What to make for bookclub dinner? Please help!!!

Why does every meeting have to be vegetarian? If you provide a few different choices so everyone can

put together a nice plate of food that meets their guidelines you are already being more than accommodating, in my opinion. Most vegetarians I know are grateful for a hearty side dish or two that is meatless. They would be fine with a nice salad and good bread.

 
I am totally with you on this one Melissa, had that person called me I would have said

We certainly want you to be here, so here is what I am serving.. If there is nothing agreeable to your diet, would you mind bringing a dish that you can eat and that the others would enjoy, as well. Thank you.

Because I have a vegetarian, 11 year old granddaughter and her mother who will not eat any red meat, I always have a salad they can eat, along with two veggies. They never make an issue of anything nor even mention it. They eat what they can, and my daughter in law is thoughtfull enough to bring along things like yogurt, and snacks they can have to round out their diets while here.

 
I don't understand this fixation with what someone puts in their mouth. Is it going to KILL these

ladies to eat one little meal that doesn't conform to their preconceived
ideas about food? This is not religion, folks, they aren't going to go to h___ if they put one of their forbidden foods on their plate, eat a bit of it politely, and thank their hostess. Maybe I'm missing something here, but this rigidity seems excessive to me.

If anyone can correct me on this, please feel free to do so.

Barbara, your menu sounds fine to me, serve it with a smile! You've already made more than an accommodation for them. Maybe you should find another group to socialize with?

 
We have a vegetarian couple in our family too. She just asks if side dishes

she is not sure about have eggs in them at family dinners. She usually contributes a few things they like.

 
As host I usually ask, but I don't intend to restrict the entire table to one person's choices

I like Miss Manner's rule: As a guest, always make do with what is offered. As a host, never inquire why someone isn't eating something.

Still, if I go to the trouble of cooking for someone I want to offer something they would enjoy, so I ask.

 
My office is small & sometimes we order lunch in. Sometimes this is Chinese food

which I can't have because of peanut allergy. I just say no thanks. Some of the people we're talking about would probably insist that nobody could have it & the order had to be from someplace else.

 
Artisan grilled cheese sandwich, tomato bisque soup, salad and a decadent chocolate dessert smileys/smile.gif

 
WOW, what a response! Thank you everyone. I have surfed and studied a lot today

and taken in every suggestion from all of you! Your ideas and thoughtfullness has helped me so much and I am not so stressed out now. This is what I decided:

*Vegatarian hoppin john-the So. Beacher will have to skip the rice
*Pat in No CA's spinach salad with grilled shrimp-I am going to marinate and grill some portobellos too and serve the shrimp and other toppings separatly so each person can build their own salad
*corn bread
*pumpkin date bars and, if I can find them, some sort of So Beach frozen fudge bar?

I can't thank all of you enough for your help!

 
I always ask too. Most are pretty easy to accomodate. As hostess I like to serve what others can eat

though that being said I'm sometimes annoyed by those "life choice" folks. We had someone that didn't eat gluten by choice at work and always come some birthday made noises that getting a cake meant leaving her out, so we always had to make sure there was something for her to eat as well. The problem was since I was the person that it fell to picking these things up, it always meant a trip to someplace else to pick up something just for her. Grrr.

However, I do know that folks not use to eating something, say meat, may get physically ill eating it...and no hostess wants that.

 
Every work meeting I now include a vegetarian lasagna as one of the main dishes.

In this area we have so much diversity that often we have vegetarians for religious reasons.

 
All my lasagna recipes are vegetarian. I serve sausage on the side. Everyone's happy

Except vegans, I suppose. I respect most people's food choices but the way they express them means a lot. One of the founders of the non-profit I work for is a physician and a militant vegan. He's absolutely obnoxious about it, so preachy and condescending. Thankfully he is no longer on the board of directors but he is still a gardener. At potlucks I've been known to tell him there are anchovies in my lentil salad when there aren't, because I don't want him enjoying it. Also, if I have a platter of freshly barbecued meat and he's around I'm sure to run it under his nose. As I said, I am passive agressive.

 
Ha! Then of course someone's bound to say they are allergic doncha know...

Actually, I've served PB&J for afternoon breaks in all day meetings - they were a big hit.

 
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