Many catering services become kosher for Passover ahead of time in order to provide food for celebrants. Catering services and crockery rental companies will do most of the work for you.
Many catering services become kosher for Passover ahead of time in order to provide food for celebrants. Orders should be placed up to two weeks before the eve of the holiday to allow the caterer to organize and adapt itself to the clientele.
The Nir Etzion Home-cooked Food company anticipates a 20 percent increase in holiday meal orders over last year. "The growth stems from the consumer culture that has surfaced in recent years among Israelis," says Ido Golan, the company's marketing manager. "They want to spare themselves the trouble entailed in buying and preparing holiday meals for the whole family."
But Golan's optimism does not prevail throughout the entire market - "this is the first year we don't know what to expect," says Ze'ev Goldberg, one of the owners of Naomi Catering, "and it's all because of the dollar's fall. Fifty percent of our orders are from clients who come to Israel from abroad (England, the United States, France and Brazil) and there are rumors that not all of them will come."
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Goldberg cites as an example Congregation KJ in New York, 200 of whose members come each year to Israel for Passover, but this year only 85 are coming because they say Israel has become too expensive for them. This year, seder night falls on Saturday night and therefore preparations for the meal are expected to be harder than usual for the traditionally observant, who have to prepare a regular Friday night meal and then worry about preparing an impressive and tasty seder meal. That's why the option of ordering a catered meal can make things a bit easier for hosts.
In order to choose the caterer and dishes that suit you, some of the companies let potential clients come in before the holiday to see what bargains there are to be had. Before closing a deal remember to ask when the food will arrive - it may arrive a day or two before the holiday and therefore you have to make sure to have enough space to store it in the refrigerator.
Below is a selection of caterers with very different styles:
One of the only caterers featuring duck in a selection of dishes and its best-selling item for Passover. This is a French-Italian kitchen that offers kosher meals year-round.
Appetizers: gefilte fish balls (6 x 120 grams of fish) - NIS 120 shekels; salmon baked in oil (eight pieces of 100 grams each) - NIS 160. Main dishes (four portions): turkey breast stuffed with pumpkin and apple - NIS 160; magnifique duck - NIS 240; rib roast beef - NIS 240; roast duck and orange in orange marinade with fresh oranges - NIS 240; chicken fricassee lightly stewed in wine, scallions and mushrooms (whole chicken cut into eight pieces) - NIS 130. Grilled whitefish filet with smoked salmon and spinach - NIS 200.
Distribution area: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ra'anana and Netanya. Last day for orders: Today.
Delivery: in the distribution area, free delivery. Outside those areas, delivery charges are based on taxi rates for all over Israel.
For details: www.naomicatering.com
Home-cooked meals prepared in individual and family portions sold to customers via the menu he selects from the caterer's selection.
First course: homemade chicken soup (two liters) - NIS 35; kneidlach (matza balls, 25 units) - NIS 26. Gefilte fish (six portions) - NIS 30. Salmon filet with roasted walnuts and lemon (four portions) - NIS 110. Main courses: Cornish hen steaks in barbecue sauce - NIS 95, Florentine beef steak - NIS 95; mushroom quiche (pie for eight) - NIS 60; traditional tzimmes (stewed carrots) with plums (1.3 kilograms) - NIS 45; baked apples stuffed with walnuts (five portions) - NIS 60.
Distribution area: from Haifa in the north to Gedera in the south, including the Jerusalem area. Last day for orders: April 13. Delivery: for orders of NIS 400-600, NIS 80 delivery charge; for orders of NIS 800-1,000, NIS 60 delivery charge and for orders over NIS 1,000, free delivery.
For details: www.nirezion.co.il
The company offers several meal packages that include a first course, main course, side dishes and dessert. The menu for the holiday eve is NIS 469 for five diners and includes among other things, a portion of baked St. Peter's fish, chicken soup, roast beef, potatoes and fruit compote. Those wishing to order a meal for lunch on the first day of Passover can add NIS 120 and choose from to other fixed menu options.
Customers who want to create their own menu can do so by choosing dishes from the home-cooked delicatessen, which has first courses, main courses, side dishes and desserts that can be used to create a holiday meal.
In addition to the standard menu, there is also an option of a health-food menu created by a nutritionist in order to offer a solution to those with sensitivities to some ingredients, that includes health salad, Cornish hen steak, a piece of St. Peter's fish, side dishes and for dessert - a compote of dried fruits. There is also a health-food menu for kids including mashed potatoes, meatballs, and roasted chicken legs.
Distribution: all over Israel.
Last day for orders: April 10.
Delivery: for orders up to NIS 750, there is a NIS 70 delivery charge, over NIS 750, delivery is free.
For details: www. mevushelet.co.il
When the whole tribe gets together for a holiday meal, even those families whose homes are stocked with special dishes for such occasions find that in order to arrange cutlery and dishes for everyone, sets have to be mixed and matched. In this case, the option of renting crockery and dish service is a solution. Another benefit of using dish-rental services is that the dishes do not need to be washed after use. Just put it in the boxes and the company comes the next day and picks everything up.
Sets for rent include dishes for the first course and the main course, soup bowls, cutlery and even flat and deep serving dishes, platters, cups, wine glasses, tablecloths and chairs. There is a large selection of dishes in different sizes and colors - everything needed to make your holiday table look like a million dollars and without any effort.
This Passover, the dishes will be delivered on the Thursday or Friday before the holiday, and will be picked up on the Monday after the holiday. If you need dishes for the holiday - it is advisable to hurry. Many of the dish-service rental companies that we checked are no longer taking orders for seder night.
Price per item: NIS 2.
Serving platter: around NIS 20. Delivery charge: free to all moshavim in the area, to areas that are farther away, delivery charges can be in the hundreds of shekels.
Distribution area: nationwide.
Address: Kfar Vitkin. Last day for orders: two weeks before the holiday. Internet site featuring catalog: www.guyayal.co.il
Price per unit: NIS 1.30.
Serving bowls: NIS 5-25, depending on size.
Delivery charge: NIS 50-350 shekels - depending on distance from Kibbutz Yifat. Distribution area: the north of the country.
Internet catalog site: none available. Clients must go there in person to get an idea. Address: Kibbutz Yifat. Last day for orders: up to one week before the holiday.
Price per item: NIS 1.5. Price for serving bowl: NIS 5-25. Delivery charge: NIS 150-500, depending on the distance. Distribution area: nationwide. Internet catalog site: www.golan-design.co.il Address: Moshav Sde Hemed (next to Kfar Sava). Last day for orders: up to two weeks before the holiday. Price per item - refers to appetizer plates, main course plates, soup bowls and cutlery.
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