Need Grand Idea for Siyums

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:05 am

My boys are making Siyums and I would like to get some ideas for relatively easy things to make that are very showy.

I want to show them that I appreciate that they learned and I want to encourage them to learn more.

Any ideas for an entree that can be on the table that makes a statement?

Any other ideas for how I can take a simple side dish and upgrade it?

Thank you!

amf

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:27 am

Pizza boards- use flatbreads or thin crust pizza rectangles, and make 2 different types (one pastrami and one topped with colorful pepper slices, or one with purple onion, or pulled brisket...) Cut them into triangles and swap every other piece on a large platter. It looks really pretty

(An entree is a main dish, not an appetizer. Do you mean a starter? )

Side dishes:
Between carpools has some really good rice recipes, the 9x13 one is really good but also the one they call fabulous rice. It looks elevated but it's simple to prep

Cauliflower poppers:
Buy ready frozen breaded cauliflower and make sauce of 1 part hot sauce to 2 parts bbq. Bake cauliflower as directed (try to get them crispy) then pour the sauce on for the last 2-5 min in the oven

You can upgrade mashed potatoes by adding sautéed onions and beef fry bits

You can make loaded fries, top French fries with beef fry, pastrami, pulled brisket...and spicy mayo. Drizzle with finely chopped scallions

As you can see I'm leaning into what bochurim go for

amother

Bone

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:29 am

Siyums in the 9 day’s rub me wrong.
We have one every year for a yartzheit, and my uncle who is a very prominent rav insists on keeping it milchigs. Even though we could technically have fleishigs
I feel like it’s become an excuse to have the most ostentatious and expensive meat and wine bdavka in the 9 days. If that’s not your circles, that’s great. I’m just wondering why just now are all your boys making a siyum?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:35 am

amother Bone wrote:

I understand your position. My dh is a very prominent dayan as well.
However, we bedavka make siyums in the nine days.
There are different opinions about this in the Torah world just so you know. It's not random and it's not something to dismiss just because it doesn't feel right to some people.
(Trust me, it's a huge job for me and I would love to get off in the nine days just a bit to chill and relax and not be busy stressing about making one siyum nicer than the next. But I am machshiv Torah and I push myself to make something and to show them that I respect and appreciate what they do.) It's not a whole shebang for the entire community. Just a private siyum for our immediate family. fyi
They save the last daf to be mesayim. Also some of them just happen to be finishing now.

amother

Dimgray

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:37 am

amf wrote:

Pizza boards- use flatbreads or thin crust pizza rectangles, and make 2 .......

(An entree is a main dish, not an appetizer. Do you mean a starter? )
..........

As you can see I'm leaning into what bochurim go for

Actually, OP is correct. The classic use of "entree" IS what you are calling "starter" - the dish before the main. Here, many ppl use it to mean the main....but it actually means the entree (as in starter).

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:39 am

amf wrote:

Thank you for all of this.

amother

NeonYellow ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 8:39 am

amother Bone wrote:

The 9 days is a time to show ahavas Chinam instead of being judgemental. I wonder if that's more important than not eating meat. Why does she have to explain to you why her boys are making a siyum now?? Why would you even ask?

↑ PinkFridge ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 9:03 am

amother Bone wrote:

I hate to say this but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some siyumim are contrived. But others really are the real deal, and they are genuine causes for celebration.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 9:08 am

PinkFridge wrote:

I hate to say this but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some siyumim are contrived. But others really are the real deal, and they are genuine causes for celebration.

It's the ones that make it in the paper as gaudy ostentatious restaurant parties that give siyums a 'bad' name in the nine days.

kenz ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 9:57 am

Wow, OP asked for recipes. Keep your soapboxes for your own threads.
Mazel tov, OP! The original The original Kosher by Design has a “fried” rice recipe that feeds a large crowd and is delicious, with pastrami in it. I can post later on today if you’d like it.
Anything pulled beef is also a big hit these days and you just put it in the crockpot overnight.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 10:01 am

kenz wrote:

Thank you, a recipe would be appreciated.

amother

↑ NeonYellow

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 10:06 am

PinkFridge wrote:

I hate to say this but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some siyumim are contrived. But others really are the real deal, and they are genuine causes for celebration.

You probably shouldn't say it then. People are so judgmental. You do you.

amother

Nasturtium

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 10:07 am

PinkFridge wrote:

I hate to say this but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some siyumim are contrived. But others really are the real deal, and they are genuine causes for celebration.

Even the “contrived” ones-there are some shitas by real people that it’s a good thing to minimize the mourning as much as possible, especially with simchas haTorah. So if you’re going to stretch your siyum to a few days before or a few days after it was “supposed” to be, this is actually preferred. Not how I hold but it’s a legit halachic opinion.

Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 10:12 am

My boys love lachmagine as a starter when I make it for Yom Tov, you can do it as a side instead.
Scalloped potatoes look nice (until everyone digs in!) and they go over well too but it's a drop time consuming
I saute onion, cinnamon, craisins, slivered almonds, salt, brown sugar and mix it into basmati rice (either white or yellow from turmeric)