Last weekend, I hosted Easter dinner for some of my extended family, 10 diners in all. Among my guests, diet restrictions galore: gluten free, lactose intolerant, low-salt, Passover observance. Add in some seriously picky eaters and others who demand certain foods for certain holidays (Easter = ham or lamb), my vegetarian needs were pretty low on my list of criteria for choosing a menu.
I made a ham, but I did not eat any of it. For my first major holiday since I gave up meat, I was happy with this compromise. I also served a chick pea rice pilaf which I ate as my main dish, but other people tried it and seemed to enjoy it. I started with a leek and potato soup and an antipasto platter (a must at all Brown family events). I served carrots, string beans, asparagus and baked potatoes. My mother brought candy for the kids and some Peeps ended up in the microwave. No one went home hungry and no one complained. Trust me, this group would have let me know if there was a problem.
Most importantly, no one asked me about the vegetarian thing. My eating was not a topic of conversation. I was grateful. My family can be pretty hard on anyone trying something different, so it was a big step. I will see if that remains true when I go over to someone else's house for a holiday.
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