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Fact-A-Day

Cream Of
The Crop

Fact -A-Day: Everything you need to know
about dairy foods for Shavuot.

ELIZABETH 'APPLEBAUM
Apple7;-ee Editor

1) Ever wonder exactly what it is that
makes cheese kosher? The key is rennet,
a curdling agent that causes the milk to
solidify and become hardened.
Most major cheese-producing compa-
nies use animal-based rennet, created
from the inner lining of the stomach of
such animals as a calf, lamb or pig.
Consequently this violates the kashrut
(kosher) law against mixing meat with
milk, and it involves the use of treif(not
kosher) meat.
Rennet helps the milk coagulate
quickly (as opposed to letting the milk
sour, for example, which can take a long
time) and it is inexpensive, which is why
it remains so popular in making cheese.

2) The Tanach (Torah) mentions various
kinds of milk, making most frequent
notice not of the favorite today — cows'
milk — but rather of that from sheep
and goats (see Proverbs 27:27, and
Deuteronomy 32:14). When cows' milk
is cited in the Tanach, it is usually in ref-
erence to its being eaten as curds (see
Isaiah 7:21 22).

-

3) It's traditional, of course, to eat dairy
foods on Shavuot. Exactly why this is so
remains a mystery. Some believe that
until God gave the commandments
regarding which animals were kosher
and laws about slaughtering and kasher-
ing meat, aside from Temple sacrifices,
the Jewish people had to be satisfied
with dairy foods.
Others point out the proximity of the
Torah verses discussing the first fruits

earn a lot by learning a
ct-A-Day, AppleTree
u with fascinating tid-
Ut any Jewish subject,
present. This month, in
of Shavuot, you'll find a
of 31 -- one for each
ay — great facts about
i ay's traditional fare,
foods.

044

5/25
2001

92

with the commandment to separate
meat and dairy in the kosher diet.
One tradition states that the Jews
waited so long for the Torah that they
were exhausted afterward, and when
they returned to their tents they fixed
the simplest food possible, which were
dairy
Some ancient rabbis disapproved of
eating only dairy foods on Shavuot, cit-
ing the Talmudic injunction that Jewish
holidays are to be celebrated with meat
and wine. Rather than having complete
meals of dairy foods, they said, we .
should enjoy a dairy appetizer, followed
by an entree of meat. Although halachi-
cally we may eat meat after dairy (but
not the other way around), most people
would find such a menu too odd, so
they either settle on all dairy or all meat. -
Some compromise and serve fish.

4) Just about everyone's favorite food on
Shavuot is cheesecake. If you don't have
your own favorite family recipe, check out
gourmetspot.comikosherrecipes.htrn
on the Web, which will lead you to
many yummy recipes for kosher
delights, including cheesecake.

5) The Yiddish word for milk is milchig,
which is why you may hear people refer
to foods as milchig or fleishig (meat).

6) In ancient times, according to
Judges 4:19, travelers carried milk in
leather bags.

7) Ever wonder why the modern State
of Israel is called the land of "milk and
honey"? In fact, there are numerous such
references in the Tanach (to the Land of
Israel), including Exodus 3:8, Numbers
13:27 and Deuteronomy 6:3.

8) While the most popular use of the
word "cheese" is, of course, in reference
to the food, it also is the name of a
creeping plant with lavender flowers that
produces a flat, round fruit.

9) One hour, three, six, more? How long
will Jews wait after consuming meat to
enjoy a dairy meal? It all depends on
where you're from and on your family

tradition. GerMan Jews, for example,
almost always wait three hours. There is
simply no set rule. Equally baffling is
exactly how long some Jews wait to eat
meat after having a piece of hard cheese.
While in general it's permissible to
move on to meat quite soon after eating
dairy foods, some rabbis encourage a
longer wait (an hour minimum) after
hard cheeses, such as cheddar, because
these tend to stick to one's teeth and can
take longer to digest than cottage cheese,
for example.

10) If you want to try your hand at
making your own varieties of cheese,
check out vv-ww.dairyfoods.com for
information on where to purchase
cheese-making equipment.

11) The sole biblical line that is the basis
for the extensive kashrut laws which
direct us how to separate meat and milk
is one that forbids boiling a kid in its
mother's milk. This line actually appears
not once but three times in the Tanach,
in Exodus 23:19 and 34:26, along with
Deuteronomy 14:21.

12) I scream for it, you scream for it, we
all scream for it. But does ice cream real-
ly need a hechsher (kosher certification)
to be kosher? Yes. While it's true that the
main ingredient in ice cream is either
cream or milk, followed by lots of sugar,
some ice cream manufacturers also use
gelatin, which is made from the skin and
bones of animals.

13) According to the Torah, milk is one
of the finest foods in the world (see
Deuteronomy 32:14 and Isaiah 55:1).

14) The Talmud recommends goat's
milk as a cure for some illnesses. (So if
you're feeling a bit out of sorts try feta
cheese, as it can be nearly impossible to
find pure goat's milk to drink).

15) When Jewish immigrants came to
the United States in the 1930s, one of
the most popular cookbooks was a small
pamphlet called Crisco Recipes for the
Jewish Housewife, published in 1933.
Written in Yiddish and English, it fea-
tured some innovative dishes ("Eggballs"
is an example) and plenty of traditional
favorites, like knishes (dumplings) and
kugel.
Both Crisco (cans of which are usually
kosher), and many of these popular
recipes are still around. If you're in the
mood for an old-fashioned Shavuot
meal like your grandparents or parents
might have enjoyed, try this recipe for
cheese blintzes from the Crisco cook-
book:

2 eggs
1 t. salt

1-1/4 c. water
1 c. flour
Filling:
1-1/2 c. creamy cottage cheese
1/2 t. salt and pepper
sugar, if desired
Legg

Beat the eggs slightly. Add the salt, 3/4
cup water, the flour and the rest of the
water, if needed, to make a thin, smooth
batter. Cover a hot, well Criscoed skillet
with a thin layer of the barter, tipping
skillet in all directions to obtain a thin
even layer. Fry until it is golden brown
on one side and then turn out on a
clean cloth. Continue until all batter is
used.
Mix filling ingredients together. Place
a full tablespoon of the mixture in center
of each batter sheet on the brown side.
Roll up, rucking in the ends. Fry in a
well-Criscoed skillet immediately or
place in icebox until needed. Serve with
butter sauce, jelly, sour cream or cinna-
mon. Makes 12.

16) For a silly, fun game on Shavuot,
challenge children to come up with
compound words or popular phrases
that use appropriate food terms like
cheese, dairy, cream and milk. It may
sound challenging, but there are plenty
out there. The American Heritage
Dictionary lists more than 27 just for
"milk." Consider: milkweed, milksop,
milkshake and Milky Way. Make the
game as cheesy as possible and milk it
for all it's worth.

17) For coupons to use with Miller's and
Haolam kosher cheeses, visit
www.koshercheese.com.

18) The origin of the word "cheese" is
Old English (originally cese), derived
from the Germanic kasjus, from the
Latin caseus.

19) If you would like to try your hand
• at making your own cheese, here's an
easy recipe:

1 gallon milk
juice from 1 lemon, plus both
halves of juiced lemon
pinch salt
cheesecloth

Pour milk in large saucepan. Heat over
medium heat. Do not let milk boil.
When it reaches 160-degrees, add
lemon juice then toss in lemon halves.
Let temperature increase to 200-
degrees, stirring slightly. When milk