What to make for dinner for an ethnically diverse group?

OK, your group is not all that ethnically diverse, so that makes it easier.

#1: Ask you boyfriend if he has any special preferences of American dishes you've cooked for him that he and the others might like. It's a nice compliment to him that you value his opinion of what American dishes the others might like.

#2: If you do dumplings, do one dish American style, and another in Chinese style so they can enjoy seeing the difference between the two. Then, if anyone is picky, they can eat just the Taiwanese version of the dumplings.

#3: Have two main meat dishes, one American and one Taiwanese. I can see their Mango Chicken next to an american chicken dish of your choosing. You just have to pick seasonings and flavors that compliment rather than clash.

If you want to, you could do a Taiwanese chicken dish with dumplings and an American beef stew with dumplings.

Since your group is Taiwanese and American, and you are a confident cook, I think a blended menu would be wonderful. It would give them the opportunity to try the American food, and if anyone was picky, they could comfortably just eat the Taiwanese dishes.

Pasta, pizza and bruschetta are great, but are more Italian than American American food.

If you wish to do appetizers, you could do a small pizza and cut it up into appetizer size pieces and also do a Taiwanese appetizer.

If there's a Taiwanese recipe for a ginger sherbet or icecream, I'd add that to the apple pie as it would be really great. Or maybe you have some Taiwanese desert or confection you know that you feel would blend well with the pie.

Apple pie in my mind blends better with American American dishes rather than Italian American dishes, so I'd go for a nice American beef or chicken recipe for the American main dish.

So those are my thoughts... boiled down to a blended menu of American and Taiwanese dishes that you feel will compliment each other, so they can try both.

I would say make an American Dish with Taiwanese Ingredient or American Dishes that are close to Taiwanese. How about a traditional chicken soup with egg noodles instead of vermicelli. Or a quiche made with oysters, instead of just an omlette. Bbq chicken is another idea. I don't know how available an American Bbq sauce would be for you there. You could serve it with a non-mayo based cole slaw and perhaps a baked potato.

I think you answered your own question. Most people like to experiment with other cuisines. The apple pie is enough. Maybe, over the Chinese faire, you can bring up the subject of various cuisines and find out what they would like to try at a future dinner.

Pasta, pizza, bruschetta have Italian origins anyway. I would think true American cuisine would contain tomatoes, corn or chocolate.

I presume that your friends know that you're American; that being the case, I find it hard to believe that they would consider it "weird" if you cook American food. If the situation were reversed, and they were here in the U.S., you wouldn't be shocked to go to their home and find Taiwanese dishes, right? Cook what you think they'll enjoy, and what YOU will enjoy (I think the apple pie is a great idea!), and I think everybody will enjoy their evening :-)

Always, always, always cook their foods when in other countries UNLESS they ask you to cook an American dish.

We learned this the hard way. Our daughter and SIL who are both good cooks were visiting another country and she cooked an American meatloaf and extras (American). The company almost threw-up when they tasted the foods because they were not use to meats and other American goodies. Most of the company did not touch one thing on the table. Hardly nothing was eaten.

i think it would be better to make Chinese food b/c of the tendency of Taiwanese to be picky eaters. i'm sure your guests will like whatever you make but will definitely be impressed with your ability to cook an authentic Chinese dish. the apple pie will be a nice "American" touch to end the meal.

Cook American. They get taiwanese food everywhere.

Years ago my husband had a friend from Hong Kong to our house for his first American dinner. I made fried chicken. I had mashed potatoes,gravy,biscuits,corn and greens-I figured if he didn't like one side dish,there would be others to choose from. The fried chicken was a big hit-I think anyone that eats meat will like it. Apple pie for dessert would be great.

They may be looking forward to trying 'American' food. They might be disappointed if you cook the food that they always eat.

只要是台菜，沒有人會挑食，但過於西化的東西他們可能比較不願意去嘗試了(like what Joanne A. W said).

I don't know why[Taiwanese are notoriously picky eaters] bothers you, if you make your meal tasty, no one should dislike your dishes.At least thats what i think. Nedra E's answer is well informing, but that might be pretty tiresome.