My carrot soup with fresh ginger makes an easy first course to serve and is a perfect option for any vegetarian guest.
Many years ago, in my entertaining roster of memories, I learned a valuable lesson, one I wish to pass along to you! When you invite guests to your house for dinner (or any meal for that matter), once they accept, I urge you to then ask them “THE question”:
“Do you have any food allergies or dislikes?!”
Oh boy, I learned this the hard way. At one of our first big dinner parties Stuart and I hosted years ago, I made my foolproof beef tenderloin with a bearnaise sauce… divine, right? Well, JUST as our ten guests were seated at the table and dinner was being served, one couple announced that they were vegetarians! Really? Why did they not advise me of this when they accepted my invitation? It is the guest’s responsibility to tell the host.
What did I do? It just so happened that I had a box of organic butternut squash soup. (Adding a few red pepper flakes and a dash of Madeira wine, it tastes delicious… in a pinch!) I asked our server to warm up the soup and serve it to them. Phew, my “hostess dilemma” was diverted. From that day on, I always ask the guests “THE question” once they accept my invitation.
Once, I was planning to serve my chicken cordon bleu recipe, which is rolled in a mustard and sour cream sauce and then breaded. I found out that one of my guests was allergic to mustard… go figure, mustard?! (No cordon bleu for you- change of menu!) One only knows what allergies someone has if they ask, or if the guest offers to share with the host in advance.
I would rather know if someone doesn't like something, too. If you don’t like lamb or lima beans, you are probably not going to tell me that in advance unless I ask you. Once I know your dislikes, I can try to accommodate and change the menu.
GrandMillenial Tips:
~It is your responsibility as a guest to tell your host if you have allergies or are vegetarian, etc. The purpose of their invitation is for you to have a most enjoyable experience.
~It is a good idea to have a vegetarian, quick and easy backup to serve.For example, a baked squash or additional vegetables….or, you can always just give a double portion of your mashed potatoes!
Here is one of my secret go-to recipes for an hors d’oeuvres:
~Many people now have wheat or gluten allergies, so I substitute bread rounds with cucumber rounds for one of my favorite, one-bite, passed hors d’oeuvres. I thinly slice the cucumber rounds, spread them with chive Boursin cheese, place a piece of smoked salmon on top, along with a few capers on top of the salmon (and a tiny sprig of fresh dill if I have it). Ladies love it because cucumbers have fewer calories than bread. It is always a winner!
I hope you will forward this to your darling friends and family. By asking guests about allergies or food dislikes in advance, it may save you, and your guests too, from an uncomfortable and unnecessary “sticky situation.”
Allergies or not, what host doesn’t love a party that is joyful, seamless, and filled with merriment for their guests? Cheers to that!
Xx
Holly