Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Supplies for Houseguests


bavila

Recommended Posts

i'll be traveling to boston next week to stay with my folks and sent along the request that they be stocked w/ diapers & 2% milk. everything else i can buy after i get there.

when my dad comes to visit me, i make sure my house is stocked w/ johnnie walker red.

seems like a fair trade to me  :wink:

Your father is a lucky man! :wink:

KathyM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know that people get annoyed when others say, "Anything is fine!" but what if that's true? I am generally very easy-going, especially when someone is so kind as to let me stay in their home. I basically will eat anything, and if they don't have food, I can go out or to the store. If they don't have coffee, what city doesn't have a coffee house every fifteen feet these days?

Honestly, if I am staying over at someone's place the only thing I ask for is a place to crash and a lamp to read by. I am a fairly simple person, I guess.

When people visit me, I always ask if they have any restrictions or want anything specific. My mother MUST have skim milk, my aunts MUST have gourmet coffee and LOTS of wine. Other than that, I've never had anyone make any extensive or bizarre requests.

-Sounds awfully rich!

-It is! That's why I serve it with ice cream to cut the sweetness!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We could spin off another discussion about this, but I find that a lot of people's morning routines are very important to them on a variety of gastrointestinal and psychological levels. In general, people get more regimented about this stuff as they get older. The average 25-year-old will eat just about any garbage at breakfast time, whereas the average 65-year-old doesn't do all that well with a change in milk type or the addition or subtraction of coffee, prunes, whatever. There's no escaping the reality that some people need a certain breakfast in order to "stay regular," or to avoid acid reflux, or to have enough energy to get through the day. You find conservative breakfast attitudes even among otherwise open-minded gourmets. If you go to Asia, you find that a lot of Americans are happy to eat the local cuisine all afternoon and evening but fall back on Western style breakfasts at their hotels rather than eat nasi lemak first thing in the morning.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And BTW, Megan, if you were visiting, I'd forego my soda boycott and have plenty of Diet Coke on hand.  :wink:

Oh, she knows me so well!!! :blush:

You know what's funny? I don't even keep it in the house - that's how addicted I am. If I did, I'd drink six a night. :wink:

ETA: Oh, man, gotta go get one from the work fridge right now. My Pavlovian reposnses kicked in. :laugh:

Edited by Megan Blocker (log)

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like to ask my guests if there's any food they really don't tolerate, and that's saved the scenario more than once. Like when I was planning on a major salad with three kinds of tomatoes in it, till I heard from my dinner guest that she hates raw tomatoes. (You Know Who You Are :laugh: )

Adjusting the menu is easy. What's annoying is a vegetarian/vegan guest who hasn't informed you of this ahead of time. You can go nuts running around the kitchen, pulling drawers open and scouring the fridge for acceptable food at the last minute. One vegan friend simply brings his own bread, and I know to have brown rice, beans, and cooked veg for him. No problem for me, and everyone is relaxed over the meal, which may include dairy and egg dishes for the others. But how dismaying to sit a guest down in front of chicken and hear him (or her)say, "Oh, I don't eat any animal foods, but don't mind me, I'm happy with the salad. I didn't like to put you to any extra trouble..." You could kill such a guest. Leastways, I could. Gimme a list of do's and don'ts, it makes life easier.

Miriam

Edited by Miriam Kresh (log)

Miriam Kresh

blog:[blog=www.israelikitchen.com][/blog]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The most frequent houseguest I have is a close friend. I know what she likes (which is pretty much what I like!), and she always brings treats from her local meat market and a bottle of wine or two. She and I agree that we make the ideal house guests. We also go through each other's cookbook collections and trade back and forth.

But, there were the houseguests from hell (a much younger cousin, his wife and kids). I asked before they stayed if I should get anything, and the answer was no. But, when one afternoon I was heading to the market, oh my, the list. Three cans of formula, a case of baby ick (jarred baby food), and three packages of the most expensive diapers. Some $100.00 later ($68 for them), I arrive home. Then they went out to do some shopping, and came home with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, which contained exactly 1/2 a donut, and given that there were five kids here, and it was a rainy, gloomy afternoon, it was rather painful. Add to that, I told them what I had planned for dinner, which was just fine in words, but when the meal was served, she said that she would have to fix them something else, and did I mind if she rummaged through the freezer? THis was before they asked me to watch the kids the next afternoon for an hour or two and it was two days before they reappeared. (When they called the following year to let me know they'd be in town, I planned a quick trip to the cabin).

People that tell you what they want and expect are more than welcome in my household!

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be pleased to get a list like that from impending house guests -- it's far preferable to the more common refusal to be specific. On the very rare occasion that we have house guests..., we try to say something like "I'm going to the supermarket tomorrow morning to stock the fridge for the week. Let me know what kinds of things you like to have around." But I don't think anybody has ever responded with anything more than, "Oh, whatever, we don't want to be a burden." Please, folks, you're house guests. You're a burden already. So at least let us provide some damn hospitality.

Amen, hallelujah and pass the butter! Well said.

I've got houseguests who say "nothing special" and mean it. Bless them.

I've got houseguests who tell me they are on a restricted diet / have particular habits, etc. Bless them. I dont mind buying them what they want, in order to enjoy their company. In fact, it makes me feel happy, like Im being a good hostess.

I've had older houseguests who refused to tell me what they wanted, then asked to be taken to the grocery store first thing the next am, when I was on the way to work. Grrrrrrr*. I memorized their shopping list and had it all in place for their next visit. End of that issue. And we scheduled a mutually convenient time to hit the stores, as they loved to grocery shop as do I. (*in their defense, they thought they could catch a cab home. They've never been suburban.)

My mom is the worst . She was recently diagnosed with diabetes. She has very strong likes and dislikes. I still cant get her to tell me what she wants for breakfast. I'd really like her to be able to walk to the cupboard for a meal or snack at any time during a visit, but no. So whenever we visit her, we memorize what she ate, and we buy that to have at the house when she visits us. I'd dearly love to get a list from her along the lines of the one that started this thread.

When we travel, we request the presence of coffee and milk, if we are asked. We are still doing well in the "eat anything" phase of life. We take at least one almost-sure-fire meal for the munchkin, and only bring it out if its needed. If we are not asked, we pack a little coffee and a one cup filter, and buy milk as soon as possible. It makes no difference to us in the quality of our visit which way the coffee and milk arrive. And in case of a real pinch, I always pack NoDoz. Two pills = enough caffeine for my eyes to open and for me to get myself dressed. From there, I can wing it.

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would love a list like that as well. I do try to tease out peoples likes and dislikes before they arrive, but it's nice to have a good idea of what to serve and have on hand. Everyone is so different in tastes, preferences and habits that there just isn't any "standard" of food to have around the house for others. A little specificity is helpful.

Right now I'm preparing for a visit from friends who happen to be vegan. Now, they're both very easy going in general and don't care if we eat meat one bit, but I would like to have things around that they will enjoy. Thankfully, they were specific in the things that they are used to having available: rice milk, coffee (I'm a tea drinker), cereal or toast for breakfast. It's nice to know that your guests will feel welcome and comfortable.

Kathy

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite story about houseguests and how to handle them came from dining at the gala

dinner the last night of (what would be the last unbeknownst to everyone there) Cuisines of the

Sun at Mauna Lani: "I have a 6,550 sf house with only one bedroom, guests are not an issue."

I'll never forget that person telling me that. In my case I actually like the "idea" of houseguests

better than the actuality once they are they for a while. So to make things right for all we have

lots of vodka, tonic, bread & butter, pistachio nuts, yogurt, granola, Maui strawberries and lots

of places to dine out at.

If it's the in-laws we have to buy milk which we never have, chocolate donuts, coke and again,

plenty of vodka. In fact, they'll be here next month, hence a trip for these things. I used to try

to buy my MIL cereal preference but she never ate it after telling me what to buy so now we just

hope for the best and that usually works well. :wink: a hui hou

The vodka is for my husband and I......... :rolleyes:

Edited by oneidaone (log)

"You can't miss with a ham 'n' egger......"

Ervin D. Williams 9/1/1921 - 6/8/2004

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm blessed, I know. My parents, daughter, best buddies and relations are all food people. I never worry about the food or drink when I visit them, or they me. I try to remember preferences, of course.

The odd time a houseguest doesn't fit the mold, and I may have forgotten their disgusting instant oatmeal or diet soda preferences, I just chalk it up to character building. Theirs.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My ex in-laws used to set up their own portable bar as soon as the car was unloaded. Then they would proceed to down 100s of calories in booze and their ever present peanuts.

When it came to the meals I made (and I went all out for them), all I got was, "Oh, you shouldn't, we're trying to cut down," and "Did you use fat free sour cream in the potatoes?" and "Oh, this has so many calories." Every time they would come, the MIL would say "Don't go to any bother for us."

So one time they came, I didn't go to any bother. I didn't even cook. And that's the last time I heard the "don't bother" speech.

As for what I keep on hand...I usually have so much around I don't have to stock much, but if the company has kids I'll ask what they want. I don't keep stuff on hand like canned ravioli, cereals, pop tarts, etc.

Edited by ruthcooks (log)

Ruth Dondanville aka "ruthcooks"

“Are you making a statement, or are you making dinner?” Mario Batali

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My ex in-laws used to set up their own portable bar as soon as the car was unloaded.  Then they would proceed to down 100s of calories in booze and their ever present peanuts.

This is how my family bonds. (To be fair, we also bond over food.) My little cousin Luke (he was a bit of a surprise, and is seven years younger than the next-youngest cousin, my 24-year-old brother), calls it "cocktail three-hour." This is why I have all sorts of booze in my house that I don't really drink - at home, it's either wine or a Manhattan for me, but I have vodka, scotch, Grand Marnier (my mom's favored after-dinner drink), beer, rum, cognac...gotta have family bonding time!!! :wink:

Did they have an actual bar? Like, was it a jazzy case/specially designed picnic basket? Or a cardboard box o' booze? :laugh: I think the funniest thing is that they brought their own peanuts. My mom often travels with a small bottle of vodka (she'll be gone for a week at a time, on business, and hates paying mini-bar prices for her evening cocktail), but no peanuts.

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a full house stay over one Thanksgiving.  To keep it simple, we made a dish of eggs, apples, cheddar cheese and sausage in advance so it was easy to heat and serve in the morning. 

That sounds good! Got a recipe for it handy?

Found it! It's been at least 10 years since I made this, so I don't recall how it turned out or if I made any changes to the recipe. It was in a book of recipes from various B&Bs that we were giving to my sister as a gift. We had something very similar at a B&B and thought it was a great way to feed a group without too much fuss in the morning.

Harvest Overnight Casserole

2 lbs. bulk sausage

2 apples, cored & sliced

9 slices bread, crusts removed & cubed

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

9 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups milk

Lightly grease 9"x13" baking dish

Cook & crumble sausage in skillet

Drain & reserve pan drippings

Place sausage in baking dish

Saute apple slices in sausage drippings

In a bowl - combine apples, bread cubes, mustard, eggs, cheese & milk. Mix well.

Pour mixture over sausage, cover & refrigerate overnight.

Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover & bake for 30 minutes.

Thank you so much Kathy!

"Fat is money." (Per a cracklings maker shown on Dirty Jobs.)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That casserole sounds great. I just emailed the recipe to my aunt and my mother as a possibility for Christmas morning/morning after Thanksgiving possibility. Thank you.

-Sounds awfully rich!

-It is! That's why I serve it with ice cream to cut the sweetness!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just had houseguests, to whom we turned over our apartment while we went to stay in a hotel (it was for our wedding, we might have gone to a hotel anyway...)

The morning they arrived, I did the biggest shop I've done in a long time - everything they would need for lunch and supper the day they arrived (nice light food - smoked salmon for lunch and hake for supper), and for breakfast the next morning. We were going away together the dasy after the wedding, so I only had to prepare for 2 breakfasts, 2 meals and probably a snack after the (lunchtime) wedding.

Almost none of it was eaten, and they left everything to spoil in the fridge. Such a waste of good food, and a little stinky after almost a week.

Grr.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...