Alexis wrote:

> You know those folks who, immediately upon sitting down for a meal,
> salt *everything* on the plate before tasting any of it?
>
> Well, I've got this friend whose husband does something similar with
> cracked pepper (he actually does taste it first -- he does have table
> manners), and it's become something of a family joke (I could explain
> it in detail, but you know those things are never as funny in writing
> as they are in the family!).
>
> So, my friend and her kids would like to prepare a family meal to
> which NO person in his right mind would be able to add pepper to
> anything. They'd like it to be a real sit-down family meal, so
> pancakes straight to coconut cake is out. I have suggested a fruit
> salad in place of a "regular" salad, and dessert is easy, but that's
> where my mind went blank.
>
> Any thoughts for main dish and side dishes?


First, allow me to point out that a fruit salad isn't necessarily safe from
getting peppered. There are plenty of people who put salt and pepper on
watermelon; it's only a small step to peppering fruit salad.

Beyond that, as a main course I'd suggest something like halibut in
papillote with ginger, soy, and lemon. Rice-paper summer rolls with crab,
carrots, cilantro, and cucumber would be a nice starter.

Side dishes are a little tricky; I'm hard-pressed to think of one that a
pepper-lover wouldn't want to pepper. Of course, for this concept, I'd want
it to go along with the main dish I suggested. Hmm.... maybe spinach with
coconut milk? Vanilla-scented basmati rice? Those might work.

Bob