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@kristin314 - those sound delicious! your dinner guests are lucky :)

@tusti and pavlov - hate the parents who, for whatever reason, can't or won't take care of their kids, if you absolutely must. but does that mean their kids should be punished? what possible argument could you have against a school making sure that those five year olds who don't have the resources at home are being fed at school? is that really a worse expenditure of taxpayer dollars than the anything else in the government's budget?

endless bowls of cereal, boxes of mac'n'cheese, and apples (with peanut butter if i had it). i can just picture how empty and sad my fridge/pantry used to look back then.

i could see people giving such an answer because it's what they think is expected of them - regardless of how you define success, if someone else asks you how you know you've done something, it's easy to get in the habit of giving a response that you think other people will be able to understand/appreciate...so maybe some of these chefs deserve the benefit of the doubt?

and i agree with @engmcmuffin - if someone could eat anywhere (and famous people are more likely to have those options than the non-famous) and they decide to eat your food, then, while not dispositive, makes it more probable that you're cooking something tasty.

i bet it would be good on eggs (like scrambled or in an omelet - i've been putting cholula on mine recently and that's a garlicky/spicy sauce). i would use some in stir fries, and maybe mix a spoonful into broths/noodle bowls.

i like the idea of a cheese board, with some fresh and dried fruits, nuts, olives, good bread and a variety of cheeses; maybe some pate if people would like that, and you could buy some premade tapenade or other spreads (or make one really quickly in a food processor). hummus with some pita chips and crudite is good as well, or tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa (mango salsa is a good one). chop up a bunch of tomatoes, toss in some mozzarella and fresh basil, mix with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper (alternatively, add a few spoonfuls of pesto) and toast some bread in the oven and you've got bruschetta that everyone will devour and that takes no time to make. add a pasta salad or a quinoa salad that can be quickly assembled with a few ingredients, and it's filling enough for dinner and comes together pretty quickly.

my husband's friend came up on some thick steaks a few years back and was kind enough to give us some. we just seared it quickly in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper...it was amazing. the fish itself is so good, i feel like it's best to keep it simple so that the flavors really come through.

corn on the cob! skewer some shrimp and throw them on the grill (wrap them in bacon if you're really going for glorious).

vegetables are a cheap way to add more items to the menu - mushrooms (button/portobello), bell peppers, onions are pretty standard (keep your skewers separated, and the pieces fairly uniform - i.e., all the peppers on one skewer, all the onions on another - that way, you can make sure the thicker vegetables are cooked all the way through without scorching the smaller ones. you can mix them up again after they're done cooking).

grilled fruit is great too - i like pineapples, or peaches. or a big platter of watermelon slices on the side. or make some potato salad/macaroni salad/cole slaw to serve along with the main dishes.

looking at this list, i guess barbecues are like holidays for me - i need to have all the classic standbys.

a quiche or frittata might be nice, and easily transportable. cold roast chicken has gone over well at picnics. i like to have an assortment of side salads and finger foods and then people can just nibble and it's easy to throw together but feels fancy. and using fancy ingredients and laying it out pretty takes everything a step up.

@nyceater, do you want vegetarian and non-dairy, or either or?

my stand-bys are stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta - i cut up tomatoes, add fresh herbs, and either oil and balsamic vinaigrette or pesto, and mozzarella, (but you could leave out the mozz) and then top toast with it. olive tapenade on toast is good too, or caponata. i also like to put out different nuts (some spicy, some sweet) and olives for snacks.

frittata could be cut up and made into an appetizer, and then people can just eat it with their hands.

or you can go for an asian theme - spring rolls, green papaya salad, dumplings (steamed or fried), etc.

last year, i had the best supervisor at my internship. my first day, someone in the office had gotten an eggplant parmesan sandwich and wasn't able to finish it, so they sent around an email asking if anyone wanted it. when my supervisor got it, she asked me if i was interested and if i'd eaten. i said i hadn't, but i was fine, but my supervisor got very worried that i would be hungry (like i said, she was the best), so a few minutes later she disappeared and came back with this huge delicious sandwich and it was awesome. the fact that everyone there understood how important food was should have clued me in instantly that it would be a great fit for me.

i don't know how interesting the sandwich was (totally tasty), but it made for a great first day of work.

i agree with @moeats - you can't bring liquids through security (you can bring them on board if you buy them in the gift shops that are inside the airport), so fresh, juicy fruits are a good idea (just pack in sturdy container so they don't get squishy). i also like to bring trail mix and granola bars, they are easy to eat and won't bother anyone sitting around me.