Hosting a Fasting Dinner Party

Hi friends! Hosting family and friends during a fasting season can seem extremely daunting, but rest assured, it can be accomplished stress-free! Here are my tips for hosting fast-friendly,

Stick to basics. Sometimes the most impressive foods are tried and true staple meals that you make for your family. I love making stews and soups for company because they are flavorful, nourishing, and hard to mess up.

Cook less. There are so many great store-bought items that when served together make for gourmet pairings. Breads, crackers, olives, tapenade, hummus, dried fruits, nuts, sauces are all simple ingredients that when combined become a lavish spread. The best part is there is little to no prep-work involved. Simply serve!

Think international. Sticking to a cultural cuisine theme is important to making your meal coherent. Some of the best international cuisines naturally offer vegetarian or vegan options. Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Chinese foods are my go-to during fasting seasons, because certain ingredients can easily be omitted or substituted.

Fresh is best. When I think of how the monastics keep the fast, they resort to eating raw or fresh produce. Since the spirit of the fast is to focus less on cooking and more on praying and alms-giving, offering fresh produce is a tried and true way of both satisfying your guests and preserving the fast. Green salads, fruit/veggie platters, fruit salads and fruit/veggie skewers are great choices. They’re simple to assemble, affordable, and pair well with most any entree.

I hope these ideas serve you well when welcoming others into your home!