At some point, everyone has to cook for someone with different dietary habits. Will they accept your food? Will they like it? Choose a simple recipe and go for it!
When the opportunity for having people over presents itself, I am always wary. While most of my friends understand that I am a vegetarian and don't buy, cook, or serve meat, it is obvious that a few of them wish it weren't so.
Even with a plethora of recipes at my disposal, I find myself wondering what to serve to impress everyone and show them vegetarian food can be just as good as the meaty variety. In the past, I have been a host of very casual gatherings, and served things like beer and nachos, or vegan chili; these types of dishes are generally well-received.
Last week, however, a friend and I were assigned the daunting task of creating a meatless Tofu Extravaganza that would please the palates of one guest who hates the texture of tofu and another guest who swears the last time she ate soy it made her sick.
The menu we decided on was a quick stir-fry of smoked tofu (available at specialty stores and Asian markets) and tender-crisp vegetables in a simple purchased stir-fry sauce, and Vegetarian Peanut Noodles.
I am happy to report that the evening was a complete success, producing zero leftovers. While I won't exclude the influence of the wine served before and with dinner, it seems we have brought two previous tofu-haters to the dark side...or is it the white side?
If you find yourself in a similar boat (or the opposite, if you are a meat-eater entertaining vegetarians), see Cooking for Vegetarians.
