Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For Cheesecake:
2 pounds of cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sour cream or heavy cream or combination of the two

To make crust:
1. Butter 9 inch springform pan- choose one that has sides that are 2 3/4 inches high- wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil put the pan on a baking sheet. 
2. Stir crumbs, sugar, and salt in medium bowl.  Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformingly moist.  Push on bottom and sides of pan. 
3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, cook on a rack
4. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees

To make cheesecake:
1. Put kettle of water on to boil
2. Stand mixer with paddle attachment beat cream cheese at medium speed until it is soft about 4 minutes.  With mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat another 4 minutes until cream cheese is light. Beat in vanilla.  Add eggs one by one, beating a full minute after each addition.  Reduce to low and stir in sour cream and/or heavy cream 
3. Put foil-wrapped springform pan in roaster pan
4. Give batter a few stirs with a rubber spatula, make sure nothing has been left unmixed at the bottom of the bowl, and scrape the batter into the springform pan. Pur roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. 
5. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes at which point the top will be browned and may have risen just a little above the rim of the pan.  Turn off the ovens heat and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon.  Allow the cheesecake to luxuriate in water bath for another hour. 
6. After 1 hour pull out of oven, lift the pan out of the roaster.  
7. When iti s cool, cover top lightly and chill for at least 4 hours