Sharp dishes "defuse"
Sometimes it does not harmonize: one eats and cooks very spicy, but guests are more sensitive. What is "normal" for us is e.g. way too hot for my friend. I think of rice pans, sauces, almost everything.
When we eat with my Lebanese girlfriend, yogurt is always on the table. On the one hand, it goes well with many dishes of Arabic cuisine, so it's part of it anyway. On the other hand, it softens the pungency of the food as a dairy product. You could also offer milk, but yogurt is more versatile.
