Cake

So almost everyone with whom I've spoken, from Pamma and family to friends, has brought up food and Kosher issues. I certainly like the idea of a nice juicy steak in front of me as we celebrate, and I don't think that idea will ever go away. However, the reality is that it's seeming more and more like a costly and prohibitive idea. Meat, especially kosher meat, is extremely expensive, even when going the chicken route. It simply costs more than dairy and fish dishes. Furthermore, there would have to be a vegetarian option anyways as some people don't eat meat of any kind and may not even eat fish. This in itself presents a problem with a kosher meal as a non-meat dish can't even have dairy in it! Eggplant-stuffed Eggplant, anybody? Main course aside, all the accoutrement is just as essential to the meal. Meat means no Caesar salad. Sorry, fake kosher mayo, oil, and croutons is not a Caesar salad. Meat means no delicious Parmesan crisps. Meat means I can't even have a white russian.

Now, that's just the meal itself. Cocktail hour and dessert haven't even been considered. If it's a meat meal, cocktails must be meat, which would again jack up the cost. This also nixes the pipe dream of sushi during cocktail hour as we can't let fish and meat be together. Dairy cocktails mean a *separate* kosher kitchen, as meat preparation would need to begin at the same time as dairy cocktails.

Finally, cake. I've had some delicious pareve cakes. Many Shabbat celebrations at the Tahan household are capped off with an amazing cake from Unique bakery in Encino. A simple 10" round cake, however, is well over $30 and only feeds 10-12 if it's stretched. I can only imagine the cost of a wedding cake. And honestly, as amazing as Unique's cakes are, a good red velvet or cheesecake trump it hands down.

Bring on the Caesar, bring on some pesto gnocchi, bring on the sushi, BRING ON THE CAKE!!!