"When company is over, do you like help in the kitchen or..." Topic

do you prefer to cook by yourself? Someone will always say, "What can I do to help?" and actually mean it. When I cook _I_ want to cook. "No thanks. I've got it." How about you?

Typically, stay out of my kitchen. The exception is made when someone is making their signature dish.

I generally get kicked out of the kitchen for being a nuisance and grabbing all the finger foods.

For me, this falls squarly under the strategy--Never be good at what you don't want to do.

Depends, are they Dinner or overnight guests? Overnight, sure, cook away. Dinner, not so much as I usually have a "vision"

I usually handle the cooking myself, but if I have something like a salad that they can get out of the fridge, or cheese that needs grating, I'll let the guest put it on the table with serving utensils, or something like that. Sometimes they bring a side dish that needs heated or put into a serving bowl, and I point them toward the appropriate tools to get it plated up.

It's not that I don't want or need help, but my kitchen is pretty small and there's really no work space for a 2nd person to be doing anything.

Due to health considerations, Mrs Gungnir does the cooking, not me, except for rare exceptions. One dear friend sometimes helps out, but that's it.

Company should stay out of my kitchen – before and after the feast.

If it is for an evening meal, keep out of the kitchen, in particular please don't come into the kitchen and cover every flat surface with crap.

It is usually easy enough to arrange things so people get directed to the living room instead.

Help clearing things away at the end is appreciated though.

Depends who it is. My closest friends don't get underfoot and will do exactly what they're asked to do, no more. Everyone else is politely kept out. However many times they say, "Are you sure?" (A question which can drive me into a killing rage …)

I'm glad I'm not alone. What can you do to help? Stay the hell out of my kitchen.

If I am cooking everyone else had better clear out. I will put you to work but you may not like the assignments.

mjc

I hate to have help in the Kitchen…

Maybe one person to chop vegetables or something and chit chat, but they really need to stay out of my way for the actual cooking.

If someone wants to sit, chat and share coffee/wine,
fine.

But NO food prep ! That's MY job !

My preference is to have them out of the darned way. But I will sometimes grit my teeth (oh, sorry, smile) and let them chat to me over the bar while I'm working.

You really want to help? Distract the cats while I cook, please.

I let them cook. I will make the drinks.

Maybe one person to chop vegetables or something

That's most of the fun!

I have a very succinct sense of timing for makin all of the food come out at the right time.
any interruptions to the flow screws that up.
Poor me a wine, grab me a beer, talk to me, but don't touch my food.

Strangely, I cook most of them time. When Holidays come up my wife does the cooking. We help each other as needed. She has one of her sisters help sometimes too.

Thanks,

John

Depends who it is. My closest friends don't get underfoot and will do exactly what they're asked to do, no more. Everyone else is politely kept out.

Yeap, same here. They instinctlively know how not to get underfoot.

That said, the worst culprit was my wife. She likes a tidy clean house and used to think if the kitchen is clean and tidy it helps. I know she meant well, but I'd turn around to pick up something I'd laid down to find it gone. We worked it out but for a while it was close !!!

Steve P

I prefer washing dishes to cooking,unless its something I'm making for myself. My family is not very adventurous when it comes to food.