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shavuot
Shavuot
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When I was a child I had no idea of what Shavuot, or “Shavoo-is” as it was pronounced in Brooklyn, was all about. I only knew it existed, that there was a Jewish holiday happening, was that I would see throngs of orthodox and Hasidic Jews streaming down the footpath that stretched in front of our house on Ocean Parkway. When I asked my parents about the holiday, I was told that it’s a minor, unimportant holiday, only celebrated by very religious Jews. Clearly, that didn’t include us.
I know a bit more, now. First off, it’s anything but a minor holiday. It’s one of the three yearly festivals that the Torah tells us to celebrate, one of the three times that we were all supposed to go up to Jerusalem, to the Temple, to bring an offering. (The other two are Passover and Sukkot.)
So, exactly what is Shavuot?
Picture this scene:
The Israelites were standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, silently trembling with awe, as they watched Moshe descend.
His face was radiant. His right arm cradled the tablets of The Law.
In his left hand he clutched a parchment, upon which was inscribed the recipe for the Holy Blessed Cheesecake.
And the people said, "All that the Lord has spoken we shall do!"
And so they rejoiced in the Desert of Paran, feasting upon cheesecake, sweet noodle kugel, and blintzes.
Well…maybe that’s not exactly how it went…
Shavuot is celebrated as the day that Moshe descended with the Torah, after spending forty days on Mount Sinai being taught its every word by HaShem.
There’s a Midrash that says that the Israelites slept in late that morning, when they should have been awake, preparing themselves and eagerly awaiting the receiving of The Torah.
To make amends for that lackadaisical behavior, it’s customary for people to stay up all night studying Torah on the evening of Shavuot. The next morning, we stand in synagogue for the reading of the Ten Sayings, just as we stood when Moshe first taught them to us at Sinai, striving to reach that same level of wonderment and veneration that held us captive on that day.
The Zohar teaches that the eve of Shavuot is the wedding night of the Shekhinah (the feminine, creative aspect of God) to the male aspect, to unify and perfect the world. We stay up to celebrate with Her and adorn Her with jewels—words of Torah—and the way to do that is by studying Torah.
It’s said that the soul of every Jew who ever was and ever would be was present at the foot of the mountain on that day, so that each of us can truly say that we personally received the Torah. I believe that’s true, because it doesn’t take much effort for me to see myself there…
But wait! There’s more!
In English, Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the end of the period of counting the Omer, which began at the second Seder, seven weeks ago.
In addition to its mystical significance, Shavuot is also an ancient harvest festival that marks the beginning of the wheat harvest. In the days when the Temple stood, Shavuot was celebrated by the bringing of the first fruits to the Temple as an offering.
In Israel today, Shavuot is widely celebrated, even by those who are not particularly “religious.” People dress in white. Little girls wear flower crowns and carry baskets with fresh fruit.
It’s hot and sunny in the land of milk and honey this time of year. Kids of all ages engage, with great enthusiasm, in water gun battles. Outdoor festivals abound, and agricultural communities put on parades to show off their harvests. While observant Jews stay up studying Torah the night before, secular Israelis also stay up late to study whatever subject interests them.
And….like on almost every Jewish holiday, we feast. While these days many people try to offer healthy options—and vegan choices are becoming increasingly popular—it still holds true that, if it’s made with dairy, it’s on the table. Cheeseboards, lasagna, quiches, blintzes, and of course, the ubiquitous cheesecake.
So, what’s with all the dairy?
There a several reasons we’re given for the tradition of eating dairy on Shavuot. Here are a just few of them:
When we received the Torah we learned about the laws of kosher. Since we weren’t set up for properly koshering meat, we ate dairy.
Chalav, the Hebrew word for milk, has the numerical value of 40. We were in the desert for 40 years, Moshe spent 40 days on the mountain receiving the Torah, we prayed for forgiveness of the sin of the golden calf for 40 days, and Moshe spent another 40 days on Mount Sinai before returning with the second set of tablets.
In the Song of Songs we find the verse "Like honey and milk [the Torah] lies under your tongue." Just as milk is all a baby needs to fulfill its physical needs, Torah is all we need to fulfill our spiritual needs.
Whatever the roots of the dairy tradition might be, it’s a very tasty tradition. In my Shavuot Menu you’ll find some never-before-shared, fabulous recipes for my own family’s delicious dairy dishes. There are also some recipes for dairy-free dishes that pair well with all that dairy. And, for dessert, of course, my never-before-shared, award-winning, Blue Ribbon Cheesecake.
a few words about this menu
This menu finishes with the classic Shavuot dessert…Cheesecake. For the rest of the menu, I thought to surprise my guests with a dairy meal that’s somewhat atypical.
Magical Lavender Limonade. The addition of lime to a classic lemonade makes a good thing even better, and the addition of lavender gives this refreshing beverage a lovely floral note. The magic ingredient is Butterfly Pea Flower. A simple syrup made with these two gifts from the garden produces a gorgeous, flavorful blue elixir. Pour some into each glass. The magic happens when you add the limonade. As the acid from the citrus hits the butterfly pea flower syrup, blue becomes purple right before your eyes. Serve this glass of swirling blues and purples as is to kids and tea totalers.
Or…
Many Israelis enjoy drinking chilled Israeli white wines on Shavuot. If you leave some room in your glass of Magical Lavender Limonade, you can top it off with chilled, sparkling white wine. Prosecco works perfectly here.
Yogurt Trio
These yogurt dips bring the flavors of Georgia to the table. I’ve stolen these recipes from my brother, who served them as an appetizer at Moscow 57 on Delancey Street. Don’t let the strange ingredients deter you—one taste and you may want to eat them every day forever.
Pistachio Crusted Salmon
My own creation, straight off our menu at the Ramblin’ Bear Eatery. Glistening orange Norwegian salmon is offset by a bright green pistachio and coconut milk sauce, and finished with a crispy panko and coconut topping. It’s a beautiful thing to look at and a beautiful thing to eat.
Vegetable Cutlets with Pistachio Sauce
Ratner’s, the iconic dairy restaurant in NYC of bygone days, was famous for their vegetable cutlets. Every dairy restaurant in Brooklyn served a similar recipe. Here, Brooklyn meets the Middle East. These savory cutlets combine everything that’s good about the ones I grew up with and yet, with the addition of chickpea flour and some spices, they’re also a little reminiscent of falafel (and the chickpea flour adds protein for those who don’t eat fish). They’re finished with a beautiful, silky pistachio sauce that starts with the same base as the sauce for the salmon and then takes a twist, swapping coconut milk for the cream and adding tahini and lemon.
Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cardamom, Orange Blossom, and Mango
Unlike most Jewish dairy noodle kugels, my mother’s uses extra-fine noodles. She would top it off with either a cherry sauce or a crispy cinnamon cornflake crumb crumble, depending upon her mood. I’ve taken her 1960s recipe and added a little 21st century elegance, introducing it to flavors from India and the Middle East. They totally hit it off. And, instead of cherries on top, I added chunks of mango to the kugel. It’s amazing.
Vegetable Tian
No one will say no to vegetables when they’re this colorful and so beautifully arranged. French in origin, a tian is the name given to both the dish and the food that’s cooked inside it. A tian is typically glazed only on the inside. It’s a piece of cookware that can be hard to find in this country. No worries! It can be prepared just as successfully in a ceramic tart pan, a quiche pan, or any round baking dish with straight, low sides. Many tians use potato slices among the vegetables, but I omit them here because this menu is already carb-heavy. The trick is to try to buy vegetables that are approximately the same size in diameter. Asian eggplants, long and thin, are the go-to for this dish that also includes zucchini, yellow summer squash, and ripe tomatoes. You can keep it vegan or add dollops of fresh goat cheese when you take it out of the oven.
Blue Ribbon Cheesecake
This is the prizewinner, shared for the first time.
Marilyn’s Summer Fruit Basket
As long as we’re talking about “first fruits,” adding some light and refreshing fruits to the end of the meal makes for a perfect finish. My mother made one of these extravaganzas for every summer outdoor party. If you haven’t got time to carve a basket, tossing these fruits in a pretty glass bowl will be just as delicious to eat.
Some years ago, my synagogue hosted a community cheesecake contest. Jews from all over the greater Orlando area—those affiliated with any of the local synagogues as well as some with no affiliation, came to show off their beautiful cheesecakes. Many more came to eat all those beautiful cheesecakes.
Everyone present was given a small taste of each entry and asked to vote for their favorite.
And the winner of the blue ribbon was…Mine!