A old high school friend of mine whose parents immigrated to Canada from India loves to remind me of the times I stayed over for meals at her parents' house. Her mother was an amazing cook, and she always removed my serving from the pot before she put the
real spices in, lest this pasty white girl burst into flames.
I can handle spicier food now than I could as a teenager, but I still have to be careful. By the way, British-Indian fusion food is all kinds of awesome, and there are loads of options for vegetarians.