When I was working for Michael Symon as the chef de cuisine at Parea in NYC, I lived just off Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. There were many nights that I would get off the train and pop into Junior's on my way home for a quick late-night bite. After a while, this became a ritual for me, and I literally got to the point that I couldn't fall asleep at night with out first eating a piece of their famous cheesecake.
Making the cheese for this recipe is super-easy. In my first Iron Chef battle, we were able to adapt and execute this recipe in the 60-minute time constraint, season it, and then use it to fill ravioli. Once you make this, you'll never purchase ricotta again. Take it from me, it's simply cheaper to make your own tasty version. (And this recipe yields about 2 pounds.) After you make the ricotta, save the whey, the liquid left over after the curds have been separated out of the cheese, for baking, marinades, brines, kefir and many other uses.
My love affair with cheesecake continues to this day. Here's my iteration of Junior's dessert! - Jonathon Sawyer
House-Made Ricotta
Cheesecake
Graham Cracker Crust
To make the Graham Cracker Crust:
To make the Ricotta:
To make the Cheesecake: