Kosher food for beginners

[taffinnorfol]

We have some Jewish friends visiting shortly and they will be with us for lunch. We thought, perhaps, a buffet would be best.

Although we are reasonably competent cooks, we have no experience of cooking / serving Kosher food and quick research shows it's quite complicated.

Has anyone got any ideas about what we could provide them with???

[sara3]

do they actually eat kosher food? I wouldn't make assumptions.

personally I'd find a Jewish deli and stock up there. I know that they can't eat anything from the sea unless it once had scales (salmon, yes.. prawns, no), no cloven-footed animal (??) and if they're strict, head for the Jewish deli!

or get a Jewish cook book.

[naomi24]

I wouldn't worry too much about methods of cooking, but bear in mind that Jewish people don't eat milk and meat at the same meal. For example, if you serve fish, a cream sauce, a pudding with cream, or cream in coffee is fine, but not if you serve, say, steak.

Keep it simple and you won't go far wrong. Salmon is always a good bet - easy - and you don't have to worry about the milk/meat rule.

[chinadog]

http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/cupboard/exam/examsupp /dloads/jud/jew21.htm

[Lonnie]

Why not ask them if they stay Kosher outside, It strikes me that if they follow the religion to a 't', they wouldn't eat from your plates, or drink from your cups, or use you cutlery, but as they obviously don't mind, (or they wouldn't be coming).

Other than that, i'd follow naomi's advice, but its worth an ask.

As an aside, another option foodwise, is go Vegetarian, its what my wife does if we visit, and it works.

[sara3]

Lonnie, does that mean Kosher eaters can't eat in restaurants?

[screamer123]

you can't beat a bacon sandwich.

[naomi24]

Hi Lonnie, I didn't mention the china and cutlery (or pots and pans) simply because if the visitors were strictly orthodox they wouldn't be coming to taffinnorfol's for lunch at all.

[Lonnie]

very true naomi, my apologies, you were looking forward, I should have realised, my apologies.

sara3, It all depends you see, on how strict they are,

As naomi mentioned, Jews are not alloed, according to the Kosher laws, to eat milk and meat together, that means that in >b>practicing Jewish homes, there's one complete set of crockery and cutlery for meat, and one for milk and foods that aren't associated with meat, that includes tea towels etc. they are also kept in seperate places. seperate pots and pans for cooking also.

When visiting a non jewish home,, it has been known that Strict Jews will only eat and drink from paper cups and plates,

The reason for this, is that they can't be sure what had been on the plates before, and ordinary washing up liquid wouldn't suffice.

However, apart from the very religious, in answer to the original question, taffinnorfols guests probably wouldn't mind, but I still think its worth an ask.

I took my wife and her sisters whole family to a restaurant, my wife went vegetarian, as did I, but that was out of respect, unfortunately, I ordered first, they all had lamb and beef.

To explain, I am only Kosher at home, my wife is all the time.

Hope that helps a bit.