So what are you making for Shavout?

[PotatoPuff]

Ok, maybe a bit early, but who isn't dreaming of ice cream and lasagna? I'm starting to debate quiche vs. quesadilla and pesto vs. panzanella. What do you usually serve, and what will be new this year?

[MartyB]

I plan on plunging in my second frig tomorrow night and then head off to Costco to by their cheese cake. I am afraid to leave it for the last minute in case they run out.

As to cheese blintz I was dismayed that Costco did not have Gabila's cheese blintzes. I emailed the company to find out if Costco or BJs would be carrying it. They emailed back saying that Brachs and Season's will be carrying them. I went tonight to Brachs and saw that they indeed were carrying them however it was frozen while the Costco ones were not frozen. As it turns out, a few feet away from the freezer was this young lady behind a table giving out samples of, you guessed it, Gabila's cheese blintzes! Tasted wonderful!

So as it stands shavous will be an easy yom tov. Friday night/shabbos - 2 Brachs chicken specials and chulent and potato kugel. Shabbos night something light because all the chazerei that the various shuls will be offering. Sunday lunch, MAJOR, MAJOR kiddush at Chabad of the 5 Towns (the famous Popack yearly kiddush). Sunday night something really light after the major lunch fressing event - maybe omlets. Monday lunch, cheese blintzes, baked ziti. Cheesecake will be served at all dairy meals - even breakfast :)

Not too hard - and cheap! Rough numbers - $20 chicken specials $8 kugels, $13-16 cheese cake, $16 blintzes, ~$15 baked ziti (home made - silly to buy, I think Central Perks wants $45 for it). Maybe I will pick up a watermelon $6

[websterhall1994]

I was at Costco today and did not see the blitzes. How many blitzes did you get for $16?

[MartyB]

Blintzes were at Brachs 4/$4 Costco did not carry them this year.

[koshergourmetmart]

We did a complete Mexican meal. Used the kosher Mexican cookbook-quesadillas, enchiladas, cabbage salads, corn soup, tomatillo salsa, guacamole with tomatillos. For dessert brownies with cinnamon and iced Mexican chocolate drink.

[cheesecake17]

I bought blintzes from kaff's bakery. $8/4. They were delicious. Would love to learn how to make them

[MartyB]

The filling is a joke, take a package of farmer cheese and a package or cream cheese and mush them together with some sugar. The annoying part is the crepe, not hard but time consuming since you make them one at a time.

2 eggs
1 cup milk or water (milk makes a more tender shell)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sifted flour

Beat eggs well and add salt. Add flour all at once. Add milk gradually and beat to a smooth batter. Take ladlefuls of batter and fry them in skillet.

No rocket science here.

[magiesmom]

I have never heard of cream cheese in blintzes filling: farmer cheese and egg, sugar, a little melted butter.

[MartyB]

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2318,155176-238207,00.html

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2065/jewish/Classic-Cheese-Blintzes.htm

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11469-cheese-blintzes

http://www.silverberch.com/traditiona...

I have a problem with raw eggs in my blintzes so I dispense with the egg yolk.

[avitrek]

You cook the egg when you fry the completed blintzes, so there is no issue with raw eggs in these recipes.

[MartyB]

I see. I usually simply put the filling in the crepes. I love my blintzes cold so I do not do the extra frying step.

[CloggieGirl]

Brie "fondue". Take a wheel of brie, place in an oven-safe bowl and cover with foil. Bake for at least 30 mins and leave in oven until you're ready to serve it. To serve, remove the foil and slice into the top. Voila!

[AdinaA]

The dedicated meat eaters can have dinner with NJKosher. Me? I'm eating with CloggieGirl.

[njkosher]

Come on down!!
I just find dairy never fills me up unless I eat a huge amount. Also, if you plan on staying up all night learning, you need meat to keep you going. And before you ask, I only keep three hours so the dairy food during the learning breaks is still available,
After meat, great pizza with anchovies is the next best thing.
My wife is already hinting at some dairy, which I can handle. My guess is we might make our own pizza, and there are a couple of other things that are pretty good.

[AdinaA]

NJKosher, here's your anthem, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFG_2i... Stay Up All Night - drinking coffee and noshing cheesecake.

[njkosher]

Thanks for this. Now we're invited out for 3 of the 6 meals which will all be meat (2 are the Shabbat meals).
I think my wife is doing dairy for the other three, so all is now good in the world as the sacrilegious meat eater is only having one meat meal on Shavuot. That will be the memorial day BBQ, so there is probably a heter for that.

[CloggieGirl]

Another plus is that the only additional prep you need is pieces of challah and some blanched or roasted veggies for dipping and a few salads (I'm doing one green and one grain salad). My vegetable-phobe husband suddenly takes an interest in broccoli when dipped in melted cheese.

[websterhall1994]

Sounds delish. Do you peel off the rind first? What do you dip in it besides bread cubes?

[CloggieGirl]

1) No, Don't peel off the rind or you'll have a big, bubbly mess on the floor of your oven. Ye, even if you put foil over it.

2) I did blanched carrots and broccoli as well as slices of potato and sweet potato. Fruit would probably work well as a less-sweet dessert.

[KA2CSH]

I love cheesecake. My favorite brand is Eli's Cheesecake. My sheetah is stam chalev products are OK, but milk itself must be Cholov Yisroel. This is my rebbe zal's sheetah.

Unfortunately, I'm at an age where I have to avoid high cholesterol items, such as cheescakes, any cheeses (other than non-fat), & liver. Also, I noticed that if I don't use the skim milk that has the lactase enzyme in it, I get bloated & gassy. :-( I wish Lamers put out a Cholov Yisroel Skim Milk with the Lactase Enzyme in it like Golden Flow does, but the Golden Flow shows up at the Kol Tuv market very occasionally. Enough of my rambling.

Is there any Kosher, Fat Free, No Sugar Added, Lactase Enzymed Ice Cream out there? I love ice cream, but I get bloated from it, too. :-( I guess I'll be using the vegan alternative ice "creams".

I use fat free Farmers Cheese for blintzes and other cheese-filled goodies.

Years ago, there was a company making a kosher fat free mozzerella cheese that I used to top cheeseless whole wheat pizzas that I'd buy. It was available only for a little while. I really miss that, even though the taste wasn't the same as the real thing.

But this Shevous I'll be making reservations, going to the Perlstein Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI - http://www.gojcc.org/content/view/496...

[masteraleph]

Tres leche(s) cake. Deliciously decadent, a great dessert, and not cheesecake!

[runtexas]

I always make my spinach lasagna for shavuous. Loaded with various cheeses. Easy to make, the lasagna noodles do not need to be pre-cooked, they cook while the lasagna is baking.

[lenchik]

We always do blintzes, spinach lasagna, corn on the cob, butternut squash soup or potato bisque soup, tuna croquettes, crepes with red caviar, lots of green salads with feta and also super Russian salads with basic tomato, cucumber, onion with sour cream instead of dressing. Various types of smoked fish are also served - mackerel, salmon, whitefish, trout, herring, etc. And lots and lots of cheeeesecake. Our local girl school usually has a cheesecake fund raiser, so it's calories for a good cause. Or we have this place called Bagel Country - they make the most awesome cheesecakes (at least for Chicago:). I LOVE SHAVUOT!! Really, I could it like this ALL the time, although it may turn into a coronary...

[cheesecake17]

Two salads that I like making work well for Shavuot.
Arugula and watermelon with balsamic onions. No dairy in it, but cuts thru the rich cheesy foods nicely.
Romaine with apples and goat cheese. I love the tart apples with orange dressing and warm goat cheese.

Also, a greek salad is a great light lunch dish.

[GilaB]

How do you make the arugula/watermelon salad?

[njkosher]

Way too early for this, but hopefully it will be meat all the way. I am sure after discussion with my wife I will concede to at least one dairy meal.
Will try and do charcoal BBQ for at least one day.

[Chatsworth]

I'm hoping this is a joke. If it isn't, let me know so I can respond either appropriately or inappropriately.

[njkosher]

It's not a joke, but I guess if you include breakfast there will be at least three dairy meals over the three days.

[MartyB]

I plan on having mostly diary meals. Maybe one meat meal. I LOVE dairy! From a food point of view shavout is my favorite yom tov.

[AdinaA]

Chatsworth, you underestimate the dedication of the devoted American meat-eater; their motto is: If it isn't meat, it isn't dinner.

There is also an halachic opinion to this effect.

[ATH44]

What's wrong with having all meat?
There is a rule that one is supposed to have meat on Yom Tov and the dairy on Shavuos was originally in addition to that. (People started the meal dairy and then ate meat.)
Eating only dairy is okay because more important that eating meat is eating what you like. And if it's meat that you like all the better!

[cheesecake17]

The onions are time consuming but worth it and cn be made in advance.
I can't really give exact amounts but you can make as much or as little as you want.

Balsamic onions
Peel cippolini onions and arrange in one layer on a foil lined pan. I use a square or rectangle Pyrex with two or three layers of foil. Pour balsamic vinegar over the onions until almost covered. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper.
Bake for 45 minutes. Carefully flip onions over. Bake for another 30-45 minutes until onions are very deeply browned and tender. If there's any vinegar left, scrape it out and reserve for the dressing.

For the rest of the salad, combine arugula, cubes of watermelon, Persian cucumber slices. Top with glazed onions.

Dressing
Balsamic. Use the reserved vinegar if there's any left.
Lime juice
Olive oil
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

[GilaB]

Thanks!

[queenscook]

We always have the same lasagna we have on Pesach, matzah and all. We like it better than using regular pasta. For dessert, I'll probably make a cheesecake, though I have made a tres leches cake in the past, that I really like. I very rarely make chalavi desserts, so it's a "big" decision. I also started playing around with chalavi ice cream late last year, instead of using my ice cream maker for parve ice creams and sorbets, so that's a possibility too. I think I'll have to have a lot of guests to justify multiple desserts; otherwise, it's just the two of us . . . and too much high calorie stuff left over to be kept around here!

[PotatoPuff]

mmm would love to make a dairy dessert, but my oven is fleshig and somehow I don't think a double wrapped cake would be so good. maybe a pudding on the stove...

[queenscook]

My Rav holds that you can use the oven for either, as long as it's clean, and has cooled off
in-between (a psak I'm very happy about). And even people who don't hold that way can run a self-cleaning cycle in-between. Of course, if you do not have a self-cleaning oven, I guess you're stuck.

[PotatoPuff]

one day I will have a self-cleaning oven.... one day. and a dishwasher.

[magiesmom]

isn't a self cleaning cycle several hours?

[runtexas]

Yes. I have a self cleaning oven and it takes several hours to go through a cleaning cycle.

[queenscook]

What's your point? If one wants to make dairy desserts and won't do it in the same oven as fleishig foods, s/he can make them one day, run the cycle (even overnight, if that's the most convenient way), and then do fleishig stuff.

[MartyB]

>My Rav holds that you can use the oven for either, as long as it's clean, and has cooled off

I imagine most hold this way. If one thinks back not many years ago before one had self cleaning ovens and one did not have the luxury of having two ovens I imagine *everyone* used that one oven for all their baking needs.

[MartyB]

Cheese blintzes, lots of cheese blintzes!

[DeisCane]

I gotta be honest and say that it stinks that it falls on memorial day. Bbq'd blintzes just don't do it for me.

[Beerhound]

I've actually grilled tuna on shavuos a few times - right on a chimney starter

[vallevin]

If you are willing to "old school".... you CAN BBQ on Monday.

I'm guessing there are evening propane grills which you can ignite with a fireplace match.

[MartyB]

I forgot, a HUGE cherry/strawberry cheese cake from Costco! I know, you did say "making" and this would be in the category of "having", but mama-miah it is sooo good (and dirt cheap)!

[veggielover]

I am thinking blintzes too. We're having a crowd, but I have to think of what else to make, probably tuna Israeli couscous vegetable salad and something green and leafy. I am not sure about dessert. I think that cheese cake is a little much with blintzes as a main dish.