MEET THE PARENTS

So now you've learned valuable lessons about diets and relationships, and, after three years of togetherness, you figure it's finally time to introduce the parents to each other. But here's the thing: One of you is gluten-free, one parent has to avoid nuts and alcohol, and all of the parents avoid spicy food.

What to do? Well, if you're Adam Streisfeld, you contact the Washington Post's Chef on Call, who gets DC chef Janis McLean to prepare a banquet of tea-smoked trout and spinach salad; lemon-scented roasted chicken garnished with baby turnips, sauteed kale and roasted carrots; quinoa pilaf; and citrus-roasted pineapple with mango sorbet and toasted coconut. You can read about this fantastic family feast in the February 20, 2008 article "A Comfortable Introduction, Gluten-Free."

But here's an alternative approach to such gatherings: Just meet for tea and coffee! And dessert!! Simple, yes? You can avoid exhausting yourselves cooking, keep the focus on getting to know one another, and (perhaps) avoid spending too much of your time talking about your diets. Not that there's anything wrong with that—it's just an option to keep in mind, especially if Janis McLean happens to be busy..

That way you have more time for laughs and looking through the old photo albums.



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