Party Planning Gets Tough

by:
April 11, 2012

This is from a few months ago, but the weather is warming up and dinner party invitations are starting to arrive. Menu planning can be tough under the best of conditions -- can you imagine having a dinner guest like this theoretical one from Buzzfeed?

(I would serve Mujaddara, Fennel and White Bean Dip (hold the Parmesan!) with gluten-free crackers, a big salad, and Genius chocolate mousse for dessert.)

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • rpenovich
    rpenovich
  • NVChef
    NVChef
  • Sharon
    Sharon
  • Panfusine
    Panfusine
  • arcane54
    arcane54
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11 Comments

rpenovich April 16, 2012
I would say the worst dinner guest is not the one with all the allergies who is looking for something they can try but the guest with no allergies who won't try anything!
 
Panfusine April 16, 2012
well said!
 
NVChef April 15, 2012
Outside of food allergies that some of our friends have and because I always ask that question when inviting someone new to dinner, I have had only one really impossible dinner guest. After carefully checking with this person's wife as to food allergies or preferences and an assurance they eat everything and had no allergies I invited them to be a couple at a four couple knock your socks of repast that include excellent wine pairings done with another friend who is a top notch sommelier. Our dinner menu Crab Crepes Bengal, Butter Lettuce Salad with orange and red onion salsa, fillet a la bordelaise, roasted asparagus, garlic crusted fingerling potatoes, and bananas foster the husband stirred his food around.. on each plate and pronounce that be just can't eat anything and if I had bothered to ask I should have know that he only ate white pasta with butter. So at the main course I offered to prepare that for this person and they said.."Well don't bother. I can see you know nothing about cooking I'll just have another scotch". His wife on the other hand ate everything in sight.
 
Panfusine April 15, 2012
this person seems like someone who wdnt know it if some one shoved cow dung cakes on his plate for lunch! His loss!
 
maryaskew April 19, 2012
The problem with drunks at a dinner party- and, yes, that was what he was- is that killing them is frowned upon by Emily Post.

As for the worst-dinner-guest menu: broiled salmon, baked potatoes, a large green salad and sliced oranges and blueberries for dessert. The vegan preference is really over the top and can be ignored given the real allergies cited.
 
Sharon April 15, 2012
TWDGE is someone ingracious, loud, self-aggrandizing, mean-spirited or just a downer who ruins the meal for others.
 
Panfusine April 15, 2012
other dishes.. Lemon rice (leave the nuts off), Rasam, tiny little Rice & Lentil pancakes, Socca, Kale tempura.. Nyaah, this is nowhere close to being TWDGE..
 
arcane54 April 15, 2012
I have several friends with restricted diets (by choice or necessity) who graciously bring their own food, so the other guests' palates can be served as well. Being adventurous -- I would rise to the challenge tp cook for this "worst guest". The only thing that would make them the worst is if they didn't bother to show up! (It's happened -- once -- and she was never invited back.) I've had much worst guests... but never more than once ;).
 
SeaJambon April 12, 2012
Been there, done that, resulting in some tremendous meals. Those with open minds and overflowing recipe books may have to stretch their creativity muscles a bit, but so worth it when the "worst dinner guest ever" -- with tears in her eyes, thanks you for a meal that she could enjoy with everyone. Not a trivial gift and well worth the effort. Food is love, and everyone deserves love -- not just the "good" dinner guests.
 
fiveandspice April 12, 2012
Hahaha, I was pretty much *at* that dinner party over Christmas, and added to it was legume intolerant, making it pretty much completely impossible. The solution wound up being multiple main dishes. Oof.
 
SKK April 12, 2012
Oh yes!! And I have a friend who is all of these things except for when it comes to desserts! When she comes to dinner I ask her to bring her own food.