ACE NEW YORK RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the onion, then thinly slice one portion. Set aside sliced onion. Add the remaining onion to a food processor, along with the garlic, chile and ginger. Purée until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and cook until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just starting to take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the mixture cooks, purée the canned tomatoes and their juices, if using diced, chopped or whole tomatoes.
• Add the beans and chile powder to the onion mixture, and mix well. Use a fork to mash a tablespoon or so of the beans against the side of the skillet to help thicken the sauce.
• Add the crushed or puréed tomatoes and garam masala to the beans, and mix well. Drizzle the top with cream or scatter with cheese, then slide into the oven and bake, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the top is lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Prepare the pickle: While the beans are baking, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer 1/4 cup hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the reserved onion slices to the boiling water in the saucepan, turn off the heat and, after 1 minute, drain the onion. Transfer the softened onion to the small bowl and stir in the vinegar.
• When the beans are ready, fish out the pickled onion slices and arrange on top, letting a few drops of the pickling liquid flick over the beans to season them. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice, buttered toast or flour tortillas.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Line 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking parchment paper, leaving enough hanging over sides to easily remove cheesecake from pan.
• In small bowl, stir Crust ingredients until well mixed. Firmly press mixture in bottom of loaf pan.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, the flour and grated lemon zest with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. On low speed, beat in whipping cream, vanilla and eggs just until blended. Pour filling into crust, and smooth top.
• Place loaf pan inside 13x9-inch baking pan. Pour very hot water into baking pan around loaf pan until water is about halfway up sides of filling in loaf pan, to create water bath.
• Carefully place in oven. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until cheesecake is set at least 1 inch from long edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. (Cheesecake will become firm during refrigeration.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven with door closed 15 minutes. Carefully remove from oven; cool in pan (with water) on cooling rack 30 minutes. Remove pan from water bath.
• Refrigerate about 3 hours, or until completely chilled. Using parchment ends, carefully remove cheesecake from pan. Carefully pull sides of parchment paper away from cheesecake. To cut cheesecake, use long, thin-bladed, non-serrated knife. Dip knife into hot water after each cut, cleaning off with paper towel. Serve topped with your favorite toppings, if desired. Store cheesecake loosely covered in refrigerator.