by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: January 29, 2009

There are a great many different sets of circumstances in which we could find ourselves cooking to please others, but also, there are a number of extents to which it is possible, depending upon the nature of the event. It may be that we are considering cooking to please our families, our beloved on the occasion of a candlelit and romantic dinner for two, or it may be that we are hosting a formal dinner party for a fairly large group of people. In each instance, we have to go about the task in different ways in order to maximise our chances of success.

If we are looking at preparing a romantic meal for two, in the comfort of our own home, this is clearly the occasion where we stand the best chance of success on this issue. It is likely that we know the tastes of he or she whom we are cooking for and what they like or don't like. We therefore only have to bear this in mind while at the same time injecting a little of our personality in to the prepared dish or dishes, in order to show our significant other that we were thinking of them. This may be in the form of a novelty garnish or by serving the food in a manner or style which we know will appeal to them.

If we are cooking to please our family, particularly where said family involves young children, we have to be careful to strike the correct balance. It is very common for young children to have numerous "dislikes" when it comes to food, unfortunately most specifically when it comes to foodstuffs which are nutritionally beneficial to them. We must ensure that we do not give in too readily to their demands, not just from a disciplinary point of view, but to ensure that they are getting the essential vitamins and minerals their young bodies require in sufficient quantities. What we can do here is look at the ways in which we serve certain ingredients, or the ways in which we present them, in an attempt to get them to eat what we know is good for them. Use a food blender to serve broccoli as a "sauce," make their food in to a smiling face on their plate. It is important to educate in these circumstances, far more so than it is to please.

Cooking to please a large group of people is the most daunting of culinary experiences. It is often said that we can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time - but that we can never please all of the people all of the time. This is most definitely true when it comes to food preparation. We may have guests who are vegetarian, we may have guests who are on a special diet due to these increasingly popular, "food allergies," that have suddenly sprung in to existence. All we can do here is our very best to find out about any such issues in advance by making subtle enquiries. We can also ensure that our meal is prepared in a series of very distinct and separate dishes, that if one person chooses to pass on one of them, they may eliminate it from their plate. Hopefully in this way we can avoid outright catastrophe.

There is one final thing which we should remember, however, when considering cooking to please others. We should remember that we should also be cooking to please ourselves and that whomever we may be cooking for can be pleased by the love and attention they can see has gone in to said preparation.

Bon appetit!

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