I'm hosting a mixed faith/religion dinner party - help!!

[ilovedplaydays]

Hi

I am having friends round for dinner party in a couple of weeks. There will be about 12 of us. 2 guests have not met the other guests (or each other) so I want to make them as welcome as possible. One is a Muslim, and one is a Buddhist. I know my Muslim aquaintance eats Halal meat, so I can cook meat dishes, just not pork. It will not be a formal dining thingy - at least I don't have the room for all of us to sit at the table, so it will a buffet affair. Please give me any advise you can for recipe suggestions, and any tips on how to host it.

Thank you so much in anticipation!

You would be safe in preparing total vegetarian dishes unless you want to prepare all food in separate dishes in separate pans.

I would do all vegetarian.

what are the dietary requirements of everyone else?

Everyone else eats meat, though I know they - and we - often eat vegetarian food as as a main meal so they are all quite open about their food, I think. Will my Muslim guest be happy with veg only? He has advised me where to buy Halal meat and I so want to make him welcome. He is knew here from Pakistan and knows few people.

Your Muslim friend will just be happy for the invitation, if he hardly knows anyone.

with 12 people, it's impossible to please them all entirely, but vegetarian will offend no one.

I would go vegetarian as well as it's easiest and the least offensive option.

why should the others have to suffer halal meat? if the muslim doesnt like it then hard luck. they are the guest and get what they are given. personally i would do bacon and eggs.
its like veggies they always demand a veggie meal when visiting yet never do a meat dish when you visit them. very selfish folk.

remember many of your guests may object strongly to the brutal manner of halal slaughter, and that fact that much of this meat is imported from third world countires with little or no hygine

my understanding of the slaughter process is that it is very humane. Certain rituals have to be in place that are humane. I cannot believe it is less humane than our own abbottoirs. I don't know for sure though, cos I am sure there are people not doing a proper job in our slaughterhouses, and possible the same goes for halal meat - people are people; sometimes unfortunately! However, I do want to welcome all my guests; is that so wrong?!

maybe do a salad with shredded halal chicken and a nice vinagrette served separately, then the rest of the buffet could be veggie.

I thaught Bouddhist dd not eat meat at all?

I also thing going vegetarian is your best option?

Halal slaughtering is not brutal BTW (if done the way it is supposed to be anyway).

Thought even

Buddhist tend to be vegetarians. Some Buddhist will avoid garlic and onions and things of the leek family. Best check!

Like the idea of shredded meat and salad. and then veggie dishes. I do a mean veggie pie thingy, and potatoe gratin (nigella lawsons recipe - very nice).

Have got it in my mind that a should be a shoulder of halal lamb and slow roast it. I saw the recipe here somewhere done with balsamic vinegar and onions and I cannot shift it out of my mind - how to incorporate it into a buffet though. (by the way atheist joining us now - I just need graham norton and alf garnett and my guest list will be complete)

that is meant to say 'I feel I should be including a shoulder of lamb etc..' . I'm sure you get the picture and don't need me to add my correction - but can't help adding it anyway (bit like the shoulder of lamb recipe that won't go away)