Passover Catering NYC - aka second night seder at the Actors Temple

You may remember that last year CuisinEtc catered a wonderful Sephardic influenced second night Passover Seder for the congregation at the Actors Temple in midtown Manhattan.  This wonderful old NYC synagogue 

http://www.theactorstemple.org/history.html

This is our second year and extereme pleasure of
working with Rabbi Jill Hausman
of the Actors Temple in Hell's Kitchen New York City
on the westside of Manhattan
(real estate agents call Hells Kitchen "Clinton" or Clinton Heights
but the traditional new york city name
is Hells Kitchen and we are proud of it) -

so off the culinary team here at cuisinEtc
embarks on another culinary adventure
passover seder catering for a wonderful historic temple
or as my kosher frum friends would say
That may be a pesach seder - but it's certainly not kosher


PASSOVER SECOND SEDER,
The Actor's Temple
Hells Kitchen New York City
Thursday, April 9th at 6 PM:
Dairy/Fish/Vegetable Dinner
catered by Creative Cuisinetc,
with reservations required.

Funny enough the small historic synagogue
is housed right next door to a previous home away from home,
our son Ben's elementary school - for those of you who don't know
is our avid collegiate debator - once again, working at the Actors Temple
is a walk down memory lane for us, to an "old neigborhood"

In any case, Rabbi Jill and the culinary team at CuisinEtc catering
came up with a selection
of fish dairy menus featuring fresh salmon
that would be kosher style -
for the temples second night seder service and dinner.
following along with kosher style,
since we are serving dairy items, no meat, chicken or poultry
(like chicken soup, chopped liver, or pot roast)
can be served with this meal.

Here's what we will be serving next month -

Hopefully this year we will have time to take some photos
during the seder dinner. But thought you would all
enjoy looking at the ecclectic NYC Manhattan style passover seder menu
CuisinEtc is serving this year

Many thanks to my kosher catering
friends for their assistance and patience
in guiding me through this process.
For anyone looking for kosher caterers throughout the United States
please don't hesitate to contact me
and I can probably hook you up from coast to coast
via my networking contacts and good friends
in the kosher and non kosher catering business.

I recently heard an elderly woman comment that she marks the passage of time by the Jewish holidays.
Well Purim has just passed and we are on the road to Passover
- or Pesach as my religious friends would say.

One of my very dear friends, sister in arms and fellow catering buddy,
Mimi Markowsky, of Elite Kosher Catering in West Bloomfield,
right outside of Detroit, is already getting ready for the onslaught
of orders she and her kitchen crew will produce for Pesach 2009.
For those of you in the Detroit area- you cannt go wrong to give Mimi
a call about your Pesach Seder needs.
From traditional to avante garde Mimi Markowsky of Elite Kosher Catering, a maven of Passover, Jewish Holidays and Gourmet Food in general.

www.findlocalcatering.com/Michigan/Elite-Kosher-Catering-19998.html

Back to the New York City and Manhattan Passover Catering scene.


As always the challenge for the culinary team here at CuisinEtc, is

as boutique caterers we don't follow set menus but customize every event,

and we want to offer food that is

**healthy yet delicious and nutritious**,

**appropriate to the occasion**
(in this case lots of restrictions
because of "kosher for passover style"
which I'll address shortly)

**not too way out **
- appealing to a variety of sophisticated New York palates,

but also to folks who want the comfort food that holiday meals often provide

Menu A

The Actors Temple

Second Night Pesach Seder Dinner Buffet

Services Start at 6:00 pm
Buffet Dinner Service to start by 8:00 pm

Menu Passover 2009
Roasted Salmon Moroccan Style
Sassy Sephardic Salmon –
filet of salmon seared in a Med Rim spice rub, nestled in a bed of aramelized onions and carrots
and finished with a honey-lemon reduction sauce

Vegetarian Alternative:
Fritada de Espinaca
- Creamy Sephardic spinach-cheese casserole

Med Rim Spinach Salad
- fresh spinach, chiffonade of fresh basil and watercress with marinated artichokes & cherry tomatoes tossed with a pomegranite balsamic vinaigrette

Thai Inspired Broccoli Salad
- Fresh Broccoli with Sweet & Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Colorful Bell Peppers & Roasted Cashews (not spicy)

- Cardamom and Spice Roasted Sweet Potato

and our Fabulous Signature Dessert Finale:
“Rivers of Sweets”
A bountiful display of ”flowing” river of
dark kosher for Pesach chocolate
Surrounded by dippable goodies such as
coconut macaroons, meringue cookies,
kosher for Pesach marshmallows, fresh fruit
such as strawberries,pineapple
grapes, and more



interested in using CuisinEtc for your New York City passover catering

or for an upcoming milestone event like a bar or bat mitzvah

and want a menu and event that

speaks to who your family represents culturally and personally -

here at CuisinEtc we are always happy to work closely with you to

design and execute the event you envision!

Pesach - Passover Catering .............. Pesach in Manhattan's Hells Kitchen

I recently had the pleasure of meeting
and working with Rabbi Jill Hausman
of the Actors Temple in Hell's Kitchen New York City
on the westside of Manhattan
(real estate agents call Hells Kitchen "Clinton" or Clinton Heights
but the traditional new york city name
is Hells Kitchen and we are proud of it) -
http://www.theactorstemple.org/history.html


so off the culinary team here at cuisinEtc
embarks on our latest culinary adventure
passover seder catering for a wonderful historic temple
or as my kosher frum friends would say
That may be a pesach seder - but it's certainly not kosher
of course given the right circumstances, access to a kosher kitchen and kosher cooking utensils, we have produced fully kosher meals under rabbinical supervision, but in this case, it's modern judiasm at it's best, confirming to the ideas of the tradition, although not to the letter of the halaca law.



PASSOVER SECOND SEDER,
The Actor's Temple
Hells Kitchen New York City
Sunday, April 20th at 6 PM:
Dairy/Fish/Vegetable Dinner
catered by Creative Cuisinetc,
with reservations required.

Funny enough the small historic synagogue
is housed right next door to a previous home away from home,
our son Ben's elementary school - for those of you who don't know
he is presently a sophmore at SUNY Binghamton upstate New York,
so this is also a walk down memory lane for us, to an "old neigborhood"

In any case, Rabbi Jill challenged CuisinEtc
to come up with a selection
of fish dairy menus featuring fresh salmon
that would be kosher style -
for the temples second night seder service and dinner.
following along with kosher style,
since we are serving dairy items, no meat, chicken or poultry
(like chicken soup, chopped liver, or pot roast)
can be served with this meal.

Here's what we will be serving next month -

I'll post some of the other menus later and
hopefully will have time to take some photos
during the seder dinner. But thought you would all
enjoy looking at the ecclectic NYC Manhattan style passover seder menu
we finally came up with.

Many thanks to my kosher catering
friends for their assistance and patience
in guiding me through this process.
For anyone looking for kosher caterers throughout the United States
please don't hesitate to contact me
and I can probably hook you up from coast to coast
via my networking contacts and good friends
in the kosher and non kosher catering business.


As always the challenge for the culinary team here at CuisinEtc, is

as boutique caterers we don't follow set menus but customize every event,

and we want to offer food that is

**healthy yet delicious and nutritious**,

**appropriate to the occasion**
(in this case lots of restrictions
because of "kosher for passover style"
which I'll address shortly)

**not too way out **
- appealing to a variety of sophisticated New York palates,

but also to folks who want the comfort food that holiday meals often provide

Menu A,
The Actors Temple
Second Night Pesach Seder Buffet

Buffet Dinner Service to start by 8pm

…Sassy Sephardic Salmon
– filet of salmon seared in a Med Rim spice rub,
nestled in a bed of caramelized onions and carrots
and finished with a honey-lemon reduction sauce

…Vegetarian Alternative:
Gruyere Mushroom Lasagne
Yellow & Green Zucchini “Noodles”
layered with fresh spinach, gruyere cheese sauce,
caramelized onions & mushrooms


…Med Rim Spinach Salad
baby spinach leaves, chiffonade of fresh basil
and watercress with marinated artichokes,
teardrop cherry tomatoes
& fresh marinated mozzarella
tossed with a citrus white balsamic vinaigrette

…Thai Inspired Broccoli Salad Fresh Broccoli
with Sweet & Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette,
Colorful Bell Peppers & Roasted Cashews (not spicy)


…Southwestern Sweet Potato Anna
- slices of sweet potato cooked in a chipotle pepper
enhanced cream sauce

Included in the menu at no extra charge, Creative CuisinEtc Inc. will provide following: (available upon our arrival at 4:30) · a hard boiled egg per guest

in addition:
a family style plate to be placed
on each of the guest tables: around 7:15-7:30

of Med Rim Olive & Artichoke Tapenade
surrounded by fancy cut carrot petals

and our Fabulous Signature Dessert Finale:

“Rivers of Sweets”

A bountiful display of flowing rivers
of chocolate ** dark Belgium **
and buttery caramel sauce
Surrounded by dippable goodies
such as coconut macaroons, meringue cookies,
fresh fruit and berries and dried fruit

**we will have to switch to kosher for passover chocolate
and we had to take out marshmellows
which have meat product in the gelatin

so the mandate was "kosher style" and
"kosher for passover style" but not actually kosher
and the menu needed to offer a fish and dairy meal
- no meat or chicken.

what does that mean for this congregation?

according to my helpful consultants and good friends
who are kosher caterers in other parts of the country
as well as personally kosher observant Jews

**thank you Dawn, Mimi and Chani **
- many of the foods that one is allowed to eat during
passover are based on tradition not biblical law
(other than the normal kosher rules)


so some conservative and reform temples
allow their members to eat what is called

kitniyot (kit- KNEE- oat) which translates to "small things", such as grains and various legumes/beans. Since this is based on tradition the variations from community to community - rabbi to rabbi is mind boggling and often confusing for a no observed like me. Read up on wikipedia link provided if you want to know more. I am certainly not qualified to explain this

"Among traditional Ashkenazi Jews, the custom during Passover is to refrain from not only products of the five grains but also kitniyot. Literally "small things," such as other grains and legumes. Traditions of what is considered kitniyot vary from community to community but generally include maize (North American corn), as well as rice, peas, lentils, and beans. Many also include peanuts in this prohibition, and one source, the Chayei Adam, also includes potatoes in his list, although his opinion is not followed by any large or major groups. Sephardi Jews typically do not observe the ban on kitniyot, albeit some groups do abstain from the use of dried pulses during Passover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitniyot

kitniyot = corn and maize, rice, soybeans, peanuts, grains like quinoa, to name a few.

but Rabbi Jills members at the Actors Temple
are more traditional
in the Ashkenazi tradition when it comes to passover foods, and do not allow the use of kitniyot

hence CuisinEtc was given the following restrictions
when designing the seder menu for April 20th at the Actors Temple.

no flour or wheat products except matzah and matzah meal
no rice
no beans
no soy
no corn
no beef, lamb, (pork - duh), sheep, goat
no chicken, duck, poultry

What they wanted was a med-rim and middle eastern menu
featuring a nice salmon dish, a vegetarian alternative with eclectic side dishes
and semi traditional desserts.

I think we did pretty well. and all this on a tight budget.

as always what we love about our business and our life's work is the ability to interact with such a diversity of people - to learn more about life daily and put healthy delicious food on the table for everyone's enjoyment.





recipe for coconut chocolate macaroons
adapted from one passed on to me by my good friend and catering buddy
Susan from Splendid Affaire in Akron Ohio.

Makes 5 doz chocolate coconut macaroons

2 oz unsweetened chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups finely shredded sweetened coconut


1 T espresso (from dried but liquid form) or 1 t. dried powder
1 teaspoon. almond extract
pinch of salt

preheat 350

in large heavy sauce pan
combine chocolate and condensed milk over med. Heat
stir briskly with whisk until thick and glossy
(that is key other wise dry looking

remove from heat
stir in rest of ingredients with WOODen spoon to blend

drop mixture by small teaspoons on parchment
don’t spread

bake 10 minutes or until bottoms are set
don’t over bake will soft but set up later

note can substitute one cup of coconut for 1 cup of finely chopped nuts
almonds, walnuts or pecans

Passover CuisinEtc Style - Dairy and Fish Menus

As promised here are the original menu proposed
for the Actors Temple in Hells Kitchen NYC
for their groups second seder celebration
on April 20, 2008


located on the westside of Manhattan in an historic building
The Actors temple has serviced the needs of the area
from the Theatre District's Actors to local residents since the early 1900's.


CuisinEtcs final menu incorporated a few changes and twists

· Smoked Salmon & Rondele Cheese Pate
or
· Med Rim Olive & Artichoke Tapenade
· either choice surrounded by carrot petals and accompanied
by the regular and whole wheat matzah you are providing
(Placed on each of the guest tables: around 7:15-7:30 to stave off the hunger pains)

Your choice of Menu A through Menu E

and our Fabulous Signature Dessert Finale: ** Rivers of Chocolate and Sweets **
A bountiful display of ”flowing” river of chocolate using dark Belgium kosher for passover chocolate and and buttery caramel sauce
Surrounded by dippable goodies such as
coconut macaroons, meringue cookies, marshmallows,
fresh fruit and dried fruit such as strawberries,
pineapple & grapes, bananas, oranges,
melon, dried apricots & and more


Menu A
Sassy Sephardic Salmon –
filet of salmon seared in a Med Rim spice rub,
nestled in a bed of caramelized onions and carrots
and finished with a honey-lemon reduction sauce

Vegetarian Alternative:
Magnificent Mushrooms - roasted portobello mushroom caps
sliced and topped with diced baby bellas,
Pepato cheese, Roma tomatoes, cubed roasted potato,
pinenuts, currants and olives …infused with a splash of white wine

Med Rim Spinach Salad
fresh spinach, chiffonade of fresh basil and watercress
with marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes
& fresh marinated mozzarella
tossed with a citrus white balsamic vinaigrette

Thai Inspired Broccoli Salad
Fresh Broccoli with Sweet & Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette,
Colorful Bell Peppers & Roasted Cashews (not spicy)

Fully Loaded Passover Potatoes
comfort food casserole of creamy mashers,
cheddar cheese & sour cream


Menu B
Roasted Salmon Moroccan Style
coated with a tumeric saffron rub, topped with
thinly sliced lemon and tomato, and slow roasted,
garnished with kalamata olives & fresh herbs

Vegetarian Alternative: Gruyere Mushroom Lasagne
Yellow & Green Zucchini “Noodles”
layered with fresh spinach, gruyere cheese sauce,
caramelized onions & mushrooms

Hearts of Romaine Salad with Balsamic Infused Pears,
Roasted Red Bell Peppers,
And Sun-Dried Cranberries in a
Cranberry-White Wine Vinaigrette

Southwestern Sweet Potato Anna
slices of sweet potato cooked in a chipotle pepper enhanced cream sauce
– lively but not overwhelming – a great juxtaposition of sweet and sassy

Haricot Verts with Julienne Carrots,
Black Sesame Seeds & Garlic Sesame Butter

Creative CuisinEtc…More Than Just Great Food
646-932-3496

Menu C
Herbed Fish Cakes - hand-ground white fish fillets
shaped into cakes with red onion, Italian parsley,
cilantro and an exotic spice blend,
served with a housemade green horseradish sauce

Vegetarian Alternative: Med Rim Stuffed Tomatoes
(Roma tomatoes with a delectable stuffing featuring feta cheese,
roasted sweet potato, walnuts, fresh mint and dill)

East-Meets-West Salad mixed baby greens with mandarin oranges,
red onion, sun-dried cranberries
& glazed pecans with a housemade
sweet-n-tangy Asian-inspired vinaigrette

Herb infused julienne of carrots and zucchini with fresh dill & butter sauce

Cardamom sweet potato kugel

Menu D
Keftes de Pescado Sephardic salmon
and potato croquettes in a light tomato sauce

Smoked Salmon Nicoise Baby red potatoes,
haricots verts, cherry tomato, English cucumber,
hard boiled egg, Black olives & red onions served
over mixed salad greens

Vegetarian Alternative: Spinach, Mushroom
and Bell Pepper Frittata with Caramelized Shallots

Dawn's “Better than the Real Deal” Mock Chopped Liver
(green bean, cashew and onion pâté)

Potato Casserole with Vermont Cheddar,
Topped with French-Fried Frizzled Onions

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Curly Carrot & Buttermilk
Blue Cheese Dressing



Menu E
Salmon Saloona
- seared Iraqi Jewish salmon with caramelized onions,
bell peppers, carrots, eggplant, Roma tomatoes
& baby potatoes braised in a sweet & sour tomato sauce

Vegetarian Alternative:
Fritada de Espinaca - Sephardic spinach-cheese casserole

Passover Caesar Salad - onion matzah parmesan
“croutons”, crispy romaine & housemade parmesan
& garlic studded caesar dressing

Wedges of whole grain mustard coated potato,
marinated Artichokes & haricot vert

Roasted Vegetables with Pecan Gremolata
slow-roasted carrots, parsnips, sweet potato
and Brussels sprouts drizzled with lemon oil
and sprinkled with a medley of toasted pecans,
garlic, herbs and citrus zest


OK folks now for an hysterically funny yet
poignant story that one of my close friends
and sister in catering buddies, Mimi related
to our on line networking group
Mimi is an amazing Kosher caterer
out of Bloomfied,Michigan,
a suburb of Detroit
whom I speak to almost daily
via the wonders of the internet

Mimi writes the following to our networking group
a few minutes before Shabbot

be prepared for a few chuckles
especially if you have ever dealt
with customers and special "requests"

"I have 15 minutes before
I light candles for Shabbos but had to tell you guys this story.

I get a phone call this afternoon from an
older sounding woman wanting to know information
about my Passover catering. I asked her if she saw
my ad in the Detroit Jewish News
or the Washtenaw County Jewish News
- both full page, very expensive ads
so I'm tracking orders through them.

She says neither.

I asked her if she received
a mailing from me or the shul
(Polly, that means synagogue).
She says no. I ask her if she found
out about my menu from a friend
or a senior's program -
sent out flyers to those too.
She says no. I ask her where
she heard about our Passover food.
She says she doesn't remember
- RED FLAG - but I go on.

"How can I help you?"

She tells me her kids put her
in an institution

and she's going to spring herself before Pesach (Passover)
and needs food to run away with!!!

She needs me to pack the following items:

1 matzo ball cut in half
and put into 2 separate containers

1 pint of chicken soup, again in 2 containers
but not with the matzo balls in it
because she's allergic to matzo!

1/2 roast chicken cut into 4 pieces,
thigh, drumstick, breast & wing,
all packaged individually and labeled

She asks "How many pieces of squash
are in the spaghetti squash with wild mushrooms?

I'd like 4 pieces per package without the mushrooms"

Put the mushrooms in separate packaging
because she doesn't know if she likes the mushrooms
- she can't remember.

Can I make charoses without nuts and
give that to her in 2 containers?
(Polly, charoses or charoset is a
traditional mixture of apples, nuts & wine,
often seasoned with cinnamon and ginger,
and is used at the seder table the first 2 nights.
It's great but without nuts? That's apples and wine!)

For dessert she'd like 1/2 chocolate
chip cookie mousse sandwich cut into 2 pieces
and, of course, wrapped in 2 packages.

And, could she have it delivered to her
at "this institution"
but she'll meet me under the tree
in the parking lot so they don't see her!

All this time, I'm thinking my husband,
Stewart, has put someone up to this
because every year at Pesach he calls
from his office and pretends he's a client
and wants to order "1 huge matzo ball
- just roll it down the freeway to me!"
So I'm beginning to act like a smart ass.
I know, Lisa, you find that hard to believe :-)

Come to find out, she really is
a client's mother who was
just placed in assisted living for dimentia
and really wanted to escape!

I felt very badly for the woman
cuz she had no clue about reality,
but was dying laughing from the way she ordered!

And that, my friends,
was just the tip of today's iceberg.......
(or goldberg, same Jewish sounding name!)

Have a great one guys!!


Mimi Markofsky
Elite Kosher Catering
6800 Drake Road
West Bloomfield MI 48322
office: 248-592-0200
fax: 248-592-0830
cell: 248-535-8600

for those of you in the Detroit area,
Mimi is the one to contact for
Kosher traditional with a flair
delcious catering for Pesach or any kosher need.

for those of you in need of a kosher caterer
for Pesach or beyond,

in the Columbus Ohio
area, I can highly recommend
catering by Chani

Chani Capland
who has a retail shop as well as does off premise
incredible Kosher with a flair catering
614 235-8070

www.chanicooks.com
2942 East Broad St.
Columbus Ohio 43209

Dawn LaRochelle
Bete'Avon! Kosher Catering
(means good eating Kosher Catering)

Apogee Catering
(also Without Reservations Personal Chefs)
413-528-5225 and 914-261-2673
ApogeeCatering@aol.com

48 Russell Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(the Beautiful Berkshires)

www.beteavonkoshercatering.com
www.apogeecatering.com





kosher and non kosher catering
phyl g rubinstein
cook4u
207-829-5213
207-329-6453
phylcooks4u@gmail.com
North Yarmouth
Maine


for non kosher but kosher style
in the south
Polly Mitchell
Mtchl747@aol.com
Café Royale
110 Court Square East
Talladega Alabama 35160
256-362-3681 cafe M-F 10-2

these amazing woman are well reknown in their communities for not only their delicious food and attention to detail and service but for their warm hearts and community minded spirits.
and lucky for me their community extends way beyond the geographical boundaries of where they physically live.
(and it doesn't hurt me either that I live in NYC -
who ever lives and breathes food always finds NYC a mecca)

so maybe that explains why this Bacon and shrimp eating Jewish but not kosher caterer from NYC has all these Kosher catering buddies. Because collectively we share the passion for food, fun and excellence in our lifes work - catering to our clients. Sometimes just by lending a listening ear...