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Jewish Wedding kosher
catering,jewish wedding kosher caterers,bar mitzvah catering,bat mitzvah
caterers
Kosher
Caterers
If It's a Jewish
Celebration, There Must be Food!
Is there a way to celebrate any
of the Jewish Life Cycle ceremonies without food? Of course not!
Sitting around the table, enjoying the spread, and schmoozing with your
table mates about all that's news and not... that's a Jewish
Celebration!
Planning such
events requires giving thought to Kashrut - the dietary laws that govern
how and what Jews eat. Even if you do not observe Kosher laws as a rule,
by observing kashrut at your affair, you are avoiding discomfort and
hunger for observant friends and relatives.
Kosher in a Nutshell
The Hebrew word "Kasheir," or
"Kosher," means fit or proper. When applied to food, the term indicates
that an item is fit for consumption according to Jewish law. The word "Kashruth"
refers to the general subject of Kosher food.
There are three
categories of Kosher food - Meat, Dairy and Parve (or Pareve).
• Meat
- For an animal to be Kosher, it must have split hooves and chew its
cud. (Examples: cow, goat, lamb.) Non-Kosher animals include pig,
horse, camel and rabbit. Kosher fowl include chicken, turkey, goose,
and certain duck. Animals and fowl must be slaughtered by a
specialist, called a shochet.
• Dairy
- Milk and milk products (cheese, cream, butter, etc.) of a Kosher
animal are Kosher-Dairy. These may not be eaten in combination with
meat or fowl.
• Pareve
- Foods which contain neither meat nor dairy ingredients are called
"Pareve." All fruits, grains and vegetables in their natural state
are Kosher and Pareve. Fish which have fins and scales are Kosher
and Pareve. A Pareve item can become either dairy or meat when it is
cooked together with food in either category. (Example: fish fried
in butter is considered dairy, not Parve.)
The
separation of meat and dairy products also applies to the utensils
used for storing, preparing and serving these foods. Therefore,
completely separate sets of pots, dishes, cutlery, etc. must be used
for meat and dairy foods. Kosher food prepared in pots used
previously for preparing non-Kosher food may become not Kosher.
Choosing A Kosher Caterer
Before calling caterers, do your
homework. Research online, consult with friends, read review (if
you can find any). Once you find a caterer with whom you feel you can
have a good, respectful working relationship, verify the following:
Practical Advice - Questions
to Ask When Choosing Your Kosher Caterer
• Search the
Jewish Celebrations DIRECTORY
for fine kosher caterers that will make your party an affair to
remember.
• Have a clear idea of what you want or do not want served at your
affair.
• Remember your budget, and stick with it. Often times, caterers
will try and persuade you to go beyond your initial desires.
Remain firm.
• Get a list of recent clients and contact numbers. Any
reputable caterer will be more than happy to supply you with this
information.
• Verify if price includes china, linen, liquor, silverware,
glassware, wedding cake, waiters, and bartenders.
• Remember to add to your list of "eating guests" the photographers
and musicians. You don't want them to go hungry!
• To avoid misunderstanding, your contract should DETAIL the
services are included
• Discuss cost in detail, and verify if there any hidden or extra
charges, such as travel expenses.
• REVIEW CANCELLATION POLICY.
• Have everything documented in WRITING.
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