I had a conversation recently with my brother in law regarding being served food you don’t like. He believes you should have a small portion to be polite even if you don’t like it or it disagrees with you. Maybe I’m rude but if someone tries to serve me something I don’t like I politely say “I’m sorry I’ll pass on whatever the particular food is” even if it’s the main protein. Rude, maybe. But I think gagging on your food is even ruder. Just my opinion.
And that is why whenever I have guests to dinner I always, always tell them what I’m planning on serving. I ask if they like it or have allergies or just don’t eat it for any reason, then I adjust the menu if necessary. I never serve people a meal with items they can’t eat. I don’t want anyone to feel awkward at my dinner table.
We all have different tastes, different needs and different wants when it comes to food. We all like or dislike things. My biggest kryptonite is cilantro. I will not eat anything with cilantro. I cannot eat anything with cilantro and please don’t try to fool me … I can taste it in anything. Also, when I say cilantro included are coriander and cumin. All are horrible tastes to me.
Perfect example … Many years ago I was with friends in Duluth after an inline skating race and we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Without a thought I ordered the fajitas. When it was served to me the plating looked fabulous. The portions were plentiful. I made my fajita, took a bite and thought something was off. I took another bite or two and knew … somewhere there was cilantro in the dish. It was very, very subtle. So subtle that it was almost non-existent. Almost. I called the server over and asked if there was cilantro in the meal. She said not that she was aware but would check with the kitchen. She came back and sure enough … the chicken had been marinated and there was a small amount of cilantro in the marinade. Trust me, when it comes to me and cilantro even less than a microscopic piece puts me off. I couldn’t eat it. Dinner ruined.
So, who am I to serve something to someone they can’t or won’t eat when a tiny speck of cilantro puts me off the meal?
The only time I don’t check with guests is when I host an open house and there are many dishes to choose from so I know there will be something they can eat and enjoy.
At the end of the day, when you share a meal with someone you want it to be a pleasant experience for all, right?
Until the next time.
Totally agree!! If cooking for others, I want them to enjoy their meal. Therefore guest are asked about allergies or ingredients they avoid and the menu will be adjusted accordingly. This could mean leaving those items out of the individuals dish, or making a different menu for all guest. For me it's green peppers, ketchup, peanut butter and banana's. I do get annoyed when a host or hostess simply suggests I dig the green peppers out--Like that little bit of cilantro for you, the flavour of the green peppers even once removed has already permeated the dish. So hopefully they don't resent my rejection of certain ingredients