My wife and I had guests over for dinner recently. For the main dish, we made a creamy mac ‘n cheese with chicken and broccoli. Because the recipe was for 8 to 10 servings, we halved it to serve four adults and a toddler. Given today’s serving sizes, that seemed pretty safe. Plus, we also were having salad and they were bringing dessert.
But after dinner, there was nothing left. I repeat, nothing. It was strange seeing a stark salad bowl and an empty main course dish. It was clear that if there was more of either, someone would have eaten it.
While there was some dessert left over and nobody left hungry, I felt a bit bad. Funny how that works. I guess we’re taught that hosting requires an abundance. If you make the perfect amount, which you could argue we did, it’s seen as not enough.
Of course some would say that the right amount includes having extra. It gets quite subjective here. I’ve spoken with many people, especially mothers, who feel the urge to provide an abundance. That said, non-mothers of both genders feel the same pull.
This compulsion for abundance can lead to food waste. Granted, it doesn’t have to, as you can always eat the leftovers later. But, keeping in mind recent Easter or Passover remains, there’s only so many times you can eat leftover lamb, brisket or whatever it may be.
While I wish we’d had a bit more food to serve our guests, I also wish our culture hadn’t taught me to feel like such a bad host.