Community Magazine March 2014

Si•to (sĭtō) Grandmother[Arabic] Ask ito YOU CAN ASK SITO! Send in your toughest queries and requests for the wisdom of Sito mobile: Scan the QR code at right online: go.CommunityM.com/ask email: Ask@CommunityM.com facsimile: 718-504-4246 postal mail: 1616 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11223 Dear Sito, I want to invite several relatives over for Shabbat, but they all seem to have a very limited diet. While I understand that some of the requests are due to allergies or health-based restrictions, these relatives are being very picky. I enjoy their company, but their requests make it difficult to cook a normal meal. For example, they request that the restricted ingredient not be in anything I make due to the smell. To what extent do I have to go to accommodate them without leaving them in the cold? Any suggestions? Certified Chef As a hostess it is a challenge to please our guests and meet their culinary needs and desires. I recall the time I had a Passover seder with a lovely mixed set of invitees. We all know the restrictions on Passover are so varied and serious, and trying to accommodate them was a real challenge. My Ashkenazic guests wouldn’t eat rice, which left all mechshe and dishes made with kibbe off of the menu. They also wouldn’t eat beans and legumes, which eliminated peas, string beans, and fasoulia, as well. My other guests only ate “matzah shmurah,” which meant I could use only shmurah matzah meal, which costs significantly more than regular matzah meal. But in the end this didn’t make a difference, because my third set of guests, in addition to being allergic to fish, were “non-gebrokhts,” which means they didn’t eat wet matzah, including matzah meal products! Needless to say I was stumped as to what to put on the table. After seeking the advice of many people, I was told, “Just think meat and potatoes,” which is exactly what I did. And although the meal was not my normal Passover seder meal, it was delicious and everyone appreciated the efforts I made to make them feel comfortable. While there are not as many restrictions at a Shabbat meal, at times we do have to go out of our way to accommodate our guests. Your guests may indeed be, as you say, “picky,” but if you want them to eat in your home, then your job as hostess is to accommodate their needs. Their requests may make it difficult for you to cook what you consider a “normal” meal, but they also offer you the opportunity to expand your repertoire of menu items and be more creative. We generally consider a normal Shabbat meal as including kibbe hamda, chicken and potatoes, kibbe cherry, and other dishes, but there are many other foods that can be substituted. If your guests are allergic to a key ingredient like garlic or onions, modify the dish to satisfy their needs. Perhaps ask them for suggestions of what to make or how to make it in a way that is amenable to them. Most importantly, ask yourself: What do I value more – the ability to cook what I want in the way I want it, or the company of these relatives who have quirky food needs? Once you see this as a temporary inconvenience that allows you to enjoy their company, then you will find great pleasure in preparing the meal. All the best, Sito Dear Certified Chef, 78 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE