I am certainly no expert, and do not keep a Kosher home myself, but seeing as you have had no responses, let me offer some insight.

First, stick with a fish and veggie menu. And seeing that this is Passover, your daughter's friend may not have anything made with rice, flour, yeast, baking soda or powder (no leavening of any kind), and no legumes of any kind. In short, no cakes, cookies, pies, pasta, tacos or wraps, peas, corn, and certainly no milk products and meat products in the same meal, and no shellfish.

A menu suggestion would be a baked fish of some sort and veggies. Ice cream for dessert.

I wouldn't worry about physical separation of the food. If it was a problem for the child, as it would be for my Orthodox friends, then she wouldn't be coming to your house for a meal. If you feel more comfortable, however, cook her food in foil and serve on paper plates with plastic tableware.

Hopefully, other knowledgeable folk will contribute.

Wow - I am in over my head. Thank you elisamcs.

I cannot imagine that this girl would eat fish - at any rate, my daughter wouldn't eat fish. No pasta? I understand but that makes it hard.

Are rice and potatoes okay? Is butter considered a milk product that shouldn't be with meat?

Thanks.
Lynn.

Potatoes are OK....rice is not....butter is OK if there is no meat in the meal....safer to use margerine.
So...baked or fried fish or chicken, baked potato....or fried potatoes ( but not in lard!!) tossed salad and fruit or macaroons for dessert.
My "Wow I can't believe this is Kosher for Passover" dish is chicken strips dipped in egg, then in a breading made of matzoa meal and garlic and chili powder and parsley flakes.....dip thes trips of chicken into the egg, then into the crumbs, let dry on a rack for 20 minutes and fry in at least 3/4 of an inch of oil....NOT peanut oil!
Simple kid meal....oven fried chicken...or wings french fries or baked potato served with margerine and a veggie...not beans.
Fruit for dessert.
Linda C

I think I would make the chicken tenders Linda mentioned, but maybe bake them on the non-stick foil instead of frying. I usually mix a splash of olive oil into the crumbs to make them brown better in the oven. Serve with carrots or any other veggie you think they might eat. I might serve applesauce or grapes as part of the meal too.

Best of luck!

Alexa

Even seasoned.....even drizzled with oil....matzoah meal would be awful baked...
Jews make up for the privation from baked goods during Passover with fat and sugar...
Ever have kiske? or tsimmis? or potato kugle? or flourless chocolate cake?

get the picture?? LOL!
Linida C....who is covered with flour, powdered sugar and butter from the Easter baking!!

As above, many people observe kashruth in a way that would prevent them from eating any food prepared in a non-kosher kitchen (and for Pesach, from eating off ordinary plates). If you're concerned about this, a polite question in advance might save you a fair bit of work and everybody some awkwardness -- sometimes, fresh fruit on paper or plastic plates is better for everybody all around.

Yes, butter is dairy -- basically, dairy products are dairy and not to be mixed with meat or poultry.

There are KLP noodles in the world, but ordinary pasta is out for passover. If you can find the right noodles, you can make a marinara sauce - classic kid friendly.

You know, a store with a large (or even just non-trivial) kosher section might have something frozen that would be acceptable. Things that are kosher for passover are labeled as such.

Thanks. I think I will do some kind of chicken tenders. Not sure if I want to fry in oil - but if I bake, I'll switch from matzoh meal to maybe crushed potato chips (I saw somewhere that someone used some crushed onion ring type of chips - available in health food stores - and perhaps Trader Joe's or Whole Foods).

Roasted potatoes with olive oil, salt and garlic is usually good. Maybe roasted carrots with olive oil, salt and maple syrup added toward the end.

I'd love to find a flourless chocolate cake. making up for the privation with fat and sugar sounds perfect.

If I wind up feeling pressed for time, I can always do frickin' chicken (or lemon up the butt chicken) - one of my favorite staples I learned here years ago.

Still open to any other advice before I shop for the food tomorrow afternoon.

Thank you.
Lynn.

I would talk directly to the guest, in detail. She will have her own criteria that we can only guess at.

Eggs are always safe--vegetable omelet--mushrooms, for instance.

Just to clarify, there's a difference between "kosher" and "kosher for Passover". Kosher follows strict rules regarding what animals can be eaten and what foods can be eaten at the same meal. Kosher for Passover is in reference to the 8 day holiday which Jews are currently in the middle of observing, which restricts the eating of leavened products and grains in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.

I don't keep Kosher. But I do keep Passover. Complicated, eh?

Like Jessy says, I'd ask the girl or her parents for guidance. If she were really strict, she wouldn't be eating at your house. But as always, there are degrees of observance and degrees of strictness. A quick call to her mom should help a lot. Not only will she be able to give you some guidelines, but she can also tell you exactly what her daughter likes (or doesn't like).

Jessy - I tried calling the girl's mother yesterday - and still haven't heard back. My daughter made the original plan with her friend while I was at work. I called the mother to ask for guidance - and haven't heard (which I think is rather inconsiderate - but that's another topic). So I'm heading out soon to buy food.

I have paper/plastic plates and can certainly use those with no problem.

Omelettes is a possibility too. If I do omelettes, can I include dairy since there's no meat? Cook them in butter? Make a cheese and sour cream omelette (a favorite here).

It occurred to me that I'm probably not safe just buying any old flourless chocolate cake since it's bound to be baked with butter. If there's meat in the dinner - that means no dairy for dessert? Or is dessert separate if served on different plates?

Thanks so much.
Lynn.

No flour desserts...
Killer Chocolate Torte
2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons espresso powder
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (NOT unsweetened or semisweet)
6 large eggs at room temperature
6 large egg yolks at room temperature
powdered sugar for garnish
whipped cream (optional)
Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch sides. cut
parchment or wax paper to fit sides, and, and a circular piece to fit in the
bottom of the greased pan. Smooth paper against inner surfaces.
Melt 2 cups butter with the sugar and espresso powder in a heavy saucepan over
medium low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add chocolate and stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Remove
from heat and cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs and additional yolks in a large bowl until frothy. CAREFULLY
fold into the chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and place on a heavy baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated 325 degree oven until the edges puff and crack slightly
but the center is not quite set. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. to remove from pan, dip a sharp
thin knife in hot water and run it around the sides of the pan to loosen the
torte. Carefully release and remove the pan sides and the parchment. It will
have cracks in it, but this is normal.
Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar (if desired) and cut into very thin
slices with a sharp knife dipped into hot water, taking care to wipe the knife
after each cut. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Many servings.

MISSISSIPPI PRALINE MACAROONS
Yield: About 2 dozen
3 large egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1 full cup roughly chopped pecans
24 pecan halves for topping
1. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are very stiff.
2. Stir in the chopped nuts by hand.
3. Spray cookie sheet with pam. Spoon out a heaping teaspoon of batter on the cookie sheet with at least 1 inch between cookies. Then press down flat. Place a pecan half on top. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
4. Bake in a preheated 275-degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the cookies are firm but still shiny.

Flourless peanutbutter cookies...
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

One cup creamy peanut butter
One cup white sugar
One teaspoon baking powder
One egg

Shape like regular peanut butter cookies...

And if you are committed to a dairy meal you can make a pretty good lasagna with matzoah instead of noodles....but be careful about the cheese, some contains animal rennet.

I vote for roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots...AND flourless chocolate cake for dessert!!!

Preheat the oven to 350�.

Linda, peanuts are kitniyot, which are not kosher for Passover for most Jews (i.e., if they are Ashkenazi, not Sephardic); also, peanut butter usually contains corn syrup, another product that isn't K for P.

Lynn, the girl's mother might not have called you back because many Jews who observe the Sabbath do not use the telephone on Friday evening or Saturday. If that was the reason, then the family may be Orthodox, and they keep kosher year-round. In that case, however, I'm surprised that the girl would have accepted your daughter's invitation, knowing that the food as well as your pans, dishes, utensils, etc, wouldn't be kosher. But many Jews, especially those who are Conservative or Reform, make individual decisions about where they will, or won't, cross the line with regard to Shabbos and kashrut--so it's difficult to predict.

If you do omelets, the butter and cheese would be fine (again, I'm assuming that the family isn't extremely strict about brands and hechshers [rabbinic endorsements]). You could have ice cream (or cake in which butter is an ingredient) for dessert after a dairy meal, but not after meat or chicken. Linda's Chocolate Torte sounds wonderful, but you couldn't serve it after having chicken as the main course, unless you use margarine instead of butter and omit the whipped cream.

I think a vegetarian entree that is kosher for Passover would be your best bet (I don't have any T&T recipes to recommend, but there are plenty on Google). But omelets (or a cheese-based dish) would be good, too. Chicken would be more iffy because she might not eat non-kosher chicken.

Good luck! And I hope it all goes well!

Sue

So I've shopped and have a plan (actually 2 plans)

First plan is omelettes - with their choice of fillings - cheese, sour cream, sauteed mushrooms. And roasted potatoes.

I also bought an Empire whole chicken which I will roast as a back up plan in case she doesn't like eggs.

We decided on the dairy, non-meat option because it gave us yummier options for dessert - at least yummy according to my daughter. So we have flourless chocolate cake. Also strawberries which can be dipped in brown sugar and sour cream.

So either way, I'm on familiar and easy cooking grounds - omelettes or roasted chicken.

This family is not Kosher the rest of the time. Turns out they were out late - and the mother left me a message at my work phone and not home (good thing I checked those messages today). So all is well.

Thank you for all the great help.
Linda - there are some great sounding desserts to make on a day we have more leisure.

Lynn.

Sounds like a good plan. Have a great time!

Sue

Sue....the peanut butter cookies are much loved and approved by my Jewish inlaws....natural peanut butter without corn syrup....been a staple for years.
As has been said....it's all how strict you are... they also eat beans during Passover.

Linda, I agree, and I'm on the liberal side of the line, myself. I'd eat your peanut butter cookies (or anything else you cook) anytime! :-) But when someone claims they are keeping kosher for Passover, and you don't know how observant/strict they are, it's good to be aware of the potential problem areas.

Sue

I thought baking soda and baking powder were OK because they were a chemical leavening, as opposed to a natural fermentation leavening (which is forbidden).

They sell "K for P" baking soda. I think baking soda is fine (don't know about baking powder). But before I knew that, I never used either so, out of habit, I still don't. I mean, I've gotten along without them this long so...

Anyway... Lynn, how did dinner go?