When did it get so complicated?

Er, you forgot me! I'm gluten intolerant so can't eat any of your tarts or quiches.

kittylester

Er, you forgot me! I'm gluten intolerant so can't eat any of your tarts or quiches.

Noooo. Sorry you'll have to stick with salad. I do have some strawberries too so that should cover all bases, that and you will be super slim!

I sympathise. My hardest ever Christmas catering involved a vegan, a Muslim, someone with a nut allergy and another with an alcohol allergy. I discovered how much Christmas food revolves around meat, especially pork, nuts and booze! Challenging!

I hope everyone eats pastry! 😂

I do think it's been like this (quietly) for years though.
My parents had Muslim friends and vegetarian ones as well as a recovering alcoholic friend and one who couldn't go near shellfish.

I suppose in the "old days" we just didn't eat what we didn't want. I didn't ever really like meat so just avoided it where possible. It was the 1970s before I knew what vegetarian rennet was.
We know more now.

I think an option is to do lovely veg and salads and puds, and find a delicious vegan main for all. Cheese and bikkies on the side.

I'd ask someone with other special needs if they could just bring a "main" they can eat so's you "feel safe not harming them and lots of delish stuff to go with"

I wouldn’t ask and if they didn’t like it, they could lump it and not eat.

The new thing is '100%' plant based!

kittylester

Er, you forgot me! I'm gluten intolerant so can't eat any of your tarts or quiches.

Yes, I make most things gf free now, it's easier.
But we do have lemon tart for pudding tomorrow so will just fruit do for you, kittylester?

That's reminded me to take berries out of the freezer

I would just but something suitable for the Vegan, and Vegetarian, life's too short and just cater for the other 8.

Not in our house it's not.

Alcohol in cooking is ok if the alcohol is burned off according to a recovering alcoholic of my acquaintance

Fleurpepper

The new thing is '100%' plant based!

Available in all good supermarkets!
M&S has a good range.

You can cheat very successfully now.

Dairy free is difficult as well, think of puddings that are dairy free and I refuse to cook with margarine with palm oil.

I think butter is ok, at least my lactose-intolerant DD eats butter without a problem.
So a good old crumble with gf flour, not too much sugar in case anyone is diabetic, no nuts just in case .....

Oh, I feel for you. My son has just announce in the last year that he has probably always been dairy intolerant, but just didn't realize until he stopped. His fiance rarely eats gluten or dairy, and has a peanut allergy.

So cooking for me has gotten more complicated, but not impossible. If I were you I think I would throw my hands in that air and give up. I'm assuming both the vegetarians and vegans don't eat eggs?

Thank god all of my family eat meat and traditional roasts with lots of veg.
And a good old home made apple crumble and custard/ice-cream.

Visgirl and hollysteers - yers don't sound very hospitable!

Purpledaffodil

I sympathise. My hardest ever Christmas catering involved a vegan, a Muslim, someone with a nut allergy and another with an alcohol allergy. I discovered how much Christmas food revolves around meat, especially pork, nuts and booze! Challenging!

At our veggie Christmas dinner we had homemade nut roast, Quorn roast and veggie haggis. The nut roast can be made vegan. Much of the Quorn range is vegan, but I'm not certain that includes the roast. I know the Quorn chicken slices are though.

Callistemon21

I think butter is ok, at least my lactose-intolerant DD eats butter without a problem.
So a good old crumble with gf flour, not too much sugar in case anyone is diabetic, no nuts just in case .....

Butter is not OK for vegans, for sure, or plant based.

We have one GC who is severely allergic to egg, and this makes things complicated enough. But they eat everything as long as no trace of egg.

How about saying I will be cooking x, y, z. If this is not OK for you, we would love your company, but bring something you can eat?

Riverwalk

Visgirl and hollysteers - yers don't sound very hospitable!

I’m hospitable, but if you have food problems, look out for yourself.

One year I had someone who was gluten free and is also diabetic. Staying for several days. Coming from abroad so not used to english food. Several people here also.
It was a matter of working out what he could actually eat.

I think if it's a lifestyle choice then fine, but if it's food intolerance eg nuts, sesame seeds, or an auto-immune disease eg coeliac disease etc then you have to cater for that.

Someone could be very ill or die if they ate the wrong food.

Bringing something you can eat is fine but if you invite someone it's good to make an effort ' or provide something readymade.

Fleurpepper

Callistemon21

I think butter is ok, at least my lactose-intolerant DD eats butter without a problem.
So a good old crumble with gf flour, not too much sugar in case anyone is diabetic, no nuts just in case .....

Butter is not OK for vegans, for sure, or plant based.

We have one GC who is severely allergic to egg, and this makes things complicated enough. But they eat everything as long as no trace of egg.

No, I wouldn't give butter to a vegan!
But it contains very little lactose so is usually ok for lactose-intolerant people.

Oh yes - eggs!

Right, everyone, here's a nice undressed salad, I've all labelled the ingredients on everything else, help yourself!!