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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen
Can we talk about appetizers and pre-plating?
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tachles




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 05 2018, 11:49 pm
Last year I preplated most of the simanim forbeach person in a decorative way and I believe that’s enough of an appetizer course. Straight to main dish after that.
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 10:01 am
Thank you everyone who answered. It was really helpful to me.

Another angle I'm thinking about is kids. My kids for sure won't eat salad, plus we're having a few other kids as guests (maybe they'll eat salad and salmon! who knows). But the table would look dumb without all the plates out. Any solution here I'm not thinking of? I'm thinking I just have to put it out and have them sit there while the kids eat just challah. Thoughts?

Also what kind of plates do you actually use? I got a set of disposables but the small plates are pretty small. It would be nice to have some sort of low bowl thing... Am I getting overambitious and just make do with the small plates?

Also any recommendations for online dessert bowls (Amazon prime now?) good for pre-plating either just ice cream or ice cream and cranberry crumble? (My oven is broken so I'm thinking if I can't manage the cranberry crumble to take advice of one poster here and do just ice cream.)

I feel like I'm still kind of all over the place but thank you all. And what I don't use this YT (easy no-fail honey salmon!) iy"H I will in the future.
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egam




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 10:11 am
This is probably not what you want to here, but in my mind pre-plating requires too much exstra work and causes waste of food.
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pesek zman




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 10:36 am
egam wrote:
This is probably not what you want to here, but in my mind pre-plating requires too much exstra work and causes waste of food.


Same!! People make so much work for themselves! Meals at home aren't weddings and their not restaurants! Make a salad, or 2 salads and put it in middle of the table. And personally, I don't like courses (except for soup, when I serve it) I'm always hungry and the meals are late so I just want to get on with it. I always serve mains, sides and salads at the same time.

Never had any complaints
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thunderstorm




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 10:43 am
amother wrote:
Thank you everyone who answered. It was really helpful to me.

Another angle I'm thinking about is kids. My kids for sure won't eat salad, plus we're having a few other kids as guests (maybe they'll eat salad and salmon! who knows). But the table would look dumb without all the plates out. Any solution here I'm not thinking of? I'm thinking I just have to put it out and have them sit there while the kids eat just challah. Thoughts?

Also what kind of plates do you actually use? I got a set of disposables but the small plates are pretty small. It would be nice to have some sort of low bowl thing... Am I getting overambitious and just make do with the small plates?

Also any recommendations for online dessert bowls (Amazon prime now?) good for pre-plating either just ice cream or ice cream and cranberry crumble? (My oven is broken so I'm thinking if I can't manage the cranberry crumble to take advice of one poster here and do just ice cream.)

I feel like I'm still kind of all over the place but thank you all. And what I don't use this YT (easy no-fail honey salmon!) iy"H I will in the future.

If you really feel the need to have food on the plate for the kids, you can prepare their plates with little challah rolls and some honey on a plate. (Or if the kids would rather have dip, you can put a teaspoon of three different types of dips on their plates )
I do agree with other posters that pre plating is a much bigger headache and there is more waste of food.
I usually serve dinner style when I have guests. All the platters get passed around and everyone takes what they want.
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 11:29 am
Why not have two large salads and honey for the challah? No preplating and easy cleanup.
If one is a marinated salad, then leftovers will be good when you’re hungry in the afternoon.
Put a contrasting napkin under the appetizer/salad plate/bowl.
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:37 pm
For all who are saying preplanning is more work... I guess it is. But I have never attended a meal as a guest where I live where there are just two salads and that's it on the table. What can I say, afraid to be the first. I hate the whole "entertaining" thing, but that's what goes on here. I wiiiiiiish I didn't feel the pressure. and for those who say "buck the trend"... I don't know, doesn't feel so easy. Feels like coming underdressed to an event.

Frantic Frummie, for honey salmon on medium... What is medium? Would that be 350?
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:38 pm
Iymnok wrote:
Why not have two large salads and honey for the challah? No preplating and easy cleanup.
If one is a marinated salad, then leftovers will be good when you’re hungry in the afternoon.
Put a contrasting napkin under the appetizer/salad plate/bowl.


Lymnok if you would do that, what would the second salad be? Let's say I have one kale salad. What is the other?
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watergirl




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:45 pm
amother wrote:
For all who are saying preplanning is more work... I guess it is. But I have never attended a meal as a guest where I live where there are just two salads and that's it on the table. What can I say, afraid to be the first. I hate the whole "entertaining" thing, but that's what goes on here. I wiiiiiiish I didn't feel the pressure. and for those who say "buck the trend"... I don't know, doesn't feel so easy. Feels like coming underdressed to an event.

Frantic Frummie, for honey salmon on medium... What is medium? Would that be 350?

Honestly, most guests will probably be relieved.
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egam




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:48 pm
amother wrote:
For all who are saying preplanning is more work... I guess it is. But I have never attended a meal as a guest where I live where there are just two salads and that's it on the table. What can I say, afraid to be the first. I hate the whole "entertaining" thing, but that's what goes on here. I wiiiiiiish I didn't feel the pressure. and for those who say "buck the trend"... I don't know, doesn't feel so easy. Feels like coming underdressed to an event.

Frantic Frummie, for honey salmon on medium... What is medium? Would that be 350?


Are you having a lot of people at one meal? Is it going to be a long table? Divide your each salad in two serving bowls. The table is not going to look as empty and it’s easier for your guests. Do they same with fish platters and serve fish together with salad. You have plenty for the first course.
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pesek zman




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:49 pm
watergirl wrote:
Honestly, most guests will probably be relieved.


Agree.

I'm overwhelmed just reading OP though. I can't imagine special tiny cups or whatever just to use for guests. We have a set of China and servewear and that's what we use.
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 12:53 pm
I like to make salads I can reuse multiple meals and can be done in advance and don’t get soggy.

Corn
Linguine
Marinated vegetables
Quinoa
Cucumber
Israeli salad
Chickpea
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 7:42 pm
pesek zman wrote:
Agree.

I'm overwhelmed just reading OP though. I can't imagine special tiny cups or whatever just to use for guests. We have a set of China and servewear and that's what we use.


if it helps you understand me, I don't have real dishes at all. so it's either nice disposable or cheap disposable. I do hope to get a set of Corelle soon but that won't be before YT.
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 7:45 pm
egam wrote:
Are you having a lot of people at one meal? Is it going to be a long table? Divide your each salad in two serving bowls. The table is not going to look as empty and it’s easier for your guests. Do they same with fish platters and serve fish together with salad. You have plenty for the first course.


Yes, I think that is my concern--it's a long table, we'll be about 7 adults plus kids, and just one big bowl in the middle seems kind of meager/awkward (everyone waiting for it to get passed around?).

But I guess there might a middle ground between one serving dish (as if it's just immediate family) and tons and tons of salads and multiple types of fish that are way more than anyone needs. So two salads...?
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 7:49 pm
sky wrote:
I like to make salads I can reuse multiple meals and can be done in advance and don’t get soggy.

Corn
Linguine
Marinated vegetables
Quinoa
Cucumber
Israeli salad
Chickpea


See, this is the kind of stuff I normally do. And everyone eats and enjoys and then when it's time for the main course it's like... what? now we're taking away the chickpeas and quinoa and having meat and potatoes? It's like two entire meals that each really complete on their own. (I have also in the past had a big salad course with these kinds of salads plus fried fish patties, followed by a much smaller "main" course... but for RH want to emphasize the main course with roast etc.)
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amother
Indigo


 

Post Thu, Sep 06 2018, 10:48 pm
amother wrote:
Simanim are both nights. Chassidim do the simanim only the first night.


We only do first night. Not chassidish.
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Sep 07 2018, 3:32 am
I’d make a tossed salad and a marinated salad.
Usually I have 3-5 small glass bowls of various cut vegetables since each of my kids likes a different combination. They have dressing on them already.
It looks very colorful. You could agg a bowl of grilled vegetables and salad garnishes like nuts, seeds or croutons.
I have each kid bring in 2-3 things.
I stack the plates at the table.
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EishesYo




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Sep 07 2018, 6:14 am
Weve been doing strawberry soup or a drink alot served pretty with either sugar rimmed glasses or with crunch or fruit

when im in the mood to be fancy I do sushi salad
or like others said meat or chicken salad
I prepare all veggies in fridge beforehand sp easy to dump on plates and do dressing on side when serve
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Fri, Sep 07 2018, 1:31 pm
Iymnok wrote:
I’d make a tossed salad and a marinated salad.
Usually I have 3-5 small glass bowls of various cut vegetables since each of my kids likes a different combination. They have dressing on them already.
It looks very colorful. You could agg a bowl of grilled vegetables and salad garnishes like nuts, seeds or croutons.
I have each kid bring in 2-3 things.
I stack the plates at the table.


Lymnok you do it like this when you have guests too? (As in: more guests than kids. Not when it's mostly your family and maybe a good friend or family member. And a long table, and people who maybe don't know each other that well.)
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Sep 08 2018, 3:10 pm
I don’t do dips.
Recently, Friday night has been just gefilte fish +tomatoes and cucumbers then chicken on potatoes and that’s it.
So two salads would be a lot.
If I had enough adult guests, I’d like to have grilled vegetables and maybe a kugel.
I’ve found that we are actually happier with simple and the guests don’t notice as long as the food is delicious and filling and the atmosphere is pleasant.
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