Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.

Place the graham cracker in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.

Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs.

Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.

Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.

Add the butter to a large frying pan with high sides over medium heat.

Once the butter melts, add the kataifi to the pan and stir to coat.

Continue to cook for a few minutes, always stirring to ensure the kataifi is evenly toasted. It can take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how high the heat is.

Add the pistachio paste, tahini, and stir to combine. Set aside.

You can even make this ahead and let it sit in the fridge, covered. When ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature or microwave gently just to break it up.

Beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.

Add granulated sugar to the bowl and beat for another minute.

Add the pistachio paste, the sour cream, and the tahini. Beat for another 2 minutes, scraping the bowl in between.

Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times during the mixing process, to avoid the cream cheese from forming lumps in the batter.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg. Add the almond, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix.

Avoid over mixing once the eggs are added, to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.

Grease the exposed sides of the cheesecake pan.

Spread half of the kataifi filling on top of the baked and cooled crust. Press it down with a spatula to pack it on the bottom.

Pour the cheesecake batter over, and smooth it out with a spatula. Give the pan a few gentle taps against the counter.

Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.

Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is very important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack.

Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 70 minutes.

To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.

Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Heat up the heavy cream until 180F.

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it stand for a minute. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted with the cream.

Set the ganache aside until it cools down and thickens. You can place it in the fridge and stir every 5 to 10 minutes to speed up the setting process.

You can make the ganache ahead and keep it in the fridge. Before decorating the cheesecake remove the ganache from the fridge. You can either microwave very gently for a few seconds and stir frequently until the ganache is smooth and spreadable, or let it sit on the counter for at least one hour to soften.

Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days, in a sealed container. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.