[Sca-cooks] Minor rant - allergies and following directions

[Antonia di B C]

On 9/05/2012 12:36 PM, Susan Lin wrote:
> my 2 cents:
>
> I do my best to make sure there are vegetarian options as well as meat
> option.  If I know someone has an allergy (an "I might die" allergy) and I
> know they are attending feast I do my best to make sure there are items
> they can eat.

Yup, that's pretty much me, too.  I want to be sure everyone gets a good 
and varied meal.  Within reason, I can make adjustments.  I can make 
alternates.  But I can only make them on the basis of the information I 
have.


>
> People in the SCA are adults or if they are not adults they should be
> supervised by adults.  If someone has an "it'll kill me" allergy they
> should know and they should be proactive in making sure the feast
> coordinator/cook knows.  I do not think it is your responsibility to
> rearrange your feast for someone who hasn't bothered to tell you they're
> allergic to something until the day of.

Amen!
>
> Someone telling me "I don't like..."

Gets the reply "gosh, is that so?"

Honestly, I provide menus, and I use a service style that allows you to 
take what you please.  If you don't want to eat something, that's fine.

> Trying to please everyone will
> just tie you up in knots.

Absolutely!  And, really, I serve lots of different foods.  There is 
always a good variety of stuff.  If you can't get a good meal out of all 
the food I serve forth, you are just not trying.
>
> What you are doing is laudable but people won't appreciate your hard work
> in trying to accommodate their needs and you should do what's right for you.

Actually, something I observe about people with food issues is that the 
more life-threatening the problem, the more  undemanding the sufferer is 
about it, and the more grateful they are when you do make the effort to 
accommodate.

Unlike the people who have decided to become 
dairy-gluten-and-pomegranite-free-food-combining-Atkins dieters or 
whatever it is they're doing this week...


-- 
Antonia di Benedetto Calvo
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Dulce et decorum est pro patria pavlovam coxi.