CM: Practical is the new sexy.
KV: Yeah, I really think so.
CM: Honestly. And I think it’s okay to think like that, right? That doesn’t necessarily have to be the narrative you spin up for your guests.
KV: Oh my gosh, nobody knows.
CM: I did this because it’s something I can do really well really easily here.
KV: Totally. Nobody knows that. I’m like, I’ve always wanted to try this… Secretly, you’ve tried it 100 times, you’ve nailed it.
CM: 100.
KV: Everybody thinks you’ve done it for the first time. You let them believe it. You’re not lying. It’s an omission. You just don’t tell them how many times you’ve practiced.
CM: Love that. All right, well, I feel that gives us a little taste of your hosting POV. So here’s what we’re actually doing today.
KV: Okay.
CM: All right. We got so many questions in our inbox, which is podcasts, with an S, @bonappetit.com by the way, so keep them coming, that are about hosting that essentially boil down to, “Can you plan my menu for me?” Literally. People ask. And usually, frankly, we can’t. There’s just so many different things to get to in a day. But today, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’re going to be throwing you, our resident superhost, as many of our menu planning questions as we can fit into the next half hour or so.
KV: Oh my god.
CM: Kendra has not seen any of these questions in advance. Can you confirm that Kendra?
KV: I can and I’m starting to regret deciding that. So they were like, “Do you want to see the questions in advance?” And I was like, “No, I’ll do this on the fly.” And now I’m like, “Oh my god.” It’s going to be great. It’s going to be great. I’m so excited.
CM: All right. You feeling ready?
KV: Yes. I’m so ready.
CM: Let’s jump in. So first question from Stephanie. “I have a group of eight longtime friends. We call ourselves The Dinner Collective who have been having dinner together on Monday nights for more than 20 years. We rotate homes and the host is responsible for providing a main dish, a couple side dishes and a salad or bread. It’s not potluck, but the guests bring their own plates, et cetera, so the host isn’t overwhelmed by dishes to wash. The problem is that over the years everyone has developed dietary restrictions. Historically, the meals are vegetarian and very occasionally, include fish or seafood. The forbidden list now has expanded to include soy, gluten, dairy, and most recently, eggs, when they are the dominant ingredient. Some foods that are not forbidden but are not loved by members include beans, mushrooms, bananas, and high carb meals. I would love some suggested recipes of what I might cook when it’s my turn.”
