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slight twist in their menus. At a
recent Jewish wedding catered by the
restaurant/caterers, Pronto owner
Bill Thomas said the dairy menu
included smoked whitefish and
salmon, and latkes with funky dip-
ping sauces.
"We always have a little traditional
because people want some things to
be traditional. But we do the tradi-
tional with a little modern bend,"
Thomas said.
Another difference is that kosher
catering is much more portable than
it was in the past, when kosher
venues were relegated to synagogue
halls. Kohn, for example, once had
four events in one day: one at Shaarey
Zedek, one at the Roostertail in
Detroit, one at the Westin Hotel in
Detroit and one at Domino's Farms
in Ann Arbor.
"There isn't a place where we have
refused to go," he said.
Rita Jerome, owner of Unique
Kosher Carry Out in Oak Park, said
providing her clients with trans-
portable cuisine allows them to work
with a budget and a variety of loca-
tions.
"I hand them the food and from
there it is their baby," said Jerome,
whose chicken dinner, complete with
salad, rolls, a starch and a green veg-
etable side dish lists at $11.95. "They
can have it in a hall or in their home.
They can use nice paper products or
their own dishes. It really lets people

work with their budgets."
Although the more diverse food style
has broken down cultural barriers, one
major difference remains — price.
While expensive options such as sirloin,
shrimp and lobster won't be found on a
kosher spread, the cost of going kosher
is higher because of the process
involved in making kosher food.
Caterers pass on to the consumer
the kosher supervision fees and the
cost of kosher cuts of meat that at
times can be two to three times the
price of similar non-kosher cuts.
This price difference means a
kosher meal can cost $10 to $15 more --'=•\/
per plate than a similar non-kosher
meal. Floreen Halpern, owner of
Amaryllis Catering in Birmingham,
operates a non-kosher service but will
work with kosher-keeping clients by
cooking from the client's kosher
kitchen, using their cookware, uten-
sils, plates and serving ware. She will
also buy kosher ingredients, including
the meat to be served.
"You have to charge more because
the cost of the food is much higher,"
she said.
Kohn acknowledged that the price
of kosher food is higher. He added
that costs for some non-kosher cater-
ing could be reasonable for the food
but outrageously high for other
things like pricey bar service. He
pointed to a prime rib meal at a hotel
that listed for $19.95. He asked the
chef how they were able to do the

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INVITATIONS

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4/9

1999

C20 Detroit Jewish News

Rita Jerome
talks to