An idea for Sheva Brachot, Master Chef Sheva Brachot.
Sheva Brachot come after a whirlwind of organizing and preparing for a huge event. By the time you get to them, the various family members are often tired and cranky. In addition, it is not always easy, especially for introverts, to get a handle on all the new family members. To find something to talk about, to relax.
This past summer I had a chance to participate in a great Master Chef sheva brachot that can help with “breaking ice” and getting to know one another.
The setup before the event:
Rather than having the organizer(s) make food they organize ingredients for preparing different types of meals and the tools to make the meals. You can ask attendees to bring a cutting board, knife, pot, apron and maybe an ingredient.
In addition you will need to have tables for each type of meal, ovens, stove tops, tablecloths, paper towels, and gloves. You might want to give out chef’s hats to your guests. It would be good to have containers for leftovers and something to label them with. The leftovers from the Master Chef make great freezer meals for the new couple.
For those who might not actually participate
You will want to set out some bread, snacks, and drinks for those who aren’t going to get into the competition as well as a place for them to sit and chat. Setting up a Master Chef photo booth, with props like these from Mother Duck Said Lets Party, could be a low key entertainment point for people to enjoy and for some fun photos from the party.
Setting up each table and explaining the rules
You will want to set up a table for general ingredients things like:
- lettuce
- vegetables
- ketchup
- onions
- spices
- flour
- fruit
- whatever else you think is necessary for your meal ideas.
Each table will prepare a main, a side and a dessert. At the sheva brachot that I went to, each table was also asked to connect it to the hatan and kallah (groom and bride.) Keep in mind that the new couple also participate in the fun, so they have to come up with something too.
In preparing for the master chef sheva brachot, you will want to think about the types of food items people might make and make sure you have ingredients for those general recipes around.
You will also want to have typical items for types of cuisine. For instance, nori to make sushi, tacos for Mexican, lasagna noodles and sauce (or sauce ingredients) for Italian, or hot dogs for American food. At the sheva brachot I went to, the hot dogs kept getting snagged during the preparation phase by various hungry guests, who were looking for a quick snack.
Some possible meal types:
- Japanese
- Thai
- Israeli
- Italian
- American
- Vegetarian/Gluten Free/Vegan
- Moroccan
- Indian
- Mexican
- Sky is the limit
Tables set up before Master Chef Sheva Brachot Started:
And the finished products
Top: American meal with hotdogs, a bean salad, saurkraut, apple betty, salad, zucchini bread
Bottom: Roasted eggplant with techini, hummus, Israeli salad
Top: Sushi, Asian salad
Bottom: Tacos, Nacho salad
Because it was laid back and people were running around back and forth to the kitchen, there were many more informal discussions than there are at a formal sheva brachot. There were also many more guests in the kitchen washing dishes and packing up food.
You definitely want people who are good sports for this activity, but it is alot of fun and leads to a good night sleep.
People often come to Birkat Chaverim looking for fun games to play at Sheva Brachot. This is definitely something fun to do at a sheva bracha.This could also work, modified for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration.
Do you have other fun activities you have done for your simcha or celebration? We’d love to hear about it. In addition, families often come to Birkat Chaverim looking for a bencher to use at their sheva bracha or other simcha. One example is this bencher in use in california, used at a sheva bracha. This was not our design but you can find many other designs to use in our shop.
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