In Jewish families today, it would be surprising if all the aunts, uncles and cousins in a multi-generational family kept Kosher. But even if only a few of the family members keep Kosher, you can welcome them to this Family Reunion Tea by making only a few minor adjustments to our menu.
Kosher food is international in scope and is not tied to a single national cuisine. Keeping Kosher is simply a way of eating and drinking that affirms the conviction that meals are sacred activities, and keeping our bodies pure can help to purify our spirits. The laws for keeping Kosher are both exquisitely simple and maddeningly complex. Let’s start with the first simple rule:
Meats and dairy products should never be eaten at the same meal.
Kosher food is international in scope and is not tied to a single national cuisine. Keeping Kosher is simply a way of eating and drinking that affirms the conviction that meals are sacred activities, and keeping our bodies pure can help to purify our spirits. The laws for keeping Kosher are both exquisitely simple and maddeningly complex. Let’s start with the first simple rule:
Meats and dairy products should never be eaten at the same meal.
There is also a third food group in Kosher cooking called pareve. This refers to foods that are neither meat nor dairy and can therefore be eaten with either meat or dairy meals. While vegans classify fish, eggs and honey as animal products, Kosher cuisine does not. All three of these foods are considered pareve. All fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts are pareve. Certain types of meat, such as pork and shellfish are not Kosher and are never eaten at Kosher meals.
For our Kosher Afternoon Tea, we will serve a light buffet meal using dairy products but no meat. We can respect this principle at our Family Reunion Tea simply by removing the bacon and tomato and ham and cheese sandwiches from the menu. We suggest that you include instead the Mediterranean Appetizer Platter from the Mediterranean Tea menu, as none of the items in this assortment contain meat products.
For our Kosher Afternoon Tea, we will serve a light buffet meal using dairy products but no meat. We can respect this principle at our Family Reunion Tea simply by removing the bacon and tomato and ham and cheese sandwiches from the menu. We suggest that you include instead the Mediterranean Appetizer Platter from the Mediterranean Tea menu, as none of the items in this assortment contain meat products.
You can also add a large platter of lox, cream cheese and bagels with slices of ripe summer tomatoes. You will need to choose the cheeses for the Cheese Platter carefully. Do not serve certain hard cheeses that may contain rennet, which is an animal product.
Since gelatin is not always Kosher, you will need to eliminate the Spiced Apple Gelatin from the dessert table. We recommend serving instead a large Cheesecake with fresh fruit. You can also add a Kugel with pineapple and raisins. Both of these desserts are good at room temperature.
Since gelatin is not always Kosher, you will need to eliminate the Spiced Apple Gelatin from the dessert table. We recommend serving instead a large Cheesecake with fresh fruit. You can also add a Kugel with pineapple and raisins. Both of these desserts are good at room temperature.
Now we must deal with the complex aspect of keeping Kosher. Meats and dairy products cannot be cooked in the same pots and pans, nor can they be served on the same dishes. Here you will need to be vigilant. The simple solution is to make sure that family members prepare all the food following Kosher guidelines such as making sure that any dish or pan that might have been used for preparing meat is carefully cleansed or washed in a separate dishpan before it is used for serving dairy products. Alternatively, you can consult with the kitchen staff if your reunion is being held in a restaurant, hotel or conference center. They may be willing to prepare the food according to Kosher guidelines. Finally, you could engage a reliable Kosher restaurant or deli to make the food; then you could arrange to have it transported to the place where your reunion is being held.
For your relatives who keep Kosher, these steps will help to make them feel welcome, comfortable and included in the festivities. Those who do not keep Kosher will barely notice that you are serving a Kosher Afternoon Tea. They will simply love the food.
For your relatives who keep Kosher, these steps will help to make them feel welcome, comfortable and included in the festivities. Those who do not keep Kosher will barely notice that you are serving a Kosher Afternoon Tea. They will simply love the food.
For a Kosher Family Reunion Tea, make the following adjustments to the basic Family Reunion Tea Menu:
- For the Cheese Platter, select only cheeses that do not contain rennet.
- Eliminate the Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches and the Ham and Cheese Sandwiches.
- Add a platter of lox, bagels, cream cheese and sliced tomatoes
- Add the Mediterranean Appetizer Platter from the Eastern Mediterranean Tea menu.
- Eliminate the Spiced Apple Gelatin
- Add a Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit.
- Add a Kugel with Pineapple and Apples.
- Assess the entire Family Reunion Tea menu and eliminate any items that, though Kosher, (such as the Corn and Red Pepper Frittata and the Cherry Pie,) may seem unnecessary. If you decide to include pie, make sure that the crust is made with vegetable shortening or butter, not lard.
- The entire Eastern Mediterranean Tea menu is Kosher, including the honey-laden Baklava. Feel free to add any items from this menu to your Kosher Tea.
- Develop a strategy to ensure that all of the pots, pans, plates and serving dishes have been handled in accordance with Kosher guidelines.
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Recipes Included:
Kathleen’s Prize Winning Virgin Cheesecake During the years when Kathleen worked at the inns, she baked one or more cheesecakes a week. She created a wide variety of cheesecakes, including pumpkin, almond, lemon and of course chocolate. However, there is something indescribably alluring about the unadorned virgin cheesecake, the one that won many blue ribbons for Kathleen at the county fair. Kugel with Pineapple and Raisins Kugel is a homey baked dessert similar to bread pudding, but it is made with noodles instead of bread, and who doesn’t love noodles? This version includes raisins, pineapple and cinnamon with a nice crunchy topping of crushed cornflakes. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and enjoyed for breakfast the next morning. |
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