Menu planning

 My husband and I recently had dinner at the new home of friends. She had emailed us about what she might make, suggesting either eggplant parmesan or chili. I wrote back, my email began: "We are really looking forward to our outing with you! And now I will apologize for how difficult we are to feed."

It's true. I am a lactose intolerant pescatarian - I eat seafood and plants, but almost all milk products give me a terrible stomach ache. My husband cannot eat any hot spices -- jalapeno, serrano, cayenne - doesn't matter where they are on the Scoville scale, mild to hot. Also cumin, and anything else that causes that burning sensation in one's mouth. It's not a taste preference; we have ended up in the emergency room on several occasions. 

Our friend made a delicious salmon dinner for us.

Back at our house, I do weekly menu planning in order to buy groceries and not have to wrack my brain every day deciding what to make for dinner. But I have the same issues of having to avoid dairy and hot spice AND all of our individual likes and dislikes, plus avoiding too much repetition. Thinking back, when I was growing up I believe my mother had an informal rotation of meals that she made. I have lists of recipes that have worked AND we both liked. But somehow it grows a little boring. And I do try new recipes regularly, but there's always the lurking danger of a terrible dinner. Also, I don't want to spend hours cooking EVERY day. 

"Why don't you just ask your husband what he'd like for dinner?" you ask. Because he says, "I don't know. Give me some choices." 

I really do like to cook.