How Martha Stewart Deals With Serving People With Food Allergies

Martha Stewart is definitely the ultimate hostess who has paved the way and created the lane for the whole concept of the celebrity chef to burgeon and thrive. When Stewart started on her culinary and entertaining adventure, the idea of a celebrity chef, with the exception of Julia Child, was a bit of an anomaly. Per Biography.com, Stewart found her true calling after working on Wall Street for several years. In the early 1990s, the domestic goddess formed her company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. and she has been a force ever since. 

Over the years, Stewart has taught us a lot. From her Martharita, which got us through lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to teaching us the most important items to always keep in the freezer (croissants, vodka, and ice cream), to enlightening us with a yummy, albeit, unusual way to make scrambled eggs, Stewart is always teaching us how to do things in new and adventurous ways. But Stewart is not just a food guru; she is the chief master entertaining aficionado. She could probably teach a protocol class with all her knowledge, which is why we love that the blog Food 52 asked her how to deal with cooking for people who have food allergies when you are entertaining. Stewart's answer was not what we were expecting, though, and we love how honest she is.

When Food 52 asked Martha Stewart how she accommodates guests who might have food allergies, the cookbook author revealed, "I have a personal rule: I never ask." And while she definitely serves up plenty of vegetables when she has guests over, she notes that she doesn't make any special dishes for those who might have food sensitivities. Instead, she explained, "[T]he gluten-frees can just pick through everything." We definitely see Stewart's perspective. When you are invited to someone's home for a meal or party, it's important to remember that it's a kitchen, not a diner, so you cannot expect your host to cater to each individual's palate. 

Still, most people feel obligated to ask about food allergies these days. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 32 million people in the United States have to deal with food allergies. The most common suspects of food allergies are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish, but there are plenty of other offenders. Food allergies are definitely not fun for those who have them. What do you think of Stewart's approach?