Lemon cheesecake with fresh fruit topping

             This is my favorite cake, cheesecake, it is New York -Style cheesecake. Special thanks to my friend, Jenifer Maslow for teaching me how to make this cake. It has been passed on over a few generations of women in her family. I went to learn how to make it at her house, I took the cheesecake home to share with my husband and my friends, they all loved it and we all agreed this is the best cheesecake we had ever had. One month later, I took my Thai friends, P'Nok, Natalie and N'Pae, Tanasirin to learn to make cake with Jenifer again. We had so much fun and learned so much. We loved every minutes of it. Once again, thank you, Jenifer for all you did. You are a great teach.
            I make cheesecake from my food processor,  I don't have those stand or hand mixer. It works  fine and I know I am going to have a nice one of stand mixer someday. I think I love to learn to make cake.

Ingredients: 

Crust

1) 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2) 1 tsp cinnamon

3) 8 Tbsp melted butter

Filling 

1) 3 8Oz packages Philadelphia cream cheese (at room temperature)

2) 1 1/4 cups sugar

3) 4 eggs (at room temperature)

4) 2 cups sour cream

5) 1 cup whipping cream

6) 1 Tbsp lemon juice

7) 1/2 tsp vanilla

8) 1 zest of lemon

Lightly grease the bottom and a side of 11" spring form pan.

Parchment baking paper.

I show you how to make a parchment paper circle in a spring form pan.and how to put a parchment paper on a bottom of spring form pan.

Graham crackers. I used 9.3OZ or 2 cups.
I start with preparation of crust

Break a graham crackers into small pieces and place into a food processor. 

Melt 8 Tbsp butter 

In a mixing bowl, mix together  ingredients for crust and press into prepared 11" spring form pan. 

Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until it smells good.

While baking a crust and letting it cold, prepare the filling
3 Packages Philadelphia cream cheese.

In a large food processor, beat cheese until smooth, add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

Scrape the side down and add another one of egg.

Add the remaining of ingredients, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix until they are blended in.

Now, pour the filling into spring form pan onto a crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. Turn the oven off and allow cheesecake to bake in the oven for an additional hour, don't open the oven door.

The cheesecake will not fully set until chilled, remove the cheesecake from the oven onto a cooling rack. 

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

This picture I show how to put fresh fruit on top of the cheesecake. There are mango, strawberry, kiwi and blueberry. 

I made for my friend, Tanasirin's  birthday. 

 I made for my lovely brother-in-law, Darren's birthday. 

I made for my wonderful mother-in-law, Carolyn's birthday. 

Thai steamed Bronzini fish with lime sauce

 Thai steamed Bronzini fish with lime sauce; "Pla  Bronzini Neung Ma Nao"  ปลาบรอนซินี่นึ่งมะนาว

Ingredients for the steamed fish
1) 1.2 Lb Bronizini 
2) 3 stalks Lemongrass
3) 5 Kaffirlime Leaves
4) 1/4 tsp salt
5) 2 and 1/2  " galangal roots

Ingredients for the lime sauce
1) 4Tbsp Tbsp lime juice
2) 10 fresh chillies
3) 12 cloves garlic
4) 4 Tbsp fish sauce
5) 2 Tbsp sugar
6) 2 sprigs cilantro
7) 1/8 tsp salt
8) 1 and 1/2 cup of water
9) 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Preparation:
1) Wash lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal roots.

 2)  Rinse Bronzini inside and out, 

 3) Tear kaffilime leaves, slice galangal and use the pestle to smash lemongrass then cut into 1.5 " length. 

 4) Score the Bronzini at an angle all the way to the bones on both sides to help it cook faster and the sauce get through the fish better.

 5)  Tuck lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal inside the cavity.

 6) Place a fish on a steaming dish, sprinkle with a salt.

 7) Heat water in a steamer until boiling. Then put the prepared fish in the steamer and leave it for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

8) On the mean time while we are steaming the fish. I will make a lime sauce. Wash cilantro, peel garlic and pick up the stems of fresh chilies.

9) Bring water 1 and half cup to boil, add salt, soy sauce and cut cilantro root.

10) Chop garlic and fresh chillies into very pieces.

11) Add chopped garlic and fresh chillies. Turn off the heat. 

 12) Add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. The taste should be sweet, sour and spicy.

 13) When the fish is cooked, remove from the heat,  place the steamed fish into a serving plate and  pour the spicy lime sauce over the steamed fish.

 14) Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.