B'nai Mitzvot
Primarily at Temple Beth Am, we have catered numerous Bar & Bat Mitzvahs over the past 16 years. You can call many references, available upon request. We remain within the rules of the synagogue (see Temple Beth Am booklet), offering no more than 4 dishes and no hot chafing dish items. We make homemade challahs baked fresh on Saturday morning (with whole wheat or white flour), dessert buffets of up to six different homemade items of your choosing, punch, non alcoholic kiddush selection, coffee and tea served in a gracious silver coffee service much larger and more serviceable than the Temple 6 cup pot. We will rent, pick up, deliver, and return white (or other color) table linen for the buffet tables and the sit down areas. An average Temple luncheon (but by no means required) includes: 1. Bagels (from Bagel Oasis) & lox from Port Chatham 2. Bountiful fresh fruit platter (using what’s in season) 3. Another protein choice like chicken or turkey salads, quiches, deviled eggs, tuna mousse, cold stuffed chicken breasts, Italian frittatas, chopped chicken liver, etc. 4. A fourth menu item of perhaps a pasta salad ( choices abound like Asian, Greek, southwestern, Italian, American, etc.), -green salad -tabbouleh salad -rice or potato salad -noodle kugel -vegetable assortment with 3 homemade dips -vegetable salad combination like a roasted corn and bell pepper salad with sesame dressing -Greek tomato, cucumber salad with feta cheese and oregano -zucchini and red pepper salad with olives and basil -roasted vegetable assortment with olive oil and garlic dressing -broccoli salad with cherry tomatoes and an olive oil vinaigrette -lentil, celery root, garlic, rosemary, and bluecheese salad -garbanzo bean and sun dried tomato salad -manybean salad with a creamy garlic dressing -carrot salad with raisins, almonds, cilantro and sesame dressing -asparagus and roasted walnut salad with walnut oil dressing -vegetable compote with cucumber, radish, leeks, beets, potatoes, peas, carrots, beans, turnips and a lemon and olive oil dressing etc.
These are all recommendations, of course. The only requirement from the Temple is that there are fruit juice and/or wine and challah available for the kiddush. Everything else is optional.
If you would like to see some dessert possibilities for your affair, check out the dessert category on this website for a sample selection. An often used dessert at Bar Mitzvahs is homemade Belgian chocolate Stars of David with the child’s initial piped in the middle. Go to the desserts page
Other fish selections instead of lox could be sweet and sour salmon, cold poached salmon with two sauces, spicy tomato snapper, pickled salmon with onions, halibut in rhubarb sauce, salad nicoise (tuna and vegetables with a French dressing), herring in sour cream with peppers and onions, tuna loaf with spinach, etc.
For green salad choices we often do: -Caesar salad with imported parmesan cheese, -Mixed greens and many vegetables with an Asian dressing and sesame seeds, -Mixed greens and tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette, -Spinach and mushroom salad, -3 cabbage Vietnamese salad with chilies, -Mixed greens salad with orange segments and an orange juice dressing, -Italian cabbage and bell pepper salad with pine nuts & lemon, -spinach salad Asian style with sesame seeds and sesame dressing, -Spinach, orange, and onion salad, -Romaine, radish, & basil salad with mustard and lemon dressing, -Spinach, goat cheese, roasted peppers, and walnut dressing, etc.
If we make deviled eggs we recommend any four of the following: plain, sun dried tomato, olive, pesto, tuna, mushroom, feta, caviar, caper & anchovy, curry, chili sauce, sorrel, Swiss cheese, smoked salmon, chicken liver, chestnut, etc.
For a chicken and turkey selection popular choices are -Curried chicken salad with apples, raisins, and peanuts, -Chicken and roasted hazelnuts with tarragon, -Chicken salad with bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, and mint -Chinese chicken with pasta, carrots, bamboo shoots, corn, cilantro, & sesame mustard dressing -Pasta and chicken with scallions, snow peas, red peppers and Thai peanut butter sauce -Chicken new potatoes, tomatoes, green beans or asparagus with a lemon mayonnaise -Pasta with chicken, basil, tomatoes, onions and roasted garlic vinaigrette or roasted cashew dressing -White and wild rice with smoked turkey, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts, -Smoked turkey, Jarlsberg cheese and grape salad -Turkey or chicken with an Italian tuna sauce (tonnato) -Sliced roasted turkey with a cranberry chutney -Chicken, stuffed, rolled, and roasted with spinach & ricotta cheese -Boneless chicken pieces with olives and an Italian marinade, etc.
For quiche and tart selection, check out the Quiches and tarts section on this web site. We often do a selection of two at Bar Mitzvahs. Go to see Quiches and tarts
Pasta and rice salad choices abound. Some popular choices include: -Asian pasta salad with corn, jicama, bell peppers, carrots, green onions, cabbage, daikon, and bean sprouts with a pickled ginger dressing and sesame seeds -Greek orzo with lemon, fresh basil, parsley, tomatoes, feta cheese & cucumbers -Italian pasta with sun dried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes with garlic dressing -Tabbouleh salad with mint, parsley, lemon & olive oil surrounded by artichoke hearts, olives, hard boiled eggs, garbanzo beans, & tomatoes -Pasta with tuna or halibut, peppers, olives, tomatoes, green beans, and Caesar dressing -Pasta with carrots, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, and marjoram vinaigrette -Small pasta with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and yogurt dressing with garlic, mint, & cumin -Pasta with tomato, avocado, onion, and balsamic dressing -Buckwheat pasta with asparagus or green beans or peas or broccoli and a sesame dressing -Penne pasta with eggplant, onions, peppers, basil, lemon, and olive oil -Tortellini with olives, tomatoes, celery, & red onions in a creamy garlic dressing -Corkscrew pasta with many vegetables, fresh basil, an Italian vinaigrette and fresh imported parmesan and pecorino cheeses -And many more upon request Go to see more salads