DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a very particular eater who cannot share a plate with anyone. I was on a date, and over wine and flirtation, “Jess” reached her fork over and tried a bite of my food. I couldn't touch it after that; the meal had lost its appeal. I doubt Jess noticed, but is this quirk something I should be revealing to people, or should I expect them to have the manners to stick to their plate? -- Contaminated Calamari, Miami
DEAR CONTAMINATED CALAMARI: If you’ve got it that bad that you can’t eat another bite if someone touches your food, you owe it to yourself and your dining partner(s) to say something. You can point out your quirky peculiarity in jest to make it heard without seeming too odd. Tell your dining partners that you have a phobia about food. Ask them not to pick off your plate. When they ask you why, tell them that you know it may seem illogical, but you have always been like this -- and you won’t be able to eat if they reach over and taste anything on your plate. Now, if you are OK with sharing by placing a bit of food on a separate plate that you hand to them, make that suggestion as a way to keep sharing hygienically.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)