menu ideas for reception

[chaishai 1]

Shawerma is good but since it is sliced thin, it will dry out and get cold quickly.

Unless she rents or buys a rotisserie thing. We have one and we make it for parties all the time, and slice on demand. Its awesome!

[~~~water~~~ 0]

Than ks !!! you guys I feel I have a better plan now

[sereia 0]

I agree with JP on the falafel. I think falafel and schwarma in chafing dishes are both bad ideas for a buffet style party. There's not much worse than old, hard falafel balls and dried out sliced meat!

I don't agree you must stick with a theme though. I see why JP said that, but I imagine you'll have a mixed crowd at your wedding and need to please different tastes. I went to a party at a Moroccan family home last Sunday and they had all of the above arabic foods plus a man standing there and making fresh tacos, refried beans, and rice. They also had a fruit plate, cheeses, chunks of turkey, arabic desserts- baklava, basbousa, etc. and they also had mini brownies. it was a nice mix!

Chaishai- was that cocktail at Momo's?

[ya falaha! 0]

Kofta instead of meatballs is a great idea! They're so easy to make and way tastier than reagular meatballs IMO.

The hummus, baba ghanouj, pickles, olives, ma'ashi or dolmas, and tabouleh can all be bought at Mid East markets premade. The Mid East market I go too has a huge "bar" with all of these things. So convenient! The hummus and baba ghanouj are really easy to make yourself. I have a super tasty recipe for baba ghanouj that is very authentic Egyptian (my SIL's recipe). It's a bit different than Lebanese style baba ghanouj and more fresh tasting IMO.

I agree with JP...nix the brie, pasta salad and couscous.

I think its important to remember that you should get food that will hold up well. Falafel, unless eating hot out of the fryer doesn't taste as great and also has a tendency to spoil quickly.

I would also stick with a theme. If you are choosing middle eastern food then I would skip the cheeses, baked brie, pasta salad and couscous.

I reccomend this menu:

Appitizers:

Hummos

Baba Ghanouj

Assorted Pickles

Tabouleh Salad (instead of green salad)

Veggie Dolmas (you can actually get these canned and they are not bad)

Mixed nuts

Main dishes:

Kufta meatballs instead of regualr meatballs

Rice w/ roasted pine nuts and almonds

Kababs or arabic style roasted chicken quarters or cornish hens

Roasted veggies & potatoes

Dessert:

Baklava

Cake

Coffee/Tea

Although many of the suggestions here are delicious, they are very homelike and should not be served at a wedding regardless of the size. I can make a meal out of zait & zaatar but I would be shocked to see it at a wedding. Shawerma is good but since it is sliced thin, it will dry out and get cold quickly.

Good luck! If you need any recipes I have plenty and so do the girls around here.

[doodlebugg 10]

jp remember a while back you posted a quick and easy recipe for something to satisfy your husband's shawerma craving? I think it was before you were married but shortly after he came here. Do you remember what it was?

I think its important to remember that you should get food that will hold up well. Falafel, unless eating hot out of the fryer doesn't taste as great and also has a tendency to spoil quickly.

I would also stick with a theme. If you are choosing middle eastern food then I would skip the cheeses, baked brie, pasta salad and couscous.

I reccomend this menu:

Appitizers:

Hummos

Baba Ghanouj

Assorted Pickles

Tabouleh Salad (instead of green salad)

Veggie Dolmas (you can actually get these canned and they are not bad)

Mixed nuts

Main dishes:

Kufta meatballs instead of regualr meatballs

Rice w/ roasted pine nuts and almonds

Kababs or arabic style roasted chicken quarters or cornish hens

Roasted veggies & potatoes

Dessert:

Baklava

Cake

Coffee/Tea

Although many of the suggestions here are delicious, they are very homelike and should not be served at a wedding regardless of the size. I can make a meal out of zait & zaatar but I would be shocked to see it at a wedding. Shawerma is good but since it is sliced thin, it will dry out and get cold quickly.

Good luck! If you need any recipes I have plenty and so do the girls around here.

[chaishai 1]

I agree with JP on the falafel. I think falafel and schwarma in chafing dishes are both bad ideas for a buffet style party. There's not much worse than old, hard falafel balls and dried out sliced meat!

I don't agree you must stick with a theme though. I see why JP said that, but I imagine you'll have a mixed crowd at your wedding and need to please different tastes. I went to a party at a Moroccan family home last Sunday and they had all of the above arabic foods plus a man standing there and making fresh tacos, refried beans, and rice. They also had a fruit plate, cheeses, chunks of turkey, arabic desserts- baklava, basbousa, etc. and they also had mini brownies. it was a nice mix!

Chaishai- was that cocktail at Momo's?

Why yes it was at Momo's!

Thats a good idea - to please lots of tastes maybe you should have "stations". an arabic station, a cheese and crackers station, an american station, maybe a mexican station!

[chaishai 1]

jp remember a while back you posted a quick and easy recipe for something to satisfy your husband's shawerma craving? I think it was before you were married but shortly after he came here. Do you remember what it was?

Im not JP, but I can say that at the grocery stores with a big kosher section where they sell israeli products they usually have a spice section with "pereg" spices. They make a mixed spice called "Shawarma spice". Just marinading lamb or chicken (ideally boneless thighs) in that is good for a craving. Topped with tahini, yum!

[sereia 0]

Isn't Momo's amazing? I used to go there a lot when I lived there. The tea house next door too.

Edited February 7, 2008 by sereia

[doodlebugg 10]

jp remember a while back you posted a quick and easy recipe for something to satisfy your husband's shawerma craving? I think it was before you were married but shortly after he came here. Do you remember what it was?

Im not JP, but I can say that at the grocery stores with a big kosher section where they sell israeli products they usually have a spice section with "pereg" spices. They make a mixed spice called "Shawarma spice". Just marinading lamb or chicken (ideally boneless thighs) in that is good for a craving. Topped with tahini, yum!

Thanks!

moody - your arabic market sounds awesome! I've only been to one here so far in Revere and it had a few dry goods and a butcher in the back and desserts up front but no long bar with salad things. I would love to have that. The only place I go to that I like for those things is Whole foods but they still don't have like the marinated cauliflower/carrots, etc. that I like.

[~~~water~~~ 0]

yeah that market sounds great , the one around here are tiny

[♥JP♥ 5]

jp remember a while back you posted a quick and easy recipe for something to satisfy your husband's shawerma craving? I think it was before you were married but shortly after he came here. Do you remember what it was?

I think it's posted in Sultan's ktichen thread, I will have to look for it there.

Well I would say if you are on a budget and can't do many themes like Jen suggested then it would be best to stick with one. I think it's also important to remember that a wedding is different than a party. I wouldnt think that slicing shawerma at a wedding would be appropriate and actually shawerma is ALOT more work than most middle eastern dishes.

[♥JP♥ 5]

Shawerma recipe

However I now make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs

[doodlebugg 10]

Shawerma recipe

However I now make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs

Thanks!

[garya505 2]

Ooops, when I read the title of this thread I first thought it said "Replying to menu ideas for conception".

[sarahaziz 0]

its impossible to serve shawarma without the machine!!! people will laugh!!