Kosher Dinner?

Question

I myself am not Jewish however I must plan a dinner for Kosher guests it is rather formal so it will include soup, hors d'oeuvre, appetizers, a main course and dessert... I am planning on making everything from scratch however I do not know any of the dietary/meal prep restrictions (other than pork not being allowed) so where could I find helpful information or meal ideas? Thanks.

Answer 1

Nothing you cook in your kitchen will be kosher, because I'm guessing you don't have a kosher kitchen, but if your guests are eating something you prepare in your kitchen, they're probably not very strict about kosher, either.

The main thing is do not mix dairy and meat. Either make all your courses dairy (+fruits, vegetables, seasoning, bread, etcetera) or don't use any dairy if you use meat.

Answer 2

How kosher are these people is something you should be considering. Some people keep kosher simply by not eating certain foods with other foods. Others strictly follow a kosher lifestyle, i.e. two completely different sets of plates for different types of meals (dairy vs. meat) and two different sinks because porcelain is porous and the meat/dairy seeps into them. It might be a good idea to consider using nicer disposable place settings, particular for the latter example of a kosher-keeping person. There are some places who sell really nice looking plastic tableware relatively inexpensively, it looks practically like real stuff. If I find the company, I'll edit it in. This site http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm has a nice break down if you scroll down the page.

Answer 3

I would think that they would welcome your talking with them at great length about their preferences.  In the Orthodox communities where I am most familiar kosher food would need to be prepared in a kosher kitchen.  So in the situation you describe, instead of having you cook the easiest thing might be that everyone eat at a kosher restaurant.

Obviously there are many, many variations in practice... from ultra Orthodox to modern to conservative, reform and all in between.   (I do not personally keep kosher in the strict sense.)  Since your guests are coming for dinner then I would guess that they also follow something different from the guidelines that are listed in the links below.  That being the case, it would be just impossible for you to guess what they do and don't follow.  One basic thing, besides no pork or shell fish, is that the meal should either contain diary products or meat because the two can't be eaten at the same meal even if they are not cooked together or served on the same plate.  (There is a time requirement between.)

I think it's great that you're wanting to cook a kosher meal from scratch for them so just have a chat with them so you know your guidelines. :)

Answer 4

The Kashrut of a food depends on its ingredients and its preparation. Most people know about ingredients (must be labeled kosher, no milk and meat in the same dish, etc...)

As for preparation, there are ways for non-Jewish people to prepare Kosher food, but many kosher agencies take care to ensure that the food preparation is supervised properly (someone not Jewish is more likely to make mistakes as they are less familiar with the laws of kashrut)

Also, there are laws that state that only Jews can cook Kosher food. In order to make this a workable situation for industrial kitchens and companies, a kosher supervisor will usually participate in the act of cooking (turning on the heat source) but the rest of the preparation will be up to the gourmet cheff.

You should know that some Jews might not mind if a non-Jew completely prepares their food except for particular products. Those products may be: milk products, bread, and wine.

If you are thinking of preparing kosher food, it is always best to check with the person you are preparing for to see the extent to which s/he observes these laws.