It didn't take mankind long to discover the rich, luxurious taste of cheesecake. Using goat cheese, the Romans baked cheesecakes in breadlike loaves. At Henry IV's coronation feast in 1399, cheesecakes were on the menu, along with such other opulent delicacies as peacocks, egrets, and cranes. And let us not forget Lady Mary Wortly Montagu, an English noblewoman who lived in Brescia, Italy, in the mid-18th century. She wowed the local citizenry with her cheesecakes, about which she wrote: They "are receiv'd with universal applause, and I have reason to believe (they) will preserve my Memory even to Future ages."

History may have forgotten Lady Montagu, but cheesecakes live on, more popular than ever. In fact, probably the most famous of them all was created right here in the United States, and not that long ago: the Lindy, named after the famed restaurant that stood in the heart of Manhattan's theater district for 44 years. Creamy and dense, it's considered the definitive New York-style cheesecake. And no wonder -- created by owner Leo Lindemann, the recipe calls for 2 1/2 pounds of cream cheese, five eggs, two yolks, and heavy cream -- not exactly light cooking.

Then again, few cheesecakes are. And that's where we step in: We've created breakthrough recipes that match traditional cheesecakes in richness and texture while cutting the fat by at least half. We've simplified our recipes, too: The cream cheese mixtures are done in one bowl -- no egg whites to beat separately and fold in. Additional ingredients are either folded in, mixed in the crusts, or placed on top.

The low-fat crusts are another triumph. Beating egg whites with sugar and margarine, then mixing in cookie crumbs, produces a crisp crust that is far lower in fat than conventional ones. We kept the fat further in check with a mixture of fat-free and reduced-fat cream cheeses. To reduce the risk of cracking, the cheesecakes are baked at low temperatures; to help them set gently, they're kept in a turned-off oven for about an hour or so after they're done.

So here's to cheesecake triumphs, the future -- and Lady Montagu, whom we haven't forgotten.