A Stylish Family Seder at Mandarin Oriental, New York

One of the greatest pleasures I have is spending time with my dear family outside of our always bustling event planning office. While I absolutely adore working side by side with my family, there is no question that coming together for holiday celebrations and special occasions are moments to treasure. Organizing and planning an event for my family is entertaining at its best!

This year’s Passover Seder Dinner was no exception. Our dinner for 24 “Very Special Guests” was held in the Lotus Suites at the chic Mandarin Oriental, New York on Columbus Circle. My dear friend, the talented Mark Rose of Mark Rose Flowers & Events, created an incredibly beautiful table for the party, as you can see, with white lattice lanterns and colorful Spring blooms. Just gorgeous!

The delicious dinner menu was designed in the Kosher Style, which means no leavened foods, nuts, nut oil, garlic, seeds, yeast, flour, grains, dairy, pork, butter or shellfish. Modern interpretations of traditional Jewish foods were served, such as Miniature Crispy Potato Pancakes with Apple Sauce, Salmon Tartare with Truffle Oil, and Chilled English Pea Soup with Mint. The dinner itself was served family-style with platters of Chopped Liver (with all the traditional garnishes), a seasonal Green Salad; Gefilte Fish with Roasted Carrots, Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, Baby Rack of Lamb, Roast Whole Chicken, Traditional Meat Tzimmes (shortrib), Potato Kugel, Steamed Asparagus, Truffle French Fries, and Grilled Vegetables. And, as expected, plenty of matzo was served throughout the evening and small bowls of haroset (honey, apples, raisins, and dates) were placed at each setting.

My mouth waters just remembering how delicious it all was! Of course, no holiday feast is complete without dessert, and the hotel pastry chef put together an exquisite collection of sweets for us, including: Flourless Chocolate Cake, Sharon’s Sorbet, Holiday Macaroons, Chocolate Truffles (non-dairy), Bowls of Fresh Berries, and Fruit Jellies.

I’m truly blessed, I know that, and these family dinners mean the world to me.

Love,

Harriette Rose Katz