SC - Per head budgets

[Decker, Margaret]

This is real wonder to me. Here fish is relatively inexpensive and easy to 
get. But every attempt at serving it has been nixed by the populace (We once

did whole salmon for each table). It is depressing to see the same old 
chicken and roast beef on the menu everytime, but that's what they eat.

Sometimes they are willing to try a small piece of venison, or pork, but
it's 
always beef and chicken that they will clean up.

Some of us like to vary the menu (I prefer game meats and birds-was raised
on 
woodcock, deer, and fresh caught fish), and it's frustrating to see the lack

of "daring" to try something new (or old). If you stray too far away from
the 
"blessed likes", you are accused of not giving them their monies worth. Or 
worse, your reputation as a cook suffers, even if you provide tasty 
alternatives. Any input ?

Even before Bear and I met (about twenty years ago) he and I had developed
(independently) a method that works fairly often. You invite the local folks
to dinner a few at a time letting them know your trying recipes that you are
considering for a feast. They feel obligated to taste as that was why they
were invited. Since the recipe has already been tried once on family it is
usually pretty tasty at this point although we have gotten good suggestions
from the testers at times. By the way, the list of folks that want to be
tasters just keeps getting longer. I've lost count of the number of people
who say "I don't like X but the way you've fixed it - it was good".
You won't convince everybody but you would be surprised how the word of such
wonders spreads especially when it was the local Baron or Duke who said it,
and its nice to be able to say that her Majesty requested it.
Margarite