All creamy, some sweet: The food of Shavuot

I love the story of Shavuot. As a child, I think it was the drama, the fire and thunder that attracted me, and the heroism and sad ending for Moses, who ultimately was denied entry to the Promised Land. At 9, I was a sucker for sad endings.

The story has all the drama of a huge blockbuster movie; De Mille picked up on that and so did Disney. But the back story, the negotiations, the trips up the mountain, were also interesting.

After other people refused the laws, G-d offered them to Moses who brought them to the Jews who accepted immediately, famously saying, Na’aseh v’nishma, “We will do and then we will listen” They didn’t read the terms of service before signing on the line both for themselves and their descendants.

Shavuot is a holiday filled with questions, contradictions in texts and a whole lot of miraculous wonders. We pray and study and eat lots of creamy and sweet foods.

Enjoy this joyous holiday — and don’t forget the cheesecake!

Zucchini Onion Gratin (Dairy)

7 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 lb. zucchini, yellow and green cut in 1/4 to inch thick slices

2 Tbsp. unbleached flour

1 cup whole milk or half and half

1 clove finely minced garlic

1/4 tsp. paprika

3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4-1 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place half the butter and the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. (12 to 14 inches) Cook the onions until lightly golden. Add the zucchini, cover, and cook until just fork-tender.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in small saucepan. Place the flour in a small bowl, add a few teaspoons of the milk and mix until smooth. Add to the milk and whisk until thickened. Add the minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and cook until thickened and the consistency of heavy cream. Pour the milk over the zucchini mixture and stir gently.

Melt the remaining butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and pour into an 8X10 or 9X13 baking dish. Pour the zucchini mixture into the baking dish and add the cheeses. Mix the cheeses into the veggies. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until bubbly and golden, about 20 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

VARIATIONS: Add some sliced sun-dried tomatoes or roasted halved cherry tomatoes. Add some roasted red peppers, or cooked broccoli. This is a recipe that cries for your own touches, so be creative and add what your family loves.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup (Pareve or Dairy)

My family loves this with homemade challah croutons which are softer than commercial croutons.

1-1/2 oz. package dried porcini mushrooms

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 to 1 cup onions, diced

2 to 3 shallots, finely diced

1 quart vegetable broth or water

12 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, divided half chopped, half sliced

10 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, very thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, more to taste

2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

4 Tbsp. butter or pareve, trans-fat-free margarine

1-1/2 Tbsp. unbleached flour

1-1/2 cups whole milk, (soy, almond, rice or whole) or half and half or mix

1/2 cup heavy cream, or half and half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sour Cream for garnish (if dairy)

Additional snipped fresh chives for garnish

Optional: 4 to 6 Tbsp. white wine or sherry

Place the porcini mushrooms in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add boiling water to the top. Cover with foil and set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid. Coarsely chop porcini mushrooms.

Heat a large skillet and add half the olive oil. Add the onions and shallots and sauté until golden and very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir often. Remove the onions to a soup pot. Add the broth to the soup pot and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer.

At this point, you can use an immersion blender to make a smooth soup base. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and add all the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to turn golden and have reabsorbed all their juices, 9 to 15 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, and the chives and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the soup pot. Let simmer.

Place the butter in a small saucepan. Heat until melted and bubbly. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Continue whisking until the mixture browns just a bit and smells slightly nutty. Slowly add the milk to the mixture and continue to whisk until smooth and thickened. Let simmer. Add some of the porcini soaking liquid (avoid the grit at the bottom of the cup). Whisk until smooth.

Add the milk and, if using, sherry, and mix well to blend. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with sour cream and more snipped chives or some more sautéed sliced mushrooms. Serves 4 to 8.

Basque Cheesecake (Dairy)

This is the new go-to cheesecake. Crustless and slightly bitter from the darkened top. It is delicious on its own or with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.

Unsalted butter very soft (for pan)

2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

1-2/3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/3 tsp. Morton kosher salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup (unbleached flour)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 10-inch spring form pan with unsalted butter, then line with 2 crossed 12X16 sheets of parchment paper, creased to fit. The parchment should come about 2-inches above the top of the pan all around the rim. It is OK if it is wrinkled, Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Place the softened cream cheese and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Turn the mixer to very low and slowly add the heavy cream in a thin stream. Scrape the bowl frequently. Add the salt and vanilla and beat another 30 seconds until smooth and completely blended.

Turn off the mixer and gently sift the flour over the cream cheese mixture. Turn the mixer to very low and beat until the flour is smoothly incorporated and the batter is silky smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl often, making sure to get to the bottom of the bowl. Beat another 10 to 15 seconds on very low to break up any bubbles and ensure a smooth cake.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place the pan and rimmed pan into the stove and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The cake should be very deep brown on top but still jiggle in the middle. brown on top and still very jiggly in the center.

Remove the cake from the oven on the timed pan and let cool about 15 minutes. The cake will fall very noticeably. So not worry – that is supposed to happen. Remove the ring from the cake and continue to cool completely. You can make this a day before and refrigerate. The cake is better served at room temperature, so remove about 3 to 5 hours before serving.

Mount Sinai Dessert (Pareve)

A very simple meringue recipe for the younger members of the house to make and decorate.

6 extra large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch salt

1-2/3 cups sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vinegar

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

several kinds of berries and cut-up fruits

OPTIONAL: Large sugar, oatmeal, or chocolate chip cookies

OPTIONAL: Food coloring

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the egg whites in the bowl of the electric mixer. Beat on high speed until frothy. Add the salt and cream of tartar. When the whites reach soft peak stage, add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. When the whites are very stiff, add the vanilla, almond, and the vinegar and beat until well to blended.

Draw circles 2 to 3 inches in diameter on a piece of parchment placed on a cookie sheet. Keep circles 2 to 3 inches apart. Turn the paper over and spoon or pipe the meringue onto the circles, heaping each about 3 to 4 inches high. Keep the sides uneven with “ledges” in places.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Carefully place the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave in the closed oven for several hours until the oven is completely cool.

NOTE: Add a tiny drop of any food coloring to the meringue.

Assembly: Place each mountain on a cookie and surround with fruit and berries. Let kids place berries on the ledges of their mountain. VARIATIONS: Mix some confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice and a tiny drop of blue food coloring. Let children paint some blue clouds on the mountain.

For a dairy dish, you can place a small scoop of ice cream on the cookie and place the mountain on top of the ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate or caramel syrup. Makes about 10 to 14 mountains.