Each year at Chabad House we host an ice cream and Ten Commandments party. Our annual ice cream party took place in the evening yesterday. A few minutes before 5:30 people started to come in and then before I knew it the Chabad House was filled with people. While the Torah reading got started with the adults, I lead a special program for the children. A little while later it was time to read the Aseret HaDibrot - the Ten Commandments, and so all the children headed downstairs and into the main room. Describing the scene, my father told me today, "it was incredible to watch the kids come into the room, they just kept on coming and coming, more and more kids". As we got read the Torah I looked around the room and saw well over 100 people from all over Hampton Roads. I saw people of all ages from little babies to bubbies and zaidies. People from all walks of life - yet standing there together we all something very much in common - we were the Jewish nation standing once again to receive the Torah from Hashem, and it was heart warming.
Of course along with the reading of the Torah we get to eat lots of food on Shavuot (as on any Jewish holiday!) It is customary to eat blintzes on Shavuot - though in most cases they are filled with cheese. While I couldn't include any dairy in my menu, I still wanted to have blintzes, and so I spent quite some time creating my potato blintzes. In the afternoon when everything was cooked and baked I noticed a container of mushrooms in my fridge so I decided to try my hand at making a mushroom sauce for the blintzes...what a yummy combination that was!
So while most foods I blog about are quick and easy, these recipes are more time consuming - but well worth it. (If you are wondering what you need the recipe for now, I have to say that my kids finished off the last blintzes tonight and let me know they would be a good dinner food.)
Potato Blintzes
Make some crepes:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying
Mix the eggs, flour, water and salt until smooth. Heat a small amount of oil in a small frying pan (I think non-stick works best) on medium-high. When oil is hot drop a small ladle of batter into the pan and quickly swirl around to make a very thin pancake. When the crepe starts to bubble it is time to flip it over and quickly cook the second side. Remove finished crepes to a plate line with a paper towel.
Mashed potatoes:
(This "recipe" comes from my father. He was the mashed potato maker in our house and they were always my favorite. So I learned his tricks and now make it myself:)
The amounts listed here filled 24 blintzes and I still had leftover mashed potatoes.
7 large russet potatoes
2 eggs
2 yellow onions
Oil for frying
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Peel and cube potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Sprinkle some salt into the pot. Boil and then lower the flame and allow potatoes to cook until they are soft. When soft, drain the potatoes. While potatoes are piping hot add two raw eggs to the potatoes and mash. (I mash mine with my hand mixer!) The heat in the potatoes will ensure that the eggs get cooked while making the potatoes nice and smooth.
Peel and dice the onions and sauté until very soft. Add the onions to the potatoes and season with salt, pepper and garlic.
To make the blintzes:
I fried mine in an electric skillet to ensure an even oil temperature. I set the temp to 350.
Place a small amount of mashed potatoes in the crepes, fold up and then fry until golden colored on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
Mushroom Sauce
Canola oil
1 lb button mushrooms
2 yellow onions
Dried thyme
Dried marjoram
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Flour
Water
Place oil in a frying pan and heat on medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and diced onions. Saute mushrooms and onions until very, very soft. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, marjoram and thyme. Mix some flour and water together in a bowl and then pour into the very soft mushrooms and onions. Mix continuously until the sauce has thickened and has an even texture. Serve hot over blintzes
