WHO KNOWS THREE?

This is a tale of three doughs, three fillings and three snails. The story begins with the smell in the air, the shape, the hue, the crunchy crisp texture, and especially the surprise that awaits us with the first bite. All this make these pastries loved by everyone. I usually prepare them on hot days and especially at the end of the week for Shabbat dinner, Shabbat morning brunch and, of course, Shabbat afternoon. Every time I choose a different dough that changes according to the filling I chose. It is the filling that affects the type of dough that I choose and the meal I will pair with the pastry.

They are three: filo dough, puff pastry, and yeast dough shaped like a snail. Sometimes the filling is meat, and at times dairy or a simply parve filling: lots of vegetables and interesting

spreads that will go into the snail.

The first snail is made of yeast dough with antipasti vegetables on a bed of pesto spread or harissa with canned lemon paste. The second snail is a puff pastry stuffed with ground meat and pine nuts. And the third snail is a filo dough snail stuffed with a dairy filling of cheese and spinach.

I usually prepare the yeast and vegetable dough for a Shabbat meal, since it becomes a sort of challah bread filled with vegetables and antipasti laid on a spicy bed, or another that is a surprise when it is eaten on Shabbat. I usually serve the meat puff pastry snail at lunch alongside a selection of delicacies I prepared for Shabbat. I always serve the snail of the filo dough with cheese and spinach for brunch alongside an abundance of cheeses, salted fish and a selection of rich salads.

Of course you have to choose one snail and match it with the meal you want to serve it with. Now the question is, what is your snail for a weekend?