Dinnerparty dilemma. Remember my friend with all the diet restrictions?

If I were her, I would be so touched to know you've put that much thought into her dietary

restrictions.

Look, I have friends who are marathon runners. Am I disappointed I don't get invited to go run with them? No. It's not my thing. If you're having a culinary-focused dinner where what you're making is the star of the show, if I had a handful of serious dietary restrictions, I would totally understand not being invited. It's not my thing.

But, I do like to be social and I presume she likes the same friends you do. Perhaps you could host a potluck or some other party where she can feel comfortable being social and take care of her dietary needs. (Bring her own food)

 
Yep, I'd probably have Velveeta-singed eyebrows.

But yes, hot Rotel with things mixed in... That, I'll confess to liking enough to want to lick it off a wall.

 
*'s

Live and let live.

ETA: Melissa, I think the thing I'm having trouble understanding is how the trend of gluten-free/multiple-food-aversions affects the status of your own allergy. It doesn't, but it's clearly a sore spot for you that people are choosing--for, you assume, less than medical reasons--to eliminate/avoid certain foods. Ok, so if we say, well, only people who have medical reasons for doing this have legitimate requests, do you card everyone at the door to your home or the restaurant? Maybe you're just bombarded by people like Marg's friend, but I don't see how the general awareness-raising of food intolerances (which means a rise in greater choice in supermarkets, restaurants, etc.) de-legitimizes your own allergy.

I just don't get the logic (and since I usually fail at logic, I'm really trying to puzzle this out).

 
It's like crying wolf. When half the world starts saying they are "allergic"

to things the rest of the world starts rolling their eyes and not believing anyone-even the ones who really are. I'm not talking about food CHOICES. Whatever floats your boat. Just don't say you are allergic to something just because you've chosen not to eat it or because Gwyneth Paltrow or someone says not eating it cures more ills than snake oil.

 
I sure agree on people bringing food. It's not a pot luck. I do dinner so it's all planned to

work together. When I landed here, I was told...well this is the way we do things here. Everyone brings something. I'm fine with taking something but chez moi, I do the cooking. So I made my place a special location. Besides, I think so many people don't like to cook and really see it as a chore, whereas I love it and don't want to put them to any trouble when I invite them.

In the east, we'd never think of offering to bring a dish when invited out. It really kind of deformalizes the whole affair.

 
Jacques who?! Believe me mine has never experienced it and a flaming headdress is about the only way

it could happen.

Oh, you're giving me more ideas for his June 60th!

 
That's a tough sell sometimes. People feel improper not bringing something. I find the best way to

prevent unwanted potluck is to somehow mention your intentions to cook the whole dinner in the invitation. (You can even include the menu but it invites more protests of allergies and food preferences.)

I usually ask people to bring hors d'oeuvres if they insist. That interferes with the menu the least. I also cave in to potluck for informal and impromptu occasions.

 
This is actually not new.

Many years ago, I belonged to an Overeaters Anonymous chapter. One day they used a new prayer that referred to our being allergic to sugar. Afterwards, I made a polite comment that I didn't really like the new prayer, because I definitely wasn't allergic to sugar. They all looked at me in surprise - of course we were allergic to sugar, that's why we were fat, didn't I know that? I wasn't booted out right then, that happened after I insisted in the course of a discussion that honey was as fattening as sugar. Made me very unpopular and I eased myself out.

 
And then we have the adorable friend

who is coming to dinner, and who, on being asked what he was allergic to or preferred not to eat, announced that he was mentally allergic to seafood. I just loved that. So we are eating duck - that's from fresh water!

 
Ooooooh

Are you insinuating that we duckies do not bathe and swim in fresh water???!! I have NEVER heard of a duck that swam in murky or unacceptable water!!

I’d like to know of such duck(s) that swim in nonfresh water!! Also, I’d like to know why you’re NOT serving the common/plentiful/inferior/dumb/worthless and cheap chicken!!!

Lana, I don’t know you anymore!!!

smileys/wink.gif

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3607/3349606676_6c8d74afd6_n.jpg

 
No, he was being funny.

He is sweet. And he is educating me - he lent me 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' and 'Amelie', and I have to say that I really liked both of them, but probably would not have coughed up the cash to buy them, so I'm glad.

 
Oops! (cowering in a corner)

I like to think they had wonderful lives and are now content to delight us.

Did you ever read "Stranger in a Strange Land"? Right in the beginning a nurse asks the guy from Mars, "Do you feel like breakfast?", and he sadly thinks to himself that if it is necessary for him to become someone's breakfast he will submit to it?

 
Nope, never saw that flick, but sounds like that Martian was

a willing provider of soylent green.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

I will have you know, wonderful life or not, I AM SO NOT CONTENT to be on someone's dinner plate!!!!!!!

 
Haven't seen "Hedwig" but I would cook anything at all for the person who turned me on to "Amelie"

What a movie! As for the menu I always feel the need to include seafood but for such a person I might relegate it to hors d'oeuvres.

 
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