Drinks were poured and, sure enough, some delicious tapas were offered. Mouth-watering and just right with the drinks, we didn’t spare ourselves. The plates were then cleared and, to our surprise, clean plates were brought out. “Now for the main course,” one of our friends said proudly. “I’ve cooked a large fish pie, I hope you’re hungry.” Actually, a large fish pie, cooked ham in sauce, slices of roast pork fillet, jacket potatoes stuffed with peppers and cheese, and a dish of spinach, peas and green beans appeared! It all looked fantastic and our ‘chef’ looked so triumphant that we couldn’t disappoint. Fantastic food, but our stomachs were feeling the strain. We ate as much as we could manage.
Oh dear! The ‘chef’ went back into the kitchen and returned some minutes later with folded pancakes and glazed cooked fruit on individual dishes. Our faces smiled but our stomachs groaned.
We had a wonderful evening in lovely company, but felt uncomfortably full when we left. If we had known, we obviously would not have eaten beforehand; a lack of communication that some of us may also be guilty of when asking friends around. In contrast, we have been out for drinks before and thought that there would be snacks when none have been served. Filling up on crisps takes a lot of crisps.
It’s a guessing game. Will drinks be only drinks? Fair enough if you know. Will there be snacks or a meal? We have now learnt to say it as it is. If we are providing drinks and crisps we say so – if snacks or a meal we also say so. In that way, everyone is satisfied. ¡Que aproveche!