My husband has a very unusual dietary issue: he can't eat hot spices. no spicy peppers including jalapeños, cayenne, chipotle, chile powder, cumin, etc. Accidental ingestion has sent us to the emergency room more than once. The United States as a whole has embraced spicy foods. When I was growing up in Wisconsin (heartland of bland cooking) there were no spicy foods. Now they're everywhere.
I am lactose intolerant. I just get a stomach ache if I accidentally eat dairy products. But I am also a pescatarian - I eat seafood and plants. This means that sometimes there is maybe one item on a menu that I can eat. Many times I can ask for the kitchen to omit the cheese though.
Together we are a challenge to feed. I feel bad when people invite us for dinner and there are so many things that are automatically off the menu. People are nice about it though. They generally serve fish. I think making a vegetarian meal is intimidating to many people. So many unusual ingredients, and where's the protein?
Saturday we are invited to dinner with friends. I predict fish. I'm bringing cookies.
A good friend will make sure there is something for you to eat and will not consider it a problem or inconvenience to prepare. After all, the goal is to spend time with you. I have two nieces both of whom are pescatarian. We enjoy time with them and just work around the food.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true! and I tell that to friends who are worried about what I can eat - getting to spend time with friends is the goal, not the food.
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