Entertaining That Cold

If we haven't already, we'll soon be reaching the peak of this year's cold and flu season. Which means you'll probably soon be entertaining a few sick people at your next dinner party. But before you make dust masks and latex gloves required dinner attire, here are a few tips to help make those sick dinner guests feel at home, while also protecting you from contracting their plague.

First, schedule your party for the early afternoon. A person who is sick will want to go home early and go straight to bed. So hosting an early afternoon party is a considerate way of inviting a sick person into your home. Besides, if you're hosting a late-night dinner, your unhealthy guest(s) may arrive already doped up on NyQuil, and fall asleep on your sofa before the meal is even served. And then you're stuck with an incubus of plague for the night.

Second, eat well in advance of the meal. This helps in two ways. First, you won't be putting as much flu-tainted food in your mouth if you eat before your sick guest(s) arrive. And second, you'll probably be losing your appetite once your guests arrive anyway. Something about a person blowing his/her nose at the dinner table just takes the hunger right out of a person.

Third, keep the meal simple. It doesn't matter how delicious your Indian shrimp curry tastes, the ensuing gastrointestinal distress is only going to add to the person's growing list of flu symptoms (not to mention have you chugging Pepto the following morning). So serve simple dishes like chicken soup, matzo balls, and Theraflu.

If you follow these simple tips, you should be able to welcome any sick person into your home for a polite and healthy dinner party. Just don't forget to stock up on the Purell!