Shavuot, 2001 (to Christians the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Tabernacles) calls this year on 28 May.

In 1868, Baron James de Rothschild purchased Chateau Lafite, a magnificent estate with renowned vineyards in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. On the 14th of May, the baron arrived at the estate for a ceremony in which he would be presented the keys of both the Chateau and the wine cellar. The servants had been given the responsibility of preparing a light meal for the baron andseveral guests. Aware that they were not familiar with the Jewish dietary laws, the servants turned to the town priest for suggestions as to what foods they might best prepare without offending their new employer. The priest, Monsigneur Bailley, knew that the Baron was arriving on the holiday of Shavuot and suggested that dishes based on dairy products would be most appropriate.

The cooks outdid themselves and served an eight course dinner, all based on eggs, cheese and milk. Overall, the baron was delighted. There was only one small problem. In addition to cheese tarts and several varieties of souffles and omelets, there was also a quiche Lorraine and, because it had been made in the traditional manne, one of the ingredients of the quiche was bacon which, unknown to the servants, is one of the most non-kosher foods of all.

According to Monsigneur Bailley, who was present at the dinner: "Once the baron realized what had happened, he proved himself a perfect gentleman and an ideal diplomat. Rather than offend the townspeople who had worked so hard to please him, he held up the large dish on which the quiche was served so that all might see it, declaring that it looked so marvelous, so like a painting, that it would be a sin to destroy its beauty by eating it".

Cheese Souffle

butter and flour (to prepare the souffle dish)
1 cup butter
1/4 cup flour, sifted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
dash Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups milk
125 gr. Gruyere, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 eggs, separated

Generously grease the bottom and sides of a souffle dish with butter and then sprinkle the buttered surfaces very lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to hot.

In a double boiler, over boiling water melt the butter and to this add the flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. Mix well and gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Into this slowly add the cheese, stirring regularly until well melted and the mixture is uniform. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks until light and gradually pour these into the cheese sauce. (Note: To this point the souffle may be prepared several hours in advance if the surface is dabbed with butter, covered and refrigerated).

Clean a bowl thoroughly, making sure it is neither greasy nor damp. In this bowl beat the egg whites (by hand or with an electric mixer but not with a food processor) until they are stiff. If the cheese mixture has been prepared in advance reheat it to the point where it is hot to the touch and then fold it into the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the souffle dish and place in an oven that has been preheated to 200 degrees Celsius Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees and bake until the souffle has risen 5 - 8 centimeters over the rim of the mold and is nicely browned on top. (Serves 6).

Note: Because souffles begin to sink as they cool, they should be served as soon as possible. A well cooked souffle will remain puffy for about 5 minutes in the oven, but be sure to turn the oven heat off.

Quiche Lorraine

Making this dish without the bacon is no problem at all. It should, however, then be referred to simply as a cheese quiche.

125 gr. sliced bacon
1 crust for a 23 centimeter (9") pie
1 egg white lightly beaten
1/2 cup Emmenthal or Gruyere cheese, diced
1 cup milk
1 cup sweet cream
3 eggs
1 tsp. chives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash each white pepper and ground nutmeg

Cut the bacon in 1 cm. (1/2 ") pieces and cook the pieces in a heavy skillet stirring constantly until the fat is liquefied but the bacon is not yet crisp. Drain the bacon on absorbent toweling.

Brush the pie dough with the lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle the bacon pieces on the pie shell and over this sprinkle the diced cheese. Bake in a medium-hot oven for 15 minutes, not allowing the mixture to brown completely.

Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring just to the point of boiling. Remove from the flame and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, chives salt, pepper and nutmeg and over this pour the cooled milk and cream. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake in a medium-hot oven until the top is golden brown (35 -40 minutes). Do not overcook. Allow to cool and serve lukewarm. (Serve 4 - 6).

© Daniel Rogov