How to Cook for Shabbat

Shabbat is a day of rest for people in the Jewish faith. Traditionally proper observance of the Shabbat includes no working on that day. Cooking is considered work, but the Shabbat is a celebration and should be treated as such with a special meal. Since the Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday, it means 24 hours without work, which leaves the question of how to cook for the Shabbat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hot Plates
• Coffee Urns
• Slow Cooker
• Belchs and Water Belchs

1. Decide on your menu before Shabbat begins, allowing yourself enough time to prepare and cook the food.

2. Cook foods in advance and refrigerate. Make sure that your cooked foods are solids and are refrigerated.

3. Set up hot plates, coffee urns, belchs and the water belchs that you are planning to use. A belch is a metal sheet that covers stove-top burners. A water belch is different in that it contains a shallow metal pan to fill with hot water. This shallow pan is then covered by another metal pan but is limited to the temperature of boiling water.

4. Prepare coffee or tea and place into the coffee urns before sundown on Friday night.

5. Prepare a slow-cooked meal that will be ready for sundown on Friday night. Place the pot on a hotplate or an oven on a low-setting to simmer until the following day. This keeps the food always hot without actually cooking it or letting the food cool down.

6. Use a hot plate, belch or water belch to reheat cooked refrigerated foods.

7. Serve foods that do not need to be reheated such as challah, smoked salmon, grapes, smoked turkey breast, vegetables, hard boiled eggs, salads and jelled dishes.

Tips & Warnings

• Use timers to help you set up hot plates, belchs and coffee urns.