Once again we find ourselves preparing for Shavuot, my favorite holiday. This is the holiday on which we all wear white clothing, everything is clean and the food is flavorful. Shavuot symbolizes rejuvenation and we celebrate the land's first fruits. I love to prepare a mixture of traditional dishes I know my family loves, but also love mixing it up with a few new and refreshing recipes. This year I welcomed blogger Inez Yanai who, together with photographer Afik Gabai, produces a blog called “Tik Ochel” (tikochel.blogspot.co.il). The blog brings together recipes from around the world that complement the Italian dishes Yanai has been preparing since her childhood in the Galilee. Yanai, who has degrees in media and communications, decided at some point to follow her heart and transition into the culinary field. Her blog became the perfect outlet in which to combine her talents for preparing tasty food, writing, styling and photography. Yanai grew up eating tasty Tunisian dishes (from her mother's side) alongside delicious Italian cuisine (from her father's side). She now offers workshops and also works as a styling consultant for food companies. When Yanai and I sat down to decide which recipes to include in this special Shavuot column, she recommended using lots of simple, tasty cheeses. This way, you can prepare dishes that are quick and easy to make that will make a strong impression on your guests. Translated by Hannah Hochner. MASCARPONE PIE WITH PINE NUTS, GRAPES AND MINT Use 24-cm. diameter pan Crust: 2 cups flour, sifted ½ cup almond flour 100 gr. sugar 200 gr. butter, softened and cut into cubes 1 egg yolk Filling: 1 container sweet whipping cream 100 gr. powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. lemon zest 3 Tbsp. vanilla pudding powder 500 gr. Mascarpone cheese or cream Toppings: 1 cup grapes, halved 50 gr. pine nuts, roasted Decoration: ¼ cup pine nuts ½ to ¾ cup dark grapes, halved ½ cup of cream filling Mint leaves Flowers made from dough Place all the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixed well. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on baking paper that has been sprinkled with a little flour. Then transfer to a deep pie dish and press down into sides. Use leftover pieces of dough to form small flowers to decorate top. Put in the fridge for 15 minutes and then bake for 20 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 180º. Arrange dough flowers on a baking sheet and bake them. Let cool. To prepare the filling, whip the cream with the powdered sugar, lemon zest and pudding. Add the cheese and mix until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the crust, but put ½ cup of filling aside. Put this extra cream in an icing bag with a flat or serrated tip and then decorate pie with cream. Add flowers, pine nuts, grape halves and mint leaves. Let pie sit in the fridge at least 3 hours before serving. MINI ROASTED CAMEMBERT Makes 4-6 servings 3 mini Camembert cheeses 2 red onions, sliced thinly 4 sprigs of thyme 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. silan (date honey) Place baking paper on a tray and spread out slices of onion in a thin layer. Place cheese on top of the onion and then sprinkle with thyme. Drizzle olive oil and silan on top and then add salt. Cook for 10 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 180°. Serve with fresh bread or toast. PASTRIES FILLED WITH SPINACH, KASHKAVAL AND GOUDA Makes 22-25 pastries Pastry: 1 kg. white flour, sifted 20 gr. dry yeast 1 Tbsp. sugar 100 gr. butter, melted 2¼ cups water, at room temperature 1 Tbsp. salt Filling: 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 500 gr. spinach, chopped 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 200 gr. Kashkaval cheese, grated 100 gr. Gouda cheese, grated Wash: 1 beaten egg, with a little kosher salt In the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook, add flour, yeast and sugar. Mix and then form a hole in the middle of the mixture. Into the middle, add the melted butter, water and salt. Mix well (should be sticky). Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm place and let rise for an hour or until dough doubles in volume. In a frying pan, heat olive oil and fry onion until golden brown. Add the chopped spinach, salt and pepper. Fry another 6 minutes and then let cool. Add the cheeses and mix well. Flour a work surface and knead the dough. Separate into 2 sections. Roll out the first section until it's 1 cm. thick. Spread the spinach filling on top. Roll up tightly from the side closest to you. Prepare the second roll in the same fashion. Cut into pieces that are 3 to 4 cm. wide. Place the pieces evenly spaced on a tray that is covered with baking paper. Make sure filling side is facing up. Let pastries rise another 25 minutes and then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown in an oven that has been preheated to 180º. Serve hot. ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH LABANEH Makes 4-6 servings 3 bell peppers, roasted and chopped 1 eggplant, sliced and roasted in oven 1 red onion, roasted ¼ cup mint, chopped ½ tsp. salt and pepper 300 gr. labaneh Toppings: 1 spicy green pepper, sliced thinly 4 radishes, sliced thinly Olive oil Chop the peppers, eggplant and onion. Add the salt, pepper and mint. Arrange the labaneh and chopped vegetables on a serving platter. On top, add the green peppers and radishes and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the baguette slices with Sainte Maure cheese in the oven for 6 minutes and serve with labaneh. Serving suggestions: ½ baguette or giabetta, sliced thinly; 1 Sainte Maure de Touraine cheese, sliced thinly
Mascarpone pie with pine nuts, grapes and mint(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)