By Gil Marks
I vividly remember my first bite of a truly excellent cheesecake. It was at a now deceased vegetarian establishment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The restaurant was a favorite haunt of Noble Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer, himself a neighborhood resident and noted vegetarian, who happened to be dining there that day, making the experience all the more memorable. To be honest, the rest of the food was barely passable at best. The dessert, however, proved a true revelation, an encounter with culinary greatness. Hyperbole aside, it was light-years ahead of any dish I had ever sampled that claimed to be cheesecake. During a visit to San Francisco, I once tried a “New York cheesecake,” only to be sorely disappointed. Even worse were the famous national brands of cheesecake in the grocer’s freezers. Poorly made versions, and there are many, have a dry, chalky texture and either a bland or cloying taste. A genuine New York cheesecake, on the other hand, is sensually creamy as to melt in your mouth yet firm and has a slightly tangy flavor derived from cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla.
After tasting that authentic cheesecake, I spent the following several weeks experimenting with various recipes until I came upon the combination that equaled the ideal in my mind.
Cheesecakes are basically thick custards, usually with a bottom and sometimes also a side crust. Today there are three basic types of baked cheesecake: cream cheese (called New York or Jewish cheesecake); farmer cheese or cottage cheese (sometimes called Russian cheesecake); and ricotta cheese (sometimes called Italian cheesecake). The three types are further varied by the proportion of cheese and eggs, adding whole eggs or beating the egg whites and folding them in, and presence and amount of flour. In addition, there is an unbaked mousse-like version (also referred to as French cheesecake).
Cheesecakes are actually quite ancient. By the fourth century BCE, Greeks were preparing several types of griddlecakes incorporating fresh curd cheese, flour, and sometimes honey. Subsequently, Romans made cheese cakes, cooked on a griddle or directly on the hearth, called placenta (from the Greek plakous, “flat mass”), some types baked in a crust, and libum (from libare “poured,” as they were used in as ritual offerings), made from curd cheese, flour, eggs, and sometimes olive oil and honey. Similar cheesecakes were prominent in late medieval Italy, such as the torta bianca (white tart), made from curd cheese, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, and ginger. From the onset, medieval cheesecakes were actually more of a cheese tart with a crust providing a sturdy base and baking container for the soft custardy filling.
Considering the long English love of cheesecake, it is hardly surprising to find them in the American colonies. Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery and Booke of Sweetmeats (c. 1625, given to her upon her wedding to Daniel Curtis in 1749) included three cheesecakes and a baked pudding, a cheesecake without a crust. Reflecting the nineteenth century German and Jewish styles of cheesecake, the original edition of The Settlement Cook Book by Lizzie Black Kander (Milwaukee, 1901) contained four version of cheese kuchen, made from cottage cheese. By the 1943 revision, one of the cheese pies included a “Graham Cracker Shell.” However, all of the fillings still called for cottage cheese. In the 1965 revision, three of the cakes call for cottage cheese and one is the New York style made with cream cheese and sour cream and including a Zwieback or Graham Cracker Crust.”
Until the early twentieth century, cheesecakes had a somewhat coarse, heavy texture. This would change due to a new product, cream cheese, created in 1872. In the 1930s, Jews in New York City substituted cream cheese and sour cream for curd cheese creating the Jewish cheesecake, also called New York cheesecake, on its way to becoming ubiquitous to well-known New York delis and America’s favorite type of cheesecake.
Among those claiming credit for the creation of New York cheesecake was Arnold Reuben (1883-1970), a German-Jewish immigrant who became the owner of a succession of Manhattan restaurants. In 1928, he opened Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen on East 58th Street and in 1942 the Turf restaurant in the Brill Building (longtime center of American songwriting) at Broadway and 49th Street. Reuben recounted how, after sampling a cheese pie in 1929 at a dinner party, he asked the hostess for the recipe and proceeded to play with the ingredients, substituting cream cheese for the cottage cheese. If this story is true, Reuben is truly a major contributor to gastronomy, as he is also credited with creating the famous Reuben sandwich.
When Reuben’s cheesecake was served in the 1940s to high profile clientele at the Turf restaurant, it garnered a good deal of renown, leading to its imitation by other delis. Bakers in New York City began experimenting with the new cream cheese in their cheesecakes and found it, in conjunction with heavy cream or the eastern European sour cream, the latter producing the creamiest texture and interesting piquant note of flavor.
If Reuben created the New York cheesecake, Lindy’s Restaurant put it in the limelight. In August 1921, Leo “Lindy” and Clara Lindemann, eight years after he arrived in Manhattan from Berlin, Germany, opened a deli on Broadway near 50th Street in Manhattan, the heart of the Theater District. Lindy’s featured standard (kosher-style) Jewish fare, including super-sized sandwiches, blintzes, gefilte fish, and especially its creamy cheesecake topped with strawberries in a gel. Rumor claims that Lindy hired Reuben’s baker, thereby, procuring the famous recipe, although the two cakes were not identical. Damon Runyon frequented Lindy’s and incorporated it into some of his stories as “Mindys.” Little Miss Marker began: “One evening, along toward seven o’clock, many citizens are standing out on Broadway in front of Mindy’s Restaurant.” In 1950, when Runyon’s work “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” was transformed by Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows, and Jo Swerling into the musical “Guys and Dolls,” Lindy’s cheesecake was immortalized when Nathan Detroit attempts to entice Sky Masterson to wager on whether Mindy’s sold more cheesecake or apple strudel.
Originally, New York cheesecake was made with a pastry crust, akin to the medieval versions. Soon a simpler crust made from crushed zwieback became popular. By the late 1930s, they were supplanted by another American innovation, graham cracker crumbs.
In 1949, Charles W. Lubin (1903-1988) left a small baking business with his brother-in-law and founded his own company in Chicago, named after his then eight-year-old daughter, Sara Lee. His first product was a Jewish-style cheesecake, sold fresh to local supermarkets. Five years later, after discovering a way to quick-freeze his product, the company went nationwide as did the concept of New York cheesecake.
A genuine New York cheesecake is sensually creamy as to melt in the mouth, yet firm and has a slightly tangy flavor derived from cream cheese, lemon juice, sour cream, and vanilla. The basis of a classic creamy cheesecake is cream cheese. In this case, more expensive is not best. Fresh cream cheeses lack the stabilizers of commercial brands and tend to break up during baking, resulting in a grainy texture. Low-fat cream cheese produces a firmer texture as well as leaves a heavy feeling in the mouth, so it is not recommended. Yogurt cheese (labaneh), made by straining plain yogurt, makes an acceptable lower-fat substitute if absolutely necessary.
Sour cream adds a pleasant tang and contributes to a smooth texture. Too much sour cream, however, overwhelms the cream cheese’s flavor. Eggs add to the cake’s creaminess. Egg yolks contribute to the cake’s moistness; too many yolks produce a custard-like texture. Let the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs stand at room temperature for at least thirty minutes before using. After adding the eggs, do not over beat or the air will cause a crack in the center. Baking at too high of a temperature also contributes to cracks. Baking in a water bath produces the creamiest texture.
Since cheesecake freezes well, it can be prepared far in advance, relieving any last-minute holiday hassles. Do not freeze the topping, but add it shortly before serving. To thaw cheesecakes, place in the refrigerator overnight. Dental floss held taut cuts cheesecake smoother than a knife. If using a knife, dip it into hot water.
Many aficionados insist on unadulterated cheesecake, while others enjoy adding various flavorings. Even purists like myself, however, allow for a topping, most notably fruit (cherries or strawberries) or sour cream.

New York-Style Creamy Cheesecake
(One 9-inch cake/10 to 12 servings)
1 recipe cheesecake crust (see below)
24 ounces (685 grams/3 cups/720 ml) cream cheese, softened
1½ cups (10.5 ounces/300 grams/360 ml) granulated sugar
2 cups (17 ounces/485 grams/480 ml) sour cream
About 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
4 large eggs (¾ cup/6 fluid ounces/7 ounces/200 grams)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 C). Place a large pan of water on bottom shelf and pour in an inch of boiling water. Grease sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Double wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty foil.
2. Prepare desired crust as described above. Let cool.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. On low speed, beat in eggs.
4. Pour into prepared springform pan. Set in water bath. Bake until firm around the edges (2-inches in the center will jiggle slightly, but firms during cooling) and lightly browned or registers about 150 degrees on an instant-red thermometer (about 1½ hours). Do not test with a knife, which cracks the cake. Run a sharp, thin knife around the outside of cake to loosen from pan.
5. Turn off oven, open door, and let cool in oven for 30 minutes. Immediately move to refrigerator and let cool uncovered. If desired, spread with a topping. Cover with plastic wrap or an inverted bowl and chill overnight and up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 2 months. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Graham Cracker Crust
(For 9-inch springform pan)
1½ cups (about 20 whole/6 ounces/170 grams/360 ml) graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons (45 ml) granulated or packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon or vanilla extract (optional)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick/3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter or margarine, melted

Combine crumbs, sugar, and, if desired, cinnamon or vanilla. Stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

Vanilla Wafer Crust
(For 9-inch springform pan)
1½ cups (about 36/6 ounces/170 grams/360 ml) vanilla wafer crumbs
1 tablespoon (15 ml) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon (optional)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick/3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter or margarine, melted

Combine crumbs, sugar, and, if desired, cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

Pastry Crust
(For 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan)
1 cup (4.5 ounces/130 grams/240 ml) all-purpose flour, measured by spoon-and-sweep
3 tablespoons (45 ml) granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick/4 ounces/115 grams) shortening or chilled unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely grated lemon zest (optional)
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract

1. Combine flour, sugar, optional zest, and salt. Cut in shortening or chilled butter and stir in 1 egg yolk and vanilla. Knead until dough holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 C).
3. Press crust into bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until pale golden (about 10 minutes). Let cool.

Sour Cream Topping
1½ cups (12.25 ounces/350 grams/360 ml) sour cream
¼ cup (60 ml) confectioners’ sugar or 3 tablespoons (45 ml) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) vanilla extract

Combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla and spread over top of the cooled cheesecake.

Strawberry Glaze
1 cup (240 ml) crushed strawberries
1 cup (240 ml) water
About 2/3 cup (160 ml) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
Few drops red food coloring
2 cups (480 ml) fresh strawberries, halved (optional)

In a medium saucepan, bring the crushed strawberries and water to a boil. Press through a sieve. Return to the pot, add the sugar and salt, and return to a boil. Stir in cornstarch and cook, stirring, until bubbly and thickened, about 5 minutes. If using, stir in the red food coloring. Let cool to room temperature. If desired, arrange strawberry halves over cake and pour the glaze over top.