Bread With Dinner

"Breads are passed in a flat dish or a basket.  A guest helps himself with his fingers and lays the roll or bread on his butter plate.  Whenever a guest has not bread left at his place, more should be passed to him.  Except at formal dinners, bread and other condiments are usually passed around the table by the guests themselves.  If there is a choice of two or three sauces or other condiments, placing them together in a divided dish, or on a small, easily managed tray, ensures that they are passed together and all guests are aware of the choices.  As with other service, dishes are passed counterclockwise, and all should be passed in the same direction."

Emily Post's Etiquette, 75th Anniversary Edition

by, Peggy Post (pg. 392)

 

It is traditional for a Jewish Erev Shabbat meal to include two loaves of Challah and then say a blessing called the Ha-motzi.  Basically, we are giving thanks to God for bringing sustenence from the earth for us to stay alive.  There are so many factors that go into one loaf of bread starting with weather and soil conditions...things that we are humans cannot always control.  We take a moment, pause and give thanks to an Almighty Creator for a seemingly simple, yet intricate blessing.

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, Creator and King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth."

 

The History of Bread

Vegan Bread Recipes

Is Your Flour Wet?  Free e-Cookbook

Bread Etiquette

Fun Bread Facts

Wine With Dinner

"Tradition has always decreed that one particular wine goes well with one particular food, but unless the meal is strictly formal there is no reson why the host may not choose any wine he thinks his guests would prefer.  The two most important considerations in choosing a wine are not the cost or where it came from, but that it complements the food with which it is served and pleases the palates of the people drinking it."

Emily Post's Etiquette, 75th Anniversary Edition

 by Peggy Post, p. 387

Wine is one of the most important elements in the Jewish Shabbat ritual of Kiddush.  The Kiddush blessing is said over a red wine...it must be made from a fruit of the vine, grapes.  The simple blessing is as follows:

"Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.  Amen."

After Kiddush is over, then you are able to pair any wine you choose with the prepared meal.  L'Chaim!

Guide To Kosher Wine

Food and Wine Pairing

Wine Etiquette

Sustainable U.S. Wineries

Re-Purpose Those Wine Bottles
Wine Bottle Tags

The Invitation

Why an invitation?  We celebrate Shabbat every Friday!  "Everyone" just knows about the Festivals, we don't need to send out an invitation.  Let's just invite them the next time we see them (perhaps the day before in the grocery store).

An invitation is not meant to be an inconvenience for you the sender, but rather a friendly gesture to the recipient.  In the world we live in today, life is very busy.  It is one of the kindest gestures to send an invitation to a potential guest.  They can check their calendar and see if they have a previous engagement scheduled...such as celebrating with someone else for a Shabbat or Festival.  A good rule of thumb is to send out a dinner party invitation at least four weeks in advance. 

For women who prepare and host Shabbat meals often, an invitation allows excitement for them to await an evening off!  An invitation sent ahead of time will allow the family to adjust their grocery budget so as not to purchase so much food that it would spoil.  Can you think of other reasons why sending an invitation is a practical and kind gesture?

Include R.S.V.P. information on a written or printed invitation and just type "R.S.V.P." in the lower left hand corner of an emailed invitation.  On the lower right hand side of the invitation you will need to let your guests know how to dress by saying, "Black-Tie" or "Casual."   Though it is not common practice for Shabbat or other Jewish Festivals, if the hostess so decides to have a themed dinner where the guests should dress accordingly, this needs to be on the invitation in the lower right hand corner.

Dinner Party Invitation Wording Suggestions

Dinner Party Quotes

The History of the Social Invitation

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