In article >,
"Giusi" > wrote:

> > Why not? I'm serving THEM, not me!
>
> Om, that's not how entertaining generally works. Hosts generally make what
> they want, what they can afford, what interests them and what they are
> capable of cooking. Other than life threatening allergies, guests don't
> really have a say in menus.
> Do you remember the brouhaha over how a "hostess" assigned someone from
> here to bring a scaldingly expensive dish and wine to a party? And that no
> one here thought she was hosting a party, just gouging some neighbors? Your
> "order it up right here" take on it sort of asks for that.
> I cook for money. I ask restrictions ahead of time but I make up the menus.
> Most of my clients now know enough about Italian cookery to have input, but
> when I started people would suggest what sounded like the menu at Olive
> Garden or some other chain. Of course any of us can cook that, but why? I
> would think the same of your guests. You know a lot more about what you do
> very well than they can. You know what's in season, whatìs in the markets,
> what you personally can do with those things.
> As I read this thread I imagined someone from here getting invited to the
> White House and trying to tell Michelle Obama what to serve them and what
> they didn't like.

Well, what I did last time was make suggestions based on what was
available and affordable. :-) I simply let them make their suggestions
from there. _I_ still chose how it was going to be cooked.

And they made their choices based on that. Shark steak is one of the
cheaper meats and they requested fish or poultry.

The important thing to ME is that my guests truly enjoy the meal!

And I've known these people for a few years. Their dietary guidelines
are similar to my own so that made it even easier.

I will, however, prepare special dishes for guests on request. I happen
to ENJOY doing that and cannot understand anyone that does not feel that
way.

Please explain your selfish attitude???

What was most amusing was one of his e-mails where he stated that maybe
he was too picky to be invited for dinner. <g> I had to reassure him
that that was just not so. Not to ME anyway!

If I'm going to cook for guests, I'm going to cook for the guests, not
myself!

I guess it comes from cooking for family for so long. It's not unusual
for me to prepare a separate meal for myself if what they want does not
accommodate MY picky tastes and requirements!
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.