gift to give host/hostess

noosheen

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 10:17 am

I need some ideas of a gift to give to friends that have invited us over for a meal on sukkos. One meal we are invited to our future machatonim. Something creative, but not too difficult - I like to bake, but not too patchkadik. I have run out of ideas and would love to hear of some new suggestions.
Thanks,
chag sameach to all! Smile

louche

Tue, Sep 21 2010, 10:33 am

If you're going for a meal and intend to bring a gift from your kitchen, tell your hosts that that's what you plan to do, ask what they would like you to bring, or present it as "May I bring you a loaf of my specialty Kanish Banana Whole Wheat Olive Sardine Marmalade Nougat Loaf for dessert?"

When baking for someone else, it's better to make something tried and true rather than to try something you've never made before. Just because you've been serving Kanish Banana etc. every shabbos for the past 24 months doesn't mean your hosts have ever had it.

You can jazz up a pedestrian recipe by spiking it with alcohol. Creme de menthe or almond liqueur in the icing on your chocolate cake, for example, makes it something very different. Or, if you have an excellent knife and better eye-hand coordination, split your cake horizontally into two or three layers, spread strawberry, raspberry or apricot preserves between the layers, then reassemble and ice the cake.

(Why am I giving away all my secrets?)