to try the ghost pepper salt!
spooky ghost pepper salt!! i like your style!
I’ve been to a few of those super intense spin classes – they certainly work, but it’s so much more pleasant to ride around the countryside instead. Minding cars of course!
This recipe sounds great! I might use our Chili Salt instead, though.
too old to enjoy the pain of spinning but loving any excuse to enjoy this whipped ricotta honey delight!
So funny lol. I would need two spin classes after eating this lovely food, but I think it would be worth it… This sounds DIVINE! Im imagining all the ways I could try it….
I still love that song. :)
i haven’t spun a spin class since i was a teenager – i don’t think they’d even let me in one, now! this cheese business, however, i will take please.
Okay, so I AM a spin instructor, so let me just say, (1) hahaha!!! And (2) I do not understand how/why an instructor could have skinny thighs, unless they’re just faking it up there. Most instructors (self included) have beautiful quads of thunder and worry only about not developing a t-rex body (=huge legs +tiny arms). And (3), yes, if you were wondering, your spin instructor really does enjoy torturing you (for your own good of course… Err). It’s a very satisfying job, AND requires additional caloric intake, I.e. eating more baked goods. It’s a win-win-win.
This looks so amazing!
You make me laugh with your perfect take on spin class!! Thanks. Looking forward to your brunch cookbook????
joy! you should come to spinning with me sometime at higher power in mid-city! they have an AMAZING (brutal) class on sunday evenings: 35-minute spin, 15-minute high intensity intervals, 35-minute power yoga. it has become my ritual and enables me to keep eating everything i want in this city we call home. it’s also a great community — co-ed, not prissy, and a different theme each week (this week’s was atlanta vs. NOLA so there was a lot of nelly, ying-yang twins, etc.).
You continue to entertain me Joy The Baker. I love all Jacobsen Salts and am so happy you have it in New Orleans. BTW, I’m still working on giving at least one compliment a day. Good thinkin’.
ohh my gosh, I wil enjoy try these for my family table
Haha, I loved this post! And that cheese! I cannot wait to try making my own whipped ricotta! I think I’ll forgo the spin class all together and stick to what I’m truly good at – eating.
Hi Joy! I LOVE your writing and your description of spin class is hysterical! Having just finished reading “After You” by JoJo Moyes, I’ve decided that you are Louisa… Funny, caring, spontaneous, creative and all around great woman. BTW, I don’t bake much and I’m 79 years old but I so look forward to your articles. Keep at it!!!
Ha! I need to get back into the serious exercise groove. But I love the idea of honey and ghost pepper salt with ricotta. What a perfect alignment of sweet, spicy, salty, creamy!
I go to spin class on Saturday mornings for the exact feeling of satisfaction at *not* dying. for some really weird reason, it sort of keeps me sane. but I go to the early class so it’s mostly fellow 30-or-older-something bodies, because the fit and trendy 20-somethings aren’t awake yet. that helps.
Hahaha, you are cracking me up! I grew up in Santa Monica/Venice and yes, they are very serious about their exercise. The perfect hair and the instructors legs are smaller than arms, LOL! We use to make fun of a lot of it because it was so over the top. We lived on our rollerskates and cruisers :)
This ricotta sound amazing with that ghost chilli powder, I like it spicy!
At this stage of my life I’m lucky if I even walk around the block! I really enjoyed your description of a spinning class in CA – I could just imagine how it must be. I really like this recipe AND I want to also pin your recipe for Raspberry-Honey Butter, which Eline mentioned above.
Oh, that Soul Cycle class sounds intense. I have never gone, but I recently made the mistake of taking body bar class with my sister at her fancy gym when I visited. It hurt to walk for five days. But on a brighter note, I’m lusting after that fancy ghost pepper salt right now- have you found it in stores, or only online?
If cycling is like death, this cheese must be heaven! I’m so on board with this whipped ricotta and honey. And I’ve never heard of ghost pepper, but it sounds like an adventure, so I’m in! Yum!
This looks amazing! Also I’ve never heard of ghost pepper salt but now I feel like I need to add it to everything – eggs, popcorn, etc.
Oh my goodness… I need to try this asap! It looks absolutely divine!
x Sarah
https://www.bohochiccafe.com
This looks AMAAAAAAZING!!!! I love your whipped ricotta with olive oil, I will be giving this one a try!
-sara
https://almostpaleokitchen.blogspot.com/
Ohhhh, spin class. I went once. ONCE. Never again. I don’t ‘do’ exercise. I walk (really fast) and yoga. BUT, cheese I do. And Jacobson salt, yes. I first had it when I was eating pretentious $4 toast in San Francisco. I loved it. I’m hunting for the spicy one now!
I’ve never been to a spin class and after reading about your experiences and outlook I think I am glad but I do intend to make this luscious cream and the brioche to go with. Bless you Marie Antoinette.
Well, it’s not SoulCycle, but there are some spin classes that will kick your butt around New Orleans if you care to look.
Haha hilarious. I have only been to spin class once and that was more than enough to realize that it’s nothing for me (eventhough I love high intensity workouts). But I know that this spread is something that I’d like. It happens I have a pot of ricotta in the fridge, I’ll try to make this as soon as I have some time!
Oh dear heavens, I haven’t made it to a spin class yet ( we have them in Cleveland which after all the beer and food, we probably need it). I did venture into a Hot yoga class the other night…let’s just be happy the room was dark…Holy shit! It was great but dang … I could have used some spiced honey cheese after.
haha, we don’t have anything like soul cycle here in Montreal but we do have regular spin classes at the gym! and I inevitably end up eating something cheesy afterwards…I’ll get on this next time!
Love it :) And happy to try. I’m also still making your raspberry-honey butter all the time. Thanks!