SC - re: accommodating at feasts

[kat]

(Begging your pardon if this topic has been closed; I'm a few days behind 
in digests...)

Adamantius, in an earlier post, mentions folks who lie about their 
allergies (and he's right, there are many who do.)

Sometimes, however, it *is* necessary to tell little white fibs about such 
things in order to spare hurt feelings.

Case in point:  We had a recent King who despises fish.  We put it about 
that he had a "violent reaction to fish" (not an untruth, really; the taste 
makes him projectile-vomit pretty "violently."  It's a psychological/ 
childhood thing).

However, he handled the whole situation quite admirably and was an 
incredibly good sport about it.  When offered fish, he claimed allergy in 
order to not insult the cooks (and not get involved in the "but you haven't 
had MY fish!" debate).  If fish wound up on his plate, he would smile most 
graciously... and push the offending portion onto his lady's plate or 
someone else's when no one was looking.

And he had a sense of humor about it... I had the great pleasure of making 
him eat "fish" at a small feast. I baked a (OOP) white cake in a fish 
mould, "frosted" with edible silver paint and scaled with almond slivers, 
and served it in a "sea" of that cerulean blue sauce the list was talking 
about a couple of months back (oh yeah, mine came out purple too)... and I 
got to stand at high table and watch him diligently eat it as his 
companions ribbed him mercilessly.  ;-)

So really, it's all in how you handle it.  I think that it's acceptable for 
Royalty, or anyone else in an "on-stage" position, to claim allergy in 
order to avoid the appearance of rejecting the cook's offerings in full 
public view.  I also think that handling it with grace and good humor is a 
necessary element.

But if someone is rude about it, King or Emperor or peasant, that is as 
always unacceptable behavior.

Just my US$0.02....

	- kat


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