Lightly adapted from Butternut Bakery.

Crust:

• 2 cups (280g) ground honey graham cracker crumbs (2 sleeves
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (110g) butter, melted

Filling:

• (4) 8oz blocks full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temp
• 1 tsp almond extract (or more if you wish)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tsp lemon juice (fresh)
• 1 cup (250g) sour cream, room temp
  
  

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 9 inch springform pan. Lightly coat the entire inside with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with parchment paper and press two strips (or as many as it takes to cover the walls) of parchment paper up against the sides. They should peek over top the pan just a little.

In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs (finely ground in a food processor), sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then stir in the melted butter until the texture of wet sand. Pour into the pan and press it down into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using a small measuring cup to pack. It should almost reach the top. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool while you make the filling.

Make the filling: Drop the oven temperature to 305F (not an error) and place a large baking pan on the very bottom rack of your oven, like a roasting pan. Boil water in the electric kettle.

In a 2 cup measuring glass, beat together the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla with a fork. Set aside.

With the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium-low speed just until it’s smooth (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add in the sugar and cornstarch and mix on low for about 30 seconds to combine.Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix again on low speed for another 30 seconds to smooth out.

With the mixer on the lowest setting, slowly add in the egg mixture. It should take 3 to 4 pours and PATIENCE. You’ll be tempted to bump up the speed but don’t do it. Take the bowl off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the sour cream. Pour the batter into the pan and tap it against your counter a couple times to bring up any air bubbles that might have been caught in there.

Carefully pour the boiling water from the kettle into the pan on the bottom rack and place the cheesecake on the middle rack just about it. Move quickly to trap in that steam.

Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes. It’s done when the edges are golden and the center jiggles when the pan is nudged. Once it’s done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn off the oven, and crack the door open. Let it sit for an hour.

After the hour is up, put the cheesecake in the fridge uncovered and let it chill overnight. The next day, remove from the pan, slice, and top as desired.

Lightly adapted from The Woks of Life

• 1 pound (or about half an Aldi pack) of chicken tenderloins, cut into small chunks
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 Thai chile (which I have a hard time finding, so I used 1 serrano), thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp regular soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tsp sugar
• a splash of water or chicken stock
• A big bunch of Thai basil leaves.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauces, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.

In a wok over medium-high heat, heat a couple of teaspoons of canola oil. Saute garlic, shallots, and chili for a few minutes or until cooked down. Add chicken and cook for several minutes until cooked through. Add soy sauce mix and cook until well-coated and caramelized. Deglaze with water or chicken stock if necessary.

Add Thai basil leaves and saute until wilted. Serve with hot rice.

Lightly adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt on Serious Eats.

Preheat oven to 400F on convection setting.

• 2 quarts water (our usual pasta pot mostly full)
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 pounds potatoes (I like Yukon Gold; can also use Russet or a mix) cut into pretty big chunks, bigger than I normally do for roasted potatoes. Kenji says to peel them but I usually don’t.
• 5 Tablespoons olive oil, duck fat, beef fat, or a mix
• Salt and pepper

Fill a pot (our usual pasta pot mostly full) with 2 quarts water, 2 T kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Bring to a boil and add potatoes. Return to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or until knife-tender. Drain, then let sit for about 30 seconds for some evaporation. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Return to a bowl with oil/fat and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir and shake thoroughly to allow a coating of potato goo to develop. Spread on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes without disturbing. Using metal spatula, loosen and flip the potatoes. Roast for another 30-40 minutes or until very brown and crispy.