Shavuot comes but once a year

Sworn carnivores insist meat is easier to cook than dairy. Here's how to solve the dilemma of the cheesy festival.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Cheesecake and cheese blintzes get a lot of press before Shavuot, while savory staples are often forgotten until one is faced with actually having to prepare a meal for several guests. For those who are unused to cooking dairy or are simply carnivores at heart, it can be agonizing to put together a creative menu. To simplify the task, some of Israel's top chefs have shares their favorite dairy recipes. Enjoy! MIMA SALAD - From chef Uri Wechsler of Mima Restaurant in Ra'anana 1 lettuce, washed Variety of lettuce leaves Herbs such as mint, parsley, basil and cilantro Handful of sugared pecans 1 peeled pomelo Handful of croutons 10 halved cherry tomatoes Dressing: 2 Tbsp. grain mustard crushed garlic to taste 2 Tbsp. honey 100 ml. balsamic vinegar 300 ml. olive oil salt and pepper to taste Mix the salad and dressing ingredients, and eat. Serves 4. CURRIED POTATO SOUP WITH A TOUCH OF CREAM - From chef Yuli Mizrahi of Kazanki Restaurant, Herzliya and Tel Aviv 1 kg. peeled white potatoes 2 large peeled carrots 1 onion 5 peeled garlic cloves olive oil 1 Tbsp. curry powder a few sprigs of thyme 1⁄2 Tbsp. soup powder Cream Chop vegetables into cubes. Saute in olive oil in a pot. Add curry powder, soup powder, thyme and water to cover. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Puree in a blender and return to heat. Adjust seasonings (salt and pepper to taste) and add boiling water if soup is too thick. Add 1 tbsp. of cream to each bowl before serving. Serves 6. EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH GOAT'S CHEESE AND A CREAM AND PESTO SAUCE - From chef Guy Peretz of Gazpacho Restaurant in Ashkelon 2 firm eggplants 2 packages "Fromez" cheese 2 cartons of cream 100 gr. prepared pesto Olive oil for frying Cut the eggplants lengthways to a thickness of 0.5 cm. Toast in a scored frying pan in a little olive oil until soft and golden. Lay the eggplant slices lengthways and place a teaspoon of cheese at the end of each. Roll up the eggplant and place in a pan. Heat the cream and the pesto in a small pot on a low flame until smooth. Pour over the eggplants and arrange on serving plates. Garnish with basil leaves. Serves 5. GROUPER WITH SALMON-FILLED MINIATURE PEPPERS IN A TOMATO SAUCE - From chef Tomet Batito of Pacific Restaurant in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tel Aviv 1.2 kg. filleted grouper 500 gr. fresh salmon 1 Tbsp. parve cream 12 miniature peppers 6 date tomatoes 5 garlic cloves 1 green chilli pepper 1 parsley root 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 bottle tomato juice 1 Tsp. paprika 1 cup white wine 1 celery 15 gr. horseradish sauce 1 lemon 2 Tbsp. olive oil Handful chopped scallions Salt and white pepper Cut the grouper into 6 cutlets. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and set aside. Using a small knife, cut the stalks off the peppers and clean and deseed them. Remove skin from fresh salmon, remove bones and mince in a food processor with 1 teaspoon salmon and a pinch of white pepper. Fill the peppers with minced salmon. Cut the tomatoes, chilli pepper and parsley root into 1.5-cm. cubes and fry for three minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry a further minute, and then add the white wine, tomato juice and paprika. Place the grouper and peppers in a baking dish, pour over the sauce and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Bake in a preheated 180 C oven for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake another 20 minutes at 160 C. Five minutes before serving sprinkle some lemon slices, scallions and grated horseradish over the fish. Serves 6.