Community Forum

HomeDining is all about crossing cultural borders through food. I'm curious — what's a cuisine or dish you've always wanted to try at someone's home table but never had the chance? For me, it's Georgian food. Khachapuri and khinkali look absolutely incredible and I've never met anyone who cooks it! Share yours below 👇

I'm new to hosting and I'm trying to figure out the best approach to dietary restrictions. My last event had a vegan, someone with a nut allergy, and a guest who is gluten-intolerant — all at the same table! I managed but it was stressful. How do you experienced hosts handle this? Do you offer separate dishes or design the whole menu to be inclusive? Would love practical tips.

Something I've been thinking about — the hardest part of hosting isn't the food, it's making strangers feel at home immediately. My trick: I greet each guest personally at the door, give them a small welcome drink within 2 minutes, and do quick introductions with a fun fact about each person. By the time the starter arrives, the table is buzzing. What are your ice-breaker tricks?

Hi everyone! I'm planning a Diwali celebration dinner in late October and looking for curious, open-minded guests who want to experience authentic Indian home cooking. I'll be making paneer tikka, dal makhani, biryani, and of course gulab jamun for dessert. My family is from Rajasthan, so the food will be richly spiced and vegetarian. Drop a comment if you're interested or have questions!

Last December I hosted 8 strangers around my table for a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner. It was nerve-wracking but absolutely magical. I made pinnekjøtt, ribbe, and lutefisk — all from scratch. The biggest lesson? Prep everything 2 days in advance. Guests don't care about perfection, they care about atmosphere. Light those candles, put on some soft music, and just enjoy it. Anyone else hosted a seasonal dinner recently?

I've had so many requests from guests to share my injera recipe, so here it is! The key is teff flour — don't substitute it. Mix 2 cups teff flour with 2.5 cups water and let it ferment for 3 days at room temperature. When ready, it should be slightly sour and bubbly. Cook on a flat pan like a crepe, no oil needed. The fermentation is what makes it unique and gut-friendly. Serve with misir wot and tibs. Enjoy!

Love the platform overall — hosted 4 events now and the guests have been wonderful. One thing I'd love to see improved is the booking confirmation flow. After a guest books, there's a slight delay before they get the confirmation email, and I've had a couple of guests message me asking if their booking went through. Maybe a more instant in-app confirmation message would help? Just my two cents!

What a night! I hosted an Eid celebration dinner last month and it was the most ambitious event I've done on HomeDining. 12 guests, 9 dishes including lamb ouzi, fattoush, hummus from scratch, and konafa for dessert. Guests came from 6 different countries and the conversations were as rich as the food. If you're on the fence about hosting a cultural dinner — just do it. The connections you make are priceless.