Kosher food

I guess what he's getting at is he doesn't eat pork. He's being a bit of an arse though - I am sure he knows full well you couldn't produce a proper kosher meal so he should have been clear about what is and isn't okay.

*scratch*

If you're not Jewish.....

Can you produce a Kosher meal?

WSS, there is no way you can cook kosher in a non kosher kitchen. Obviously pork is out as you say and there is something about eating meat and milk in the same meal, I'm not sure if that includes cheese though? It would probably iclude butter if you were making sandwiches?

Well, yes, but you should have sparate sets of everything for preparing meat and milk, so again, it just can't be done.

You probably need a bit more information. He may just mean that he won't eat pork or shellfish, but if he is strictly Kosher then he wouldn't even eat off the plates that you provide as they may have had non-Kosher food on them previously. If he is "strictly" Kosher there is a company that will deliver a sealed Kosher meal:

http://www.hermolis.com/home.htm

I think I'll get a selection of cheeses and possibly some other vegetarian style sandwich fillers. I'll probably just set the table and let him serve himself so hopefully I can't mess that up (although I have heard these things about kosher kitchens wher you can't have meat and other produce on the same countertop so I might still mess it up?). There's some ham in our fridge, but I won't tell him that ?

Sorry Sophie, I was meaning even if Neo isn't trying to cook actual Kosher, she still obviously wouldn't serve pork and it would probably be best to avoid mixing dairy and meat as another 'rule'. Or go to a cafe. ?

In a non-kosher domestic kitchen, you can make an acceptable meal for someone who's kosher as long as it is fully vegetarian hence getting around the milk and meat bit.

You need to be sure you don't use chopping boards etc that you would use for meat too.

He mentioned to keep it vegetarian, so that seems like a sensible option

I was agreeing with you, but if he won't eat meat and milk together then he shouldn't be eating anything prepared in a kitchen that does mix them, iyswim? I hate people who are morally inconsistent ?

Sorry, I was being a bit dim, I see what you mean now. Actually, I am a bit dim all round today. ?

Most supermarkets have a Kosher food range.

I grew up in a very Jewish area , so lots of deli's & bakeries - Do you have any in your area?

I think some v strict people would not use anything that had been used for non-kosher food, making it totally impossible.

It's a very difficult request as there are so many different things it could mean. I think i would just cook something vegetarian and not worry about it, although may be worth getting kosher wine (if youre having wine) as it's not that unusual to only drink kosher wine. Or go out for a meal instead.

I haven't paid any attention to it to be honest. I'm in Sheffield, haven't noticed any kosher sections at the local Asda or Morrisons (but then again, haven't paid any attention to it either so there might be).

I think I'll just go vegan to be on the safe side (I don't think he's expecting me to get food from a kosher shop), if he would want cheese, we'll have some.

You can make things like knives suitable for preparation of kosher food by cleaning it in boiling water and passing a kitchen blow torch over it to steralise it. I have seperate chopping boards for meat so would avoid contamination.

Of course, it does depend on how strictly the person follows the kosher laws. If Neo's friend has asked her to prepare something, then I'm sure he's not strict enough to require a rabbi to check to preparation area and declare it fit!

Yes, maybe you can, but the question I'm asking myself is why the hell should she? Are you cooking for this man at home? I'm sorry, but regardless of your reasons I don't think it's acceptable to start shouting the odds about what your hostess must do to purify her sodding knives before she cooks you lunch!

It really isn't reasonable, imo, to come up with demands like "I keep kosher" "I follow a macrobiotic diet" etc, when someone's invited you for a meal. Far too difficult to adhere to and full of holes as well.

(Rantiness not aimed at you, Mogwai ?)

If he really would be that kosher, he would have said something (I'd least I'd hope so). So really do think I'll be ok with offering something vegan.

Wouldn't kosher be different to someone chosing to be macrobiotic? A person's religious needs would feature up there with allergies in something I would try to cater for. I wouldn't be calling the rabbi or sterilising my kitchen but I would follow basic rules like no pork and no meat and dairy in the same meal. If I was cooking for catholics on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, I wouldn't think twice about not serve meat, likewise other religions. Maybe that's just me though and my endless aim to please, which has already got me into a pickle in general. ?

I do completely understand about the picking and choosing though, that is very frustrating.

I'm afraid I don't think it is different. It's not like Jewish people suffer from some rare blood disorder that will cause them to sponaneously combust if they eat bacon ? It's a preference, albeit one made on the grounds of religion. I don't have a problem with someone saying "I am a vegetarian" or "I don't eat pork" or whatever, to avoid embarrassing their host and themself. But I think expecting your hostess to intuit which of your faith's dietery guidelines you do and don't apply is taking the piss a bit.

I see what you mean. I was more focused on putting across that you can do it in a normal kitchen. Whether you want to or not or the question of whether it's reasonable or not is a different issue.

Neo > vegan meal should be more than acceptable whether you buy it in or make it yourself.

WSS. For someone to say "I'm Jewish so please don't make anything for me including pork/ham/shellfish/meat & dairy together" is reasonable and I'm sure most people wouldn't serve up a bacon sandwich with lashings of butter ?

However to say to a non-Jewish person that you expect a kosher meal, knowing that it's about more than the foodstuffs themselves but also includes how it's slaughtered/prepared is a bit out of order really.

Incidentally, did anyone see that programme "Houseguest" last week with the Jewish woman on it who wouldn't eat pork or mussels (fairy muff) but would eat bacon, and when asked why she said she wasn't religious! ?

Passing a blowtorch over it? Presumably that would only really work if you were wearing two pairs of plastic serving gloves so the gentile isn't touching the plates? ETA, I wouldn't have thought that anyone who wasn't Jewish could make something Kosher just no principle?!

I'm presuming he just means no pig, no shellfish and no meat cooked in milk. But it's not terribly helpful for him to be that vague as Kosher can be very strict indeed.

I had to organise a small celebration drinks and nibbles for a Jewish law firm I was temping at who had invited the Rabbi. So that included buying paper plates, cups and forks, but not opening the packet myself, making sure that all the (very tasty!) food (from a Kosher bakery) came double wrapped in cling fim (not single wrapped, that wasn't sufficient!), laying out bottles of Champagne but not opening them...

I was happy to oblige but my boss found it terribly embarassing to explain that I couldn't touch anything directly or it would be contaminated and the Rabbi would spontaneously combust (well, not quite ?)

You can get around the cutlery issues by buying some paper plates and plastics knives and forks - this is perfectable acceptable and easy to do.

Some shops do sell a few bits and pieces in Sheffield but mainly you would have to go to Leeds to buy the full ingredients if you were to go the whole hog. Although if you are near Cost co in Sheffield they do have kosher falaffel and a few other bits and pieces my sister managed to get for my neices baby blessing. You could do that with a bit of salad and humous with which you cant really go wrong. Just get in some pitta bread. Look for a K on the packet.

Failing that the vegan option is fine - check the ingredients on the cheese as some use animal renet which would not be acceptable if you do decide to serve. Other products to check would be sweets / cakes as they often have gelatine in them which is often made of pork/beef which again you should not serve.

?? sorry - nothing sensible to add - but this made me chuckle