The catering business is also a powerful magnet for enterprising women.

Women, who enjoy cooking and want to show off their talent, are still attracted by the prospects of setting up a successful business. The Riyadh food scene is still thriving despite the tight competition. Newcomers however need to combine creativity and excellence if they want to create a successful business.

The current food trends can be summarized in one word: mini. I don’t know if we are still experiencing the after-effects of the recent crisis, but the fact is we are witnessing a period of downsizing. 

Cakes, tarts, creamy desserts, croissants, muffins, brownies, cupcakes and sandwiches are all made into smaller versions.

Young, intelligent and dynamic, Dima Saleh has recently set up her own catering business WeeDee Sweets. I am not surprised that she chose to specialize in cheesecake, a universal gourmet dessert and one of women’s favorite comfort foods. With a twinkle in the eye, she assured me that she makes “the real thing.” And I am delighted that someone in Riyadh is making bite size cheesecakes. What a good idea! The best ideas are often the simplest.

And, yes, it is better to eat less of the full-fat and full-calorie version. Studies show that we eat about 10 percent more total calories when we eat “lite” food than regular food. Researchers call this phenomenon the “lite halo effect.” The lite halo effect happens because we decide that a food is good for us and we feel happy about that decision. The result is that we justify overeating.

Scientists at Cornell University conducted a test. They gave two groups of people the same bowl of M&Ms: one was labeled “low-fat” while the other was labeled as normal. The people not only ate more of the “low-fat” M&Ms, but they ate 50 percent more of them. Therefore eating more of these light foods will only lead to weight gain even if the product has reduced calories.

Cheesecakes are very popular in the United States but they are of European origin, brought to the states by immigrants. The modern version of the cheesecake with its rich, dense and creamy texture was born after American dairyman William Lawrence produced the first American cream cheese in New York in 1872. In 1880, “Philadelphia” was adopted as a cream cheese brand name after the city that was considered at the time to be the home of top quality food. Made from pasteurized whole cow’s milk with extra cream added, cream cheese is used primarily as a spread or a baking ingredient.

Dima Saleh strives to produce high quality mini cheesecakes:

“This requires special skills, patience and a great amount of time,” she says.

She credits her mother and grandmother for having given her the feeling for cooking.

“Choosing to go into the food business came naturally to me. Since I was a child I enjoyed watching my mother and grandmother cook. I also feel that I am very lucky to share their talent for cooking.”

These morsels of indulgence, mini works of art, come in 19 flavors ranging from the classic New York cheesecake to the trendy Italian tiramisu. Other interesting flavors include latte, marshmallow, kunafa, Snickers and the sublime chocolate Ferrero.

This universal dessert, which is at its best as a smooth creamy confection, has something to offer for everyone. The pleasure begins even before the cheesecake melts in our mouth. Merely pronouncing the word “cheesecake” makes us salivate more easily and causes us to crave that addictive dessert that straddles sweet and salty.

The most difficult part is choosing the flavor. Cheesecake is so versatile it can be made and topped with virtually any fruit, chocolate, coffee, nuts, caramel, berry or anything sweet you fancy. I shall not crown a favorite flavor because thanks to their bite size, I can indulge in the pleasure of tasting all my favorite kinds of cheesecakes.

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