After the High Holy Days and Sukkot, we enter a slower period between the holidays in the Jewish calendar cycle. But that doesn’t apply when food is concerned. We still have our regularly scheduled monthly Shir Shabbat Family Dinners, monthly Erev Shabbat Friday casual potluck dinners, weekly Shabbat potluck lunches, monthly Sunday daven with breakfast, Wednesday Lunch and Learn, and Thursday Torah on Tap. Plus, there are a few big events coming up that will involve the the CBA kitchen. There will be an Absolute Music program on November 23rd, the Board of CBA Hanukah Party featuring latkas on December 21st, and the Kung Pau Comic Night (with a Chinese meal) on December 25th. So, as far as the CBA kitchen and the CBA Kitchen Committee is concerned, it is business as usual.
It’s the CBA Kitchen Committee that deals with food and food safety during events, large or small. They also strive to maintain the kitchen, the kitchen supplies, the Kashruit status, food and kitchen use safety.If any event needs to use the CBA Kitchen, the Kitchen Committee is involved. We are all constantly learning and relearning which is why we try to have periodic classes.
If you are interested, we have a general class on the Introduction to the CBA Kitchen It introduces some of the topics you need to be aware of when you work in our CBA Kosher Kitchen. It touches on topics of Kashruit, food safety, general safety and more. As it’s a broad topic, there are articles and references provided which go deeper into each topic We are thinking of doing a class in our near future and we would like your feedback.
Being a volunteer mashgiach at CBA takes more then just the class, you need experience. If you are interested in that let us know.
Do you bake Challah? We have are a lot of challah bakers out there. Are you interested in a class, or just a group meet and bake challah discussion, for sharing techniques or recipes? Let us know?
Is there another type of food class you may be interested in taking, or teaching us?
If you are interested in any of the above or something else reach out to our chairperson Myra Stern-Thomas. We may be volunteers, but we aim to try our best.
Food and Potluck Guidelines simplified
Have you noticed that the Food and Potluck Guidelines have been simplified? The goal is to make things easier for people to make and bring in food to share. What you do at home is to make dairy or pareve vegetarian dish (using kosher ingredients) and bring it in a dish designated just for CBA use or bring it in a disposable dish. Leave that dish either in the Social Hall or Multi-Use room. We have a small refrigerator and microwave if needed. This way Friday night potlucks items may be warmed up (but you do need to do this in your own dish).Your leftover food can either be shared with the other participants, or you can bring it home. Left over foods left at CBA will be put in compost bin. This way all food stays out of the kitchen which is kosher.
For Saturday Shabbat lunches we have volunteer mashgichim who work in the kitchen to make some basic dishes for all to share: simple salads, bagels and cream cheese, maybe a dessert, sometimes more (fruit, cheese and crackers etc.). The more dishes brought in, the easier it is to make a festive meal, and easier for the volunteers. They also oversee set up and clean up. If you wish to contribute to our food cabinet, we can use jars or canned or packaged foods (but not restaurant size please—we hate to throw out outdated or spoiled food) like tuna, salmon, kippers, mackerel, sardines, salad dressing, mustard, pickle relish, other condiments, cheeses (plain, domestic cheese please), and of course; crackers, cookies. Remember packages need to be unopened and marked Kosher. Also, gentle reminder that home rules are different then community kitchen rules, we can’t accept or use outdated food for CBA use due to safety reasons.
We survive due to our volunteers. The various teams of volunteers that put together and oversee all of the above events (and more) are the main reason we can do these events. This also includes all the other volunteers who donate with money, equipment, food, drinks, or labor. This is how our CBA events work. I may focus on events with food involving the CBA kitchen, but this also applies to most of what happens at Congregation Beth Ami.
If we didn’t have volunteers, what would we accomplish?
Thank you all, and if you are able, please consider volunteering for one of our committees (if you haven’t already). Help, big or small, is very appreciated. We survive and thrive because of our volunteers.
—Janet Stein-Larson
