Get togethers and menus

[luvmysuper]

Based on a couple of posts in the Clown House joke thread, I started to do some thinking regarding vegetarian and non-vegetarian acquaintances.
If you read Social Media, when a vegetarian is invited to a meat eater's BBQ, they get all whiny that the meat eater didn't prepare something vegetarian for them. Many folks seem to back them up and say that the meat eater was rude not to prepare something for the vegetarian.
But when a vegetarian is asked if they would provide meat for a non-vegetarian friend at a cook-out they are having, they reply that they would not, under any circumstances allow meat to be served at their party. They say that it wouldn't kill the meat eater to eat one vegetarian meal or skip one meal.
I think that is a very skewed way of looking at the world.
If you're invited to someone's house for a meal, you eat what they serve or you don't.
If you have special needs, take care of them yourself instead of relying on your host, who is already overworked doing the event.
If it's a close friend or relative, I'd expect that the guest would communicate with me and either ask if there is an option being served or if they could bring something that could be cooked at my house.

 

[Rudy Vey]

easy for vegetarians to find an alternative.....my wife is vegan, and a very strict one, really hard to please her, either at dinners with friends or in restaurants. But then, I love bacon....and this is one of my favorite cartoons, always upsets her when I post it somewhere.

 

[Beefdrippings]

It’s a joke you see on social media but, I’ve never actually seen or even heard of it happening. Sometimes people will tell you they don’t eat meat out of courtesy so you don’t serve them a plate of food they’re not going to eat

 

[Darth Scandalous]

In my rather small social circle, there are a fair number with dietary restrictions. Some medical, some due to food allergies, some religious. We work it out ahead of time. Usually by doing a potluck approach. If I'm inviting people I don't know well (which is rare lately) I'll ask them to let me know if they have any dietary considerations and try to accommodate within reason.

If I'm the guest, I'll eat anything you put in front of me. Including picled beets. Which I hate.

If you read Social Media,

Yeah, don't do that.

 

[cleanshaved]

There's always a good selection of salads at my BBQ's. Plus, heaps of meat. That's not to please any non-meat eaters, it's just how we like it.
Any complaints need to be made with the complaints department. That is located outside my front gate. Just wait there and someone will be with you soon.

 

[Toothpick]

To my knowledge I have exactly 1 vegetarian non-meat eater friend and he’s the worst kind…..vegan. But he’s also never, not once, declined to come to a party, or declined an invitation to eat out, or declined anything social because there would be meat served nor has he ever asked for me or our mutual friends to accommodate his diet at any such event. He’s never made it about himself. And therein lies the difference between non-meat eating people and just all around pompous pricks that think the world revolves around them. One is a good person no mater what is served for dinner, the other is….well….a pompous ***** that thinks the world revolves around them.

 

[Submariner]

I tried the vegan lifestyle. Wasn't too bad as long as I had it with some beef or bacon. Even with chicken or fish, it was tolerable.

 

[cleanshaved]

My dinner was a vegetarian........moooo. Does that count as a vegetarian meal?

 

[Jayson74]

We host summer get-togethers (BBQ) at least 2 or 3 times a year. We always do our best to accommodate peoples food choices wether its dietary, religious, or just personal choice.

I would not expect a vegan/vegetarian to prepare a meat based dish/meal for me if I am a guest at there home. I will eat what they prepare and almost certainly enjoy it.

All of that said if a guest at my home decided to mock or berate another guest about there choices. From either side. They will be invited to move along home. Gatherings are for fun and companionship, and if you aren't mature enough to understand people are different well. Go learn somewhere else.

Life is to short for silly crap like that.

Mmmmm Bacon
Jay

 

[luvmysuper]

I think my biggest issue with the conversations I read was the "Golden Rule" related part.
Of course, I try to accommodate guests and I am optimistic that they would try to do so for me if the roles were reversed.
It was just the sheer number of people who complained that a meat eater didn't make them a vegetarian meal, and the sheer number who said that under no circumstances would they prepare meat for someone at their home.
I guess either one is ok by me, but not both.

 

[captp]

I just want to know why vegan is pronounced with a long e but vegetarian is pronounced with a short e.
Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Chef455]

I think my biggest issue with the conversations I read was the "Golden Rule" related part.
Of course, I try to accommodate guests and I am optimistic that they would try to do so for me if the roles were reversed.
It was just the sheer number of people who complained that a meat eater didn't make them a vegetarian meal, and the sheer number who said that under no circumstances would they prepare meat for someone at their home.
I guess either one is ok by me, but not both.

I hear what your saying @luvmysuper . I will say that in my experience many vegetarians are very opposed to the treatment of animals that we raise for eating. Understandably so. I'll not go into detail, but I think a whole lot of folks might change their diet if they were to follow a few critters through from their entry to the world to their appearance on a plate. It is not pretty.

Thus the "Golden Rule" IMHO would dictate that I would not expect a host to traumatize themselves by preparing me a meat protein. And if I'm "doing unto others" I will go out of my way ( by a several yards, not a mile mind you) to accommodate them as a guest in my home. Vegan/vegetarian isn't terribly difficult to pull off.

 

[Chef455]

I just want to know why vegan is pronounced with a long e but vegetarian is pronounced with a short e.
Inquiring minds want to know.

'Cause for not to be confused with me "veggin'" out doing my thing.

 

[luvmysuper]

I just want to know why vegan is pronounced with a long e but vegetarian is pronounced with a short e.
Inquiring minds want to know.

Really. Seems like it ought to veh-jeh-tarian and veh-jeh-n or vay-gan and vay-guh-tarian

 

[Ravenonrock]

My son committed to a vegetarian diet when he was quite young. Before some early social gatherings with friends or family we would casually mention our son did not eat meat and offer to bring something. Sometimes it was as simple as a snack bar, or an apple in his pocket. It was a teaching moment and we took the focus away from the food. He would rarely go hungry, and if he was, he could tolerate it until he ate what he preferred. We talked about peoples choices with him, freedom to choose and being resilient and respectful. The focus was less about the food and more about engagement with others. This is a life skill. Getting past what separates us and managing expectations.

 

[Jay21]

People who eat meat still have plenty of non-meat ingredients in their homes, so preparing a non-meat option for a guest or friend is not a big deal. Vegetarians and vegans do not have meat-based ingredients in their homes, so preparing a meat dish for a guest or friend is a huge deviation for them.

It’s nothing more than that.

 

[Tirvine]

It seems that in the USA it comes down to the dichotomy of meat or vegetables. Add another culture, and it gets pretty challenging quickly. When I was in a law firm, my biggest clients were Japanese companies. When the president of the company came to town they threw a celebratory dinner. How would you respond if served live prawns or cruel fish (stunned but still gasping on the plate)?

 

[hairless wonder]

My extended family (on my mom's side) is large, but we like to get together for big family gatherings and eat. We usually do some sort of potluck, but there have been times when the host will prepare everything. Among my family members, there are various food restrictions, based on religion, personal choice/preference, and allergies. When I host, I always try to accommodate those restrictions and make sure everyone has enough to eat and that it's a wide variety of dishes. IMHO, hospitality requires taking care of guests, including making sure they have a good meal and not feel excluded in any way.

Vegetarians/vegans have dietary restrictions that prevent them from eating meat-based dishes. Meat eaters, OTOH, do not have dietary restrictions preventing them from eating vegetables (and other non-meat based dishes). It makes sense for meat eating hosts to accommodate vegetarians/vegans guests by preparing non meat-based dishes so the latter do not go hungry. The converse is not necessary, IMHO, since meat eaters can still eat vegetarian/vegan food. Put differently, it's a matter of accommodating the lowest common food denominator.

Keep in mind, I tend to consider myself a meatatarian. I love meat. My best dishes are meat dishes (especially roasts). But I've had many wonderful vegetarian and vegan meals and never felt disappointed or dissatisfied. TBH, sometimes, I find myself craving foods from certain vegetarian/vegan restaurants I enjoyed years ago but which have since closed down.

 

[luvmysuper]

It seems that in the USA it comes down to the dichotomy of meat or vegetables. Add another culture, and it gets pretty challenging quickly. When I was in a law firm, my biggest clients were Japanese companies. When the president of the company came to town they threw a celebratory dinner. How would you respond if served live prawns or cruel fish (stunned but still gasping on the plate)?

Lived in China for many years and attended many a celebratory banquet. I became quite adept at disassembling my plate without eating what was on it.

People who eat meat still have plenty of non-meat ingredients in their homes, so preparing a non-meat option for a guest or friend is not a big deal. Vegetarians and vegans do not have meat-based ingredients in their homes, so preparing a meat dish for a guest or friend is a huge deviation for them.

It’s nothing more than that.

It's not the serving or not that irrites me. It's the complaining by one group that they were not specifically catered to when they are unwilling to reciprocate in any way whatsoever.
It's not a matter of just having some vegetables in addition to the steaks, but complaints that the vegetable dishes were not prepared in an acceptable fashion, ensuring no by-products were used in the preparation, while refusing the concept that their invited guest would even be allowed to use a corner of the grill when the host was done to cook his pre-formed burger.

Vegetarians/vegans have dietary restrictions that prevent them from eating meat-based dishes. Meat eaters, OTOH, do not have dietary restrictions preventing them from eating vegetables (and other non-meat based dishes). It makes sense for meat eating hosts to accommodate vegetarians/vegans guests by preparing non meat-based dishes so the latter do not go hungry. The converse is not necessary, IMHO, since

Nope. Tolerance is great, but it's a 2-way street.

 

[cleanshaved]

People who eat meat still have plenty of non-meat ingredients in their homes, so preparing a non-meat option for a guest or friend is not a big deal. Vegetarians and vegans do not have meat-based ingredients in their homes, so preparing a meat dish for a guest or friend is a huge deviation for them.

It’s nothing more than that.

Any meal I have invited guests over to enjoy together has involved us buying the odd ingredient to make it happen.
Both parties get their food from a shop. If one demands the other to respect their needs or is that desires for their diet, then should that not work both ways? I would say a firm yes it should.