| By Chris on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 02:15 pm: Edit |
I am cooking for 80 international heads of state. I was just informed that I will have to prepare between 10 and 15 kosher meals. Does anyone out there know of a kosher cookbook that features upscale meals. I need five to six courses. If anyone can help I promise not to be a wise ass in this forum ever again. Thanks!!
| By momoreg on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 03:38 pm: Edit |
You need to learn about what kosher is, and what the laws of kosher are. Then you can adjust your own recipes to suit the situation. Yes, there ARE books that feature kosher food, but you'd really be limiting your choices if you only had a book's worth of recipes to choose from. Consider finding a book which outlines the rules of kashruth, instead of just providing recipes. It's really not as complicated as you think.
| By Panini (Panini) on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 08:21 pm: Edit |
There is a kosher handbook available from the Rabbi who is in charge of food in your area. Are you cooking kosher style or kosher. It is not easy to cook kosher, you will need seperate cooking facilities.You will need to be monitored by the Rabbi.Its very involved if you are not set up for kosher cooking.
momoreg is right when she says that you can be very creative with all kinds of foods and still be kosher.
| By pam on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 09:53 pm: Edit |
how do they expect you to cook kosher without different ovens,equipment,etc? we once did this but the group brought in portable stoves & all the equipment. i mean everything,utensils,pots,pans,storage,foil,plastic,disposable plates & silverware & the rabbi oversaw everything. they won't be able to eat off your plates or use your silver, or anything. you better check on this.
| By Dpconsu (Dpconsu) on Tuesday, February 15, 2000 - 11:10 pm: Edit |
Whoa there!
To those of you out there who are not Jewish.
There are different interpretations of what "Kosher" is. The orthadox community practices are radically different to those of the reform Jews.
Chris, try to find out just how Kosher you have to be. It may suffice just to ensure that no pork products are used and that you do not mix meats and dairy products in the same meal and for sure not on the same plate.( the law is based on the biblical phrase "thou shalt not consume the meat of the kid in the milk of the mother" and over the centuries that has come down to seperate utensils, dishes, glass ware and pots to prepare meats and dairy, yet there is also the "parve" kosher items which are deemed neither meat nor dairy, items like eggs, scaled fish, (no catfish, lunpfish eel ect.)
You can however prepare items like chicken breast with a supreme sauce or a tarragon sauce, just substitute the cream and use non dairy creamer and adjust the taste, if you work on it you will get it right.
After all, your dining guests are sophisticated embassy officials? and there are probably Islamic or Buddest there too, they too have special dietry laws to their ethnic backgrounds. I have found that rather than make waves these people will eat what they want to and not eat what they do not want to.
I spent 3 & 1/2 years in Isreal cooking and consulting. Even there the definition of what is kosher are blurry.
They sephardic jews are completly different from the ashcanaze and as are the Indian, Ethiopian and Yemeni jews.
If they are insisting on a"Glatt Kosher" meat dinner and want it to be 100% kosher. Then get your boss to OK having a Jewish Caterer to bring in the items and all the plates ect. Just leave them a place to work that is seperate from the rest of the food and can be sanitized by the Rabbi who they will bring with them.(at your cost)
If you want to get more info, you can find me by e-mail.
All the best
Michael
| By chris on Thursday, February 17, 2000 - 10:38 pm: Edit |
Thanks for all of sugestions and help guys. I think I am going to pass the buck and hire a jewish caterer.
| By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Friday, February 18, 2000 - 01:51 am: Edit |
Chris,
Something else to consider is that passover is happening soon, and this will introduce a whole new set of restrictions on your menu.
| By Steven (Steven) on Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - 04:01 pm: Edit |
Actually passover dinner is the easiest kosher meal for me to prepare since it`s pretty well a standardised menu I`ve done it many times.
It`s a good move with the jewish caterer Chris.