Agree. That is one I would definitely say something about in advance unless I knew they loved eggplant parmesan!
1 Like
Vegan is not hard. Been doing it for 3 or 4 years for my oldest, but we have been milk and cheese free in meals for many decades. It just really does a number on my husband and if I want to live in a happy house I’m not going to put that stuff in anything I make for him.
I do a lot of stir fry because I really like Asian flavors, but those Beyond Burgers taste pretty much like meat if you want to go more American. Mexican and Indian and pretty much any Asian dish is easy to make vegan.
3 Likes
My SIL always puts gorganzola cheese in her salad. It’s been 30+ years and she still hasn’t figured out that I have to pick it out every time. (Not because I’m vegan, but because blue cheese is disgusting.) I always put non-vegan stuff for salad on the side or check if it’s a small group, because our neighborhood is full of vegetarians and vegans.
I don’t have sit down dinners except for holidays and I usually know what people eat.
2 Likes
I’m making a salad for New Years that is English cucumbers quartered and sliced, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegrette…and Gorgonzola cheese. But I’ve checked and everyone in the group likes Gorgonzola cheese.
3 Likes
The worst of processed food. I’d rather grill a big portobello cap!
11 Likes
Mmm… love gorgonzola! Just had it for lunch yesterday 
6 Likes
We are going to a potluck Christmas party. Hostess doesn’t eat “things with faces,” but does eat cheese.
I haven’t figured out what to bring. Hmmmm. Maybe I will bring several things— I love grilled veggies.
@mathmom , I LOVE blue cheese and in fact asked for a Port Reyes cheese gift card for Christmas! Maybe after 30 years it’s time for an honest discussion with your SIL, maybe ask her if she can set aside a bowl of salad for you before she throws in the gorgonzola.
I still remember a salad decades ago that I wanted red onion in . My SIL was visiting and husband and I were making a big dinner for his side of the family. She offered to make the salad and I put all the stuff out for her I bought for the salad, including a red onion. She made the salad and told me she left out the red onion because she doesn’t like it! So, I cut some up and put it on the side. She is coming for my husband’s retirement next month and I will be making salad . The red onion will be on the side! 
2 Likes
Those are okay, too, but not everybody likes mushrooms. I love them, but I wouldn’t expect everyone too.
Beyond Burgers kinda creep me out, because they are too much like real meat, but I know a lot of vegetarians who like them.
I make a beautiful mushroom risotto that is one of the few recipes I don’t have to modify for my daughter’s allergies.
3 Likes
I rarely serve a salad pre-dressed. Personally I do like that sometimes, but it provides much more flexibility (especially for guests) to serve dressings on the side. Sometimes I’ll even serve some items (tomatoes, pepper etc) on the side to allow customizing.
1 Like
My mom used to serve salad with different dressings, especially thousand island. It wasn’t until I dressed salad with sea salt and nice olive oil that she said, “this is how salad should taste.”
Our Italian tour guide told a joke to us about the first time he visited an US supermarket that he found out we could dedicate a whole aisle to salad dressings. He said, “In Italy, we don’t have Italian dressing.”
1 Like
I’ve never served a salad with a side of dressings, I like a pre dressed salad (I usually do an olive oil/fresh lemon juice/garlic/ Dijon mustard). I’m not a fan of bottled dressings.
6 Likes
@socalmom007 – I’d love the mushroom rissotto recipe, if you’re willing to share. Thanks!
1 Like
For salads, I on’y dress them if they are being served at a sit down plated dinner…which is what I’ll be doing for New Years. Otherwise…dressing on the side for folks to do themselves. I’m also VERY light on the dressing. You really don’t need much!
4 Likes
Sure!
2 Likes
Thanks for the recipe. I’d have to substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, but it sounds yummy! My husband can even eat parmasean cheese (in moderation).
1 Like
I did tell her once. She was very surprised, and promptly forgot the next time we were together!
Love the Italian tour story.
In recent years, I’ve kept oil and vinegar on that table and usually have that. But there are always a few dressing bottles in the fridge, mostly for hubby and for guests.
Some of our entertaining is for a tbd group (after hubby’s weekly Friday brewery happy hours). Sometimes somewhat spur of the moment pizza, sometimes an entree in crockpot. I always include an undressed salad, often with hard boiled eggs on the side.
I finally figured out how to make decent oil and vinegar or oil and lemon juice salads, which I do for sit down dinners and my offspring. One of the keys is sufficient salt. Alone, I am a fan of dressing out of the bottle.
A very close friend is veganish-eats some cheese. It can be very hard in restaurants as she hates mushrooms. Neither of us are fans of burgers of any sort. And Beyond Burger, mentioned above, is not especially healthy food.
I struggle quite a bit with one of my kid’s sig other who doesn’t eat vegetables aside from salad. If he is visiting for days in a row, I run out of options. Most of what I cook starts with chop an onion. I make things with meat, but not exclusively meat. He is sweet and doesn’t want to cause trouble, so I have to pretend it is not a bother…
1 Like