European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Sharon Hudgins special to stripes Magazine whenever i invite people to our House for dinner or for a a nifty i try to remember to ask if they have any dietary restrictions to can be embarrassing for both the Host and guests if a group of vegetarians is invited to an uld fashioned Texas Barbecue. Several of my friends Don t drink alcohol for religious or health reasons or because they la be driving an automobile after the party so i always have on hand an ample Supply of alcohol free wine and alcohol free Beer in addition to soft drinks and Mineral water. Those people Are Happy to have non alcoholic alternatives. They can drink to their heart s Content without endangering their health or violating their principles and no one singles them out As  likewise some of my friends Don t drink beverages containing caffeine so i m always prepared to serve. Decaffeinated Coffee and the newest product decaffeinated Tea vegetarians Loo a Precille your taking their dietary preferences Inlo consideration. If As a Host you re serious about Cater ing to your guests food preferences you la find out what kind of vegetarians they Are. Some will eat foods containing Dairy products some include eggs in their Del and others refuse to eat anything but fruits vegetables and grains. Sometimes it can be difficult to Cook for people who have food allergies. People who  allergies to specific foods can become violently ill if they eat even a tiny portion of the food that their body won t tolerate. So it s especially important to find out if there Are any foods that your guess can Reat for health reasons before you begin planning .1 meal for them. Food allergies can be particularly bothersome for people whose allergic reactions prevent them from eating Many of those special foods associated with important holidays. I first became aware of this problem one Christmas while staying at the Home of a German couple who live near Wiesbaden. There were plates of traditional Christmas cookies throughout the House always available for nibbling but my hostess was very careful to jul Only certain kinds of cookie s on one plate and other kinds of cookies on different places and to keep the plates separate at All times. Thai was How i discovered her husband was allergic to eggs 1 have since Learned thai the majority of food allergies Are related to the consumption of Dairy products eggs or wheat. In order to make the holidays a bit Cheerie for people who must avoid these foods i be put together four recipes for Christmas treats made without one or More of the following ingredients eggs butter milk flour. The Reape for egg less Swiss hazelnut cookies comes from my egg allergic Friend in Wiesbaden. I be also developed my own recipes for elegant but egg less Almond Crescent cookies garnished with chocolate Peanut butter balls which contain no butter or flour and scottish Gingerbread a moist Rich tasting Gingerbread that has no milk eggs or butter in it. If you want to make additional Christmas goodies for people allergic to certain ingredients look for the following recipes in Standard cookbooks. If you buy these products in a store they might contain a forbidden ingredient but when you make them at Home you can be sure the it be Safe to eat. No butter German Pfeffer Nusse Pepper nuts cookies German Anista Tuchen Anise cookies German Spring Erle cookies these Are also very Low calorie with Only about 30 calories per cookie. No eggs scottish Shortbread no flour some but not Alt Elisen Lebkuchen Gingerbread cookies