Tom Kha Soup

Ingredients
400 grams meat.  Choose chicken, shrimp, fish, something else.  beef or pork might be fine.
I've made this with chicken, shrimp and catfish, three different times.  All are great.

1000 ml box of high-fat coconut cream
2 c. chicken/veggie/beef broth

Flavorings:
2 tbsp Tom Kha Soup Base -or- 1 thumb chunk of galangal (difficult to find)
4 or 5 stalks of lemongrass
6 kaffir lime leaves
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
4 tablespoons of lime juice
3 tbsp honey
1/4 c. basil leaves
1 tbsp Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

Veggies:
1 big white onion (or 2 small white onions)
4 small tomatoes
1 large leek, chopped coarsely, even the green parts, except for driest bits
1/2 large cauliflower, chopped into bit-sized pieces
200 grams of oyster mushrooms (I used 2 big handfuls)
4 or 5 red jalapenos, minced up
1 or 2 orange bell peppers

Instructions
First take a thumb sized chunk of galangal, cut off the stems, and cut the root part into thin slices. It can be a little tough, so you might have to hit the top of your knife with your palm.
Next grab your lemongrass, slice off the bottoms, pull off the outer skin layer, and then slice it diagonally into about 1 inch strips. This is just going to help release its amazing fragrance.
Turn on your stove to medium heat, and add about 3 cups (or ½) of the coconut milk to a medium sized saucepan. Put the pot on the heat and immediately toss in the sliced galangal and lemongrass.
As your coconut milk begins to heat, move back over to your cutting board and slice up the chicken. I used 2 chicken breasts for this recipe. Slice the chicken into medium sized chunks - they can be kind of big in size.
Just before the coconut milk comes to a boil, add the chicken, and then add the other remaining 3 cups of coconut milk. Now, turn down the heat to a medium low, as you don’t want the coconut milk to heat too fast or burn.
Prepare your Thai chilies by peeling off the stems and then just slice them diagonally. Go ahead and add them directly to the soup.
Give the soup a quick stir, and then add about 200 grams of oyster mushrooms (it was about 2 handfuls for me).
Your coconut milk should not boil, but just maintain a nice low heat. Because coconut milk is so delicate, when you stir, be sure to move your spoon in 1 direction only, otherwise you run the risk of the coconut milk getting too shaken and it will start to curdle. Be gentle with the coconut milk.
Move back over to your cutting board and peel and slice 2 small white onions into thick wedges (if your onion is really big, just use 1). Immediately toss the onions into the soup.
Next, cut your tomatoes in the same way as your onions, into thick wedges. Wait until your tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is just about to boil, and then add the tomatoes.
Take the kaffir lime leaves, break them with your hand, and toss them directly into the soup. Breaking the kaffir lime leaves is going to release their flavor.
Now add about ½ teaspoon of salt to begin with (taste to add more)
Mix your tom kha gai slowly and gently, for about 5 - 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t come to a full boil - and if it does - turn down the heat to even lower. You want the chicken, onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients to be fully cooked, but you don’t want to overcook the coconut milk.
After about 5 - 10 minutes of cooking, go ahead and turn off the heat completely.
Go back to your cutting board, slice up a handful of fresh cilantro, and add it to the soup. Give it a quick stir, and the cilantro will cook enough from the already hot soup.
The final step is to juice a couple of limes into a separate bowl and then add about 4 tablespoons of lime juice to the tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่). Again, just give it a quick and gentle stir, and it’s ready to be served.
Make sure you do some taste-testing to make sure it’s salty and sour enough. You may need to add a little extra salt or lime juice to get the flavor you want.

Blueberry Topped New York Cheesecake

Use a 10 inch spring-form pan.

Crust
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

Filling
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese (five 8-ounce packages), room temperature
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Topping
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in lower third of oven.

2. Butter bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Line sides of pan with 4-inch-high strips of parchment and butter parchment.
3. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with salt and sugar to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated. Press evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
4. In a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, and sour cream with sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in remaining egg yolks, zest, and vanilla extract.
5. Crisscross two long pieces of foil and place a piece of parchment on top. Place springform in center of foil and wrap foil tightly around bottom and sides of pan. Transfer to a roasting pan, pour filling into springform pan, and smooth the top.
6. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan and carefully transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour until top of cheesecake is golden brown, edges are set, and center jiggles slightly. Lift cheesecake from water bath, remove foil and parchment from outside of springform, and chill cheesecake in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
7. To serve, remove side of springform pan and parchment strips. Cut cheesecake with a long, thin-bladed knife.

Blueberry Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until berries break down, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate, covered, until cold (or up to 3 days).

Lemon Curd Pie

For the tart shell:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt

For the lemon curd:
4 lemons, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the tart shell:
Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:
Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.

Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.