Food you eat by hand
A good hosting tray is eaten standing, with one hand, without looking for a fork. So a mini pita of two bites beats a whole sandwich, and schnitzel strips beat a schnitzel you have to cut.
A tray that holds for two hours
Fried aubergine, hard-boiled egg and tahini stay good after an hour on the table. Dressed salad comes separately and is dressed just before serving, so it does not go limp.
Meat, not only nibbles
Most hosting trays in Israel are dairy: cheeses, tortillas, pasta and pastries. Meat trays are rare, and home-cooked ones rarer. Ours come out of the same pots as the restaurant: meatballs in sauce, beet kubbeh and couscous.
How much per guest, in numbers
For two to three hours of light hosting, serve 4 to 6 pieces per guest. Our mini pitas are large, about 75 g, so 6 pieces come to about 340 g of food per guest. A full meal reaches 550 to 600 g, with a pot, salads and pita.