Milk and Honey

As a Jewish vegetarian, one of my favorite holidays of the year (culinary-wise) is Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Israelites. As if the Torah were not enough, every year we get to enjoy delicious dairy dishes (mmm, blintzes!) that some say remind us of the promise of Israel--the land of milk and honey. Others say that dairy meals are eaten to commemorate that our ancestors had just received the Torah and did not have separate meat and dairy dishes yet. I'm sure my more learned colleagues have yet another explanation, too. Either way, I am happy to share a recipe that I will be making in honor of the holiday.

This very easy recipe for cheese, pear, and honey paninis comes from Everyday Italian, one of my favorite cooking shows. It can easily be adapted to use soft kosher cheese instead. I am sure it would be lovely with any leftover filling from your blintzes instead of the taleggio or brie. Of course, who ever heard of leftover blintzes?

Enjoy!