Subject: Re: SC - How do you know a dish was well liked or hated?

[Bethany Public Library]

Subject: Re: SC - How do you know a dish was well liked or hated?

I've been reading this thread for a bit, and it's interesting. Although I
have a pretty good reputation as a cook, I began to be a bit curious a few
years ago about EXACTLY how well liked some of the food is. I did a local
survey (not at a feast I was cooking for), and got some surprising answers.
I am seeing more and more that folks are surveying the diners (either at the
meal or some other time about meals in general), and here's why it's a good
idea:

1) They could easily go out (at least in my neighborhood) and eaither buy a
really decent steak to make at home, or get a fairly good meal, for the
price one pays for a feast. So, knowing if they like the food is a good step
towards making them want to spend money on YOUR feast rather than Mickey D's
on the way home.

2) Sometimes folks are in a prissy mood, and giving them something to do at
the table will keep them from convincing themselves they won't like
perfectly good food. If they get an opportunity to anonymously critique the
food they are sent as they eat it, they then feel that they count in the
menu decision-making process (hey, you can order wat you want at a
restaurant, but a feast diner must be prepared for anything). How else will
you know if they ate it becasue they were starving, or ate it becasue it was
superb?  I also offer menus on each table, and sometimes I offer a stack of
the recipes to each table, or else have them at the side, as an additional
delaying or busy-work and educational tactic. I had occaision to observe
another feast where folks used menus on the table as a game: "What's this?
Can we match the dish to it's name? How come it's called Hennes of Greece,
and it's a Pie?"

3)Actually asking folks, at some time, what their preferences are can be a
revelation.  Once, to my delight, the reigning royalty sent runners to me IN
THE MIDDLE OF COURT to let me know their timing. I had contacted them,
nicely, and let them know my timeschedule for that feast was pretty tricky.
I was so very delighted to find that they really did care, truly, about
helping me get good, hot food to the then starving populous as quickly as
possible. I was able to hold off the last minute sauces and delicate items.
It saved the feast.
A recent thread on another list revealed that the populous want three
things: 1)Timely food, the time preferred being a normal dinnertime of about
5 to 6:oo PM.(not theusual 7 to 8 PM that feast run around here). 2)Food at
the appropriate temperture, prepared safely. 3) Food that tasted and looked
good.  Historical accuracy came fourth, tieing with a desire that a meal
come from one single source or one particular timeframe, rather than be
culled from several different times or cultures. These points were repeated
over and over again.

4)My diners know that I usually make 2 extra of everything, one so that the
kitchen gets to eat, and one so that if a server drops a dish (I can see
several of you gasping at the thought, and running to re-plan), there are
still enough of everything to go around. Knowing this, the folk who really
liked something will usually come to the kitchen door and ask if there is
any more of such-and-such. Being too tired to eat the food we saved for
ourselves, we are usualluy happy to provide the gentleperson with another
portion (not the entire dish).  It saved my butt on more than one occaision,
I can tell you, espescially once when a King took a fabulous liking to Sir
Kenelm Digby's Savory Toasted Cheese (a/k/a Cheese Goo) made with a very
large portion of Brie, served on freshly baked bread rounds and toasted,
with an escarbuncle made from sliced Ham. He ate a portion equal to three
table's worth, and not much else, but he REALLY liked me as a cook after
that ;). So, to wind this up, I know they liked it if they come back for
seconds and I have none left for my dinner.

5) I give dishes the kid-and-hubby test. Sure, I serve things they don't
like (a pea puree with mint springs to mind, which I loved and they hated).
But at large feasts, I mostly serve things that have mass appeal. I always
throw in a couple of controversial dishes, just to keep 'em on their toes,
but if I get any really picky eaters, I want them to be well fed. They are
the ones, after all, who will complain the loudest afterwards if they
couldn't eat much at the feast.

6)If I can't acomodate special needs, I state that in the event
announcement. That cuts down on the "couldn't-eat-it" factor in a big way.

Cheers

Aoife