A Bountiful Feast of Best Recipes to Commemorate Shavuot

Shavuot, which begins at sundown today, commemorates the receiving of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai.

Originally, the holiday was a thanksgiving celebration for bountiful harvests. In late spring, dairy products were plentiful and the celebration became associated with milk, cream, cheese, butter and eggs.

Cheesecakes, cheese pastries, kugels, casseroles and desserts combining dairy foods are traditional favorites. Over the years I have collected files of recipes for Shavuot, and I would like to share the ones that my family and friends have rated best.

Our favorite cheese appetizer combines two cheeses, blended with eggs and wrapped in filo sheets. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, or frozen until served in its crisp, flaky melting goodness.

In the best soup, Corn and Cheese Chowder, a favorite with my family, chunks of Jack cheese begin to melt at serving time.

The best bread, Popover Cheese Bread, is especially appropriate for Shavuot since it contains both cheese and milk. It rises to great heights without any leavening.

The best kugel, unquestionably, is the Cheese-Noodle Souffle. This unusual recipe combines low-fat hoop cheese, raisins, noodles and eggs, resulting in a light, soufflelike texture. It is a perfect choice for lunch, brunch or supper.

The best cheesecake is one that originated in a family bakery in Mexico City; it never sinks in the middle or cracks on top, if you follow the simple instructions. The secret is that it’s baked in a bain-marie (water bath) and allowed to cool in the oven for two hours.

TIROPITA

3/4 pound Swiss cheese, shredded

3/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup minced green onions

1/2 cup minced parsley

2 tablespoons fresh minced dill or 2 teaspoons dried

6 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pound filo sheets

2 cups unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Combine Swiss cheese, Jack cheese, green onions, parsley and dill in large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in baking powder.

Work with 1 sheet of filo at a time, keeping remaining filo covered at all times with wax paper and damp towel. Place sheet of filo on wax paper placed on top of damp towel. With scissors, cut filo sheet crosswise into strips 2 inches wide. Brush each strip with melted butter.

Place 1 teaspoon cheese mixture 1 inch from one end of strip. Cover filling with end of filo and flag-fold strip to make neat triangular package. Place each triangle on baking sheet lined with buttered foil. Continue with remaining filo and filling in same manner.

Brush tops of triangular packages with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (Can freeze at this point.) Bake at 375 degrees 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 9 dozen.

POPOVER CHEESE BREAD

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup milk, about

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups finely shredded Swiss cheese

Blend butter, salt, pepper and mustards in small bowl. Place 1 cup milk in heavy saucepan and scald. Add butter mixture and blend with wooden spoon. Bring to rolling boil. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously, until mixture forms ball and leaves sides of pan.

Transfer to bowl of electric mixer or food processor, and, adding 1 egg at time, blend until dough is shiny and smooth. Add 1 cup cheese and blend well.

Place in pastry bag with plain round tip. Pipe ring of pastry into greased 8 or 9-inch round baking pan, leaving well in center. Pipe 2 additional rings of pastry on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and small amount of milk.

Bake at 400 degrees 40 to 45 minutes or until well puffed and golden brown. Makes about 8 servings.

CORN AND CHEESE CHOWDER

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced onion

1 (17-ounce) can whole corn kernels or 2 cups fresh corn removed from cob

1 sweet red pepper, finely diced

1 (17-ounce) can cream-style corn

3 cups milk

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound Jack cheese, diced

Fresh cilantro

Heat butter in saucepan. Add onion and saute lightly. Add corn and cook slowly over low heat 10 minutes. Add red pepper and cook 5 minutes more.

Add cream-style corn and milk and simmer over low heat 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle diced cheese on bottom of heated soup bowls and ladle piping hot soup over cheese. Garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CHEESE NOODLE

SOUFFLE

8 ounces wide egg noodles

Salt

1 pound hoop, farmers or pot cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

Juice and zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup golden raisins, plumped in orange juice

2 eggs, separated

Cook noodles in boiling salted water 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well.

Mix cheese, sugar, milk, orange juice and peel, raisins and egg yolks. Add noodles and toss. Beat egg whites with dash of salt until stiff and fold into noodle mixture.

Transfer to buttered, 8-inch square oven-proof baking dish and bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 1 hour or until golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

ARONE’S CHEESECAKE

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

2 cups sour cream

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Classic Graham Crust

Blend cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer, using whisk blade, until soft and fluffy. Loosen cream cheese from around blade. Blend in sour cream and eggs, 1 at time, blending well after each addition. Blend in sugar and salt and continue beating 2 minutes. Blend in vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until light and fluffy.

Wrap outside of springform pan containing Classic Graham Cracker Crust with heavy duty foil to protect filling. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan. Place inside larger baking pan and pour in boiling water halfway up sides of springform pan.

Bake at 325 degrees 2 hours. Leave in oven another 2 hours before removing. Cool. Makes 1 cake.

Classic Graham

Cracker Crust

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine

Thoroughly blend 1 1/4 cups crumbs, sugar and 4 tablespoons butter in bowl of electric mixer or food processor. Spoon mixture evenly into 9-inch springform pan and press down firmly.

Lightly butter sides of pan with remaining 1 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup crumbs. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.