SC - Newcomer
Robin Carroll-Mann
rcmann4 at earthlink.net
Wed Jan 31 16:02:11 PST 2001
>I think it is fair to say that the best way to deal
>with it is to inform your guests as to which dishes
>contain/contained/may contain alcohol, and move on.
>If they keel over after that, the sin is upon their
>head, not ours.
>
>At all future feasts I host, I will place a large sign
>outside the door, which should warn all of those with
>allergies (either real or imagined) what to expect:
> "Caution: Food Contains Ingredients"
>
>Balthazar of Blackmoor
I realize that your last paragraph was meant in jest. But the fact
remains that, besides the annoying people who claim allergies for
mere dislikes or obsessions, there are people with real problems with
certain substances. There are some on this list. People for whom
eating certain things will do them physical harm.
I have a friend who is not a fussy eater. But if she eats beans she
will go into anaphylactic shock. It's not a fantasy. While travelling
to visit relatives, she happened into a restaurant and saw they had a
bean-free meat chili. She mentioned her allergy and asked if it were
truly free of bean-related substances. They assured her it was. It
arrived at the table and she brought a spoonful up to her lips. The
second the spoon touched her lips - and fortunately did not enter her
mouth - her lips swelled up! She asked the waitress what was up!
Well, it seems that they thickened the chili with peanut butter.
Peanuts are not nuts but beans.
The solution is to make sure that there is an ACCURATE list of
ingredients posted in a prominent place in the hall - or placed on
every table - so diners can verify that the foods served will not
injure them. I suggest placing it on a wall in the hall. That way
people who just have mental food weirdnesses might eat something they
normally wouldn't and like it. At the same time, people with real
serious issues can check the list and make sure they don't eat
something that will do them harm.
Anahita al-shazhiyya
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