One of my guests on the third night had open-heart surgery a few months before because of blocked arteries. This meant he couldn't eat any kind of fat or red meat, period. Challenging!

I started with a rich and creamy curry carrot soup—no cream, no oil—with chopped fresh apples and a balsamic glaze.

This was followed by a Miso-Glazed Halibut with Cool Cucumbers, and, for dessert, a tea-poached pear in a nonfat chocolate sauce. Delicious!


Coming up with multiple menu ideas for people with different dietary needs is a problem when you are giving a party for 8 to 10 people, so you need to explore other options and find recipes that will accommodate everyone. The Internet is chock-full of great ideas for vegetarian, vegan, no-fat, gluten-free recipes, so try them out on your family first and see what they think before you serve your guests with eating issues. When I try out new menu ideas on my family and they love it, I'm thrilled that I'm sure to serve a great dish no matter what the problem!

Love,
Cristina