Do you ever get stage fright...

[alacarte]

I've baked for a crowd, and I'm actually nervous about how my cakes will be received. Deep down I know this is pretty silly.

Does anyone else get "stage fright" when you are cooking for a large group, or a small group of important guests?

I'd especially love to hear from professional chefs. Anyone still get "stage fright" before the dinner rush, like even experienced stage actors say they get the butterflies before every performance?

[WolfChef]

When i used to cook professionally(sp?) the only thing i was nervous about was having enough food, never the how it was received. Now that i cook for the love of cooking it's changed a bit. Like the large pot of borscht i made Sunday. Took me the better part of the day to make. It was a combination of Craig Claibornes recipe and one i found on foodtv's site. There are no borscht recipes on the egullet site, before anyone gets down on me... :) Invited some friends and some family over to enjoy it, most had never had borscht but were willing to try it. It was a huge hit, but it had alot of my attention throughout the day wondering who would like it and if some wouldn't. I often mix and match recipes, don't know why. I guess it's just the way i cook. Sorta like i'm improving on a existing recipe. Anybody else do this?

[Knicke]

Alacarte, I think I know what you're talking about. The level of anxiety increases proportional to how far 'out on a limb' the recipe may take me...and proportional to the formality of the occasion, I guess, though as a carefree early 20-something I'm not habitually throwing formal dinner parties...

It's only natural...you want it to be really, really good...

Last time I remember those 'butterflies' was Thanksgiving potluck this past fall. I made a creamed corn dish that I personally really liked, bacon and chilis and a few tomatos. I knew it tasted good to me, but it was not 'the same ol' safe creamed corn', and I was pretty anxious for everyone to like it, as I'd made a whole casserole-full and would be responsible for leftovers. Plus, who wants to be the lame-o who manages to screw up simple creamed corn?

Groundless fears. They ate up every bite.

[Marlene]

. There are no borscht recipes on the egullet site, before anyone gets down on me... :)

Feel free to add one or two

[itch22]

When I prepare dinner for large groups of people, or people other than my immediate family I get nervous. Especially if I have little or no experience with a certain recipe.

[JennyUptown]

Prepare foods for other people? Good lord, what are you all thinking?

Seriously, I have never cooked for more than two people at once thus far. And those two aren't picky - they were just happy to eat. But recently I've been taking a leap, trying hard and cooking for my boyfriend who is himself a great cook. Not everything has gone well, but it's getting much better with practice.

[Basildog]

Stage fright is a bit too strong a term for it, but i do get a tad nervous before each service.For me, its part of the fun.I do tend to worry that for example, that the 6 portions of sea bass will be enough.The more i worry about the bass, the less we sell, but i do it every time, getting a replacement organised etc etc, and then we never need it.Strange.

For me it's always a balance between confidence and nerves.I have 2 mantras that alternate in my head." CHECK THE PREP, TASTE THOSE SAUCES AGAIN,CHECK THE TABLES FOR SPEACIL REQUESTS,WHAT HAVE I FORGOTTEN?????? PANIC!!!! "

and the other one is " ITS ONLY 24 PEOPLE, RELAX, YOU HAVE DONE THIS A THOUSAND TIMES, WE ALWAYS GET THROUGH TO THE END,ITS NOT LIFE AND DEATH"

aslong as i have those 2 thoughts, then i will carry on doing what i do.If i loose one, i will retire and go get a proper job

[McDuff]

I haven't cooked in a restaurant for a while, but yeah, Saturday night could get me scared. I liked to have all the prep done, everything put in place, the counters wiped down, everything nice and neat with a couple of minutes to spare before we opened. My last restaurant job, two guys, with another guy making salads and handling apps, would pound out 180 dinners. I usually handled saute, which was by far the busier station, and the other guy handled the oven, the minimal broiler work, and worked the wheel, we called it. He was driving, he knew where we were going. We could work without talking, which was a good thing, because we hated each other. I would be hyper before service. The waitresses used to keep mini snickers in their freezer, knowing chocolate would tame the beast. And the nerves weren't because I was unsure of my skill, because when I could do it, I really did it well, but because if the two guys in the kitchen can't keep up, it slows everything down. I was always very conscious that there were actual people waiting for my food. (Big Sigh....) I was younger then...I eventually found working in that environment to be a drag after I had to start wearing glasses at the age of 38. They would get so greasy after 5 minutes I couldn't see. I eventually turned to baking fulltime because of it's contemplative reflective nature. I find there are very few people who have similar varied experience. I really don't understand why, if you are interested in food, you don't learn how to do everything.

[KarenS]

McDuff, boy can I relate to the glasses thing! I keep them on a shelf right above me while I am working. I need them to read recipes (and like to wear them when sectioning oranges etc..) I don't "wear' them because they get greasy- plus I am opening an closing the oven all day long. Contacts felt like they were going to melt to my eyes! I am a Pastry Chef now; in my younger line cook days I didn't need glasses like I do now!

[bloviatrix]

I get nervous whenever I entertain. Especially if I'm trying a new recipe or I know one of my guests is a really cook.

I will admit that I was really nervous on sunday at the potluck. I was afraid the sorbets would bomb.

[pjs]

When i used to cook professionally(sp?) the only thing i was nervous about was having enough food, never the how it was received. Now that i cook for the love of cooking it's changed a bit. Like the large pot of borscht i made Sunday. Took me the better part of the day to make. It was a combination of Craig Claibornes recipe and one i found on foodtv's site. There are no borscht recipes on the egullet site, before anyone gets down on me... :) Invited some friends and some family over to enjoy it, most had never had borscht but were willing to try it. It was a huge hit, but it had alot of my attention throughout the day wondering who would like it and if some wouldn't. I often mix and match recipes, don't know why. I guess it's just the way i cook. Sorta like i'm improving on a existing recipe. Anybody else do this?

Aga, where are you location-wise? Did you serve the borscht hot or cold? Mit sour cream? Inquiring minds want to know.

PJ

[cjs]

I think what someone else said a few posts back about the quantity thing is what always gets me stressing. We were doing a higher end lunch buffet for about 300-400 people this summer at work and I was extremely stressed about running out of food. Turned out we had plenty, but with the desserts we cut it pretty close.

[alacarte]

I have to tell you guys, just reading this thread is excellent therapy!

The story of the waitresses who keep Snicker bars in the freezer to "tame the beast" is just priceless. That's what I need to do.

I've heard of people who use cooking as therapy...but are there any therapists who specialize in treating cooks' anxiety? I think I smell a new field. If behavioral finance can be a burgeoning field, why not cooking psychology?

P.S. Bloviatrix, your sorbets rocked -- especially the mango sorbet!

[dano1]

The first few times in an open kitchen freaked me out-until the printer started spitting tickets ;). Then it's showtime and the distractions ceased to exist. When it's Fri or Sat night going into service and you don't feel that "something" in the pit of your stomach, that sence of urgency, you might be in the wrong business.

As far as how the product is recieved, I know its good. This may sound arrogant, but after fhe first hundred or so critiques from people who have never stepped foot on the line the tips, hints, advice, whatever you want to call it, are ignored unless there is some merit i can see. It's amazing how many servers want to tell me how to cook or don't like the baby arugula salad with aged sherry vinaigrette. "Why don't we serve spring mix with Rod's sweet/sticky rasberry vin?" Because i'm the F'g Chef :).

danny

[gsquared]

P.S. Bloviatrix, your sorbets rocked -- especially the mango sorbet!

So, B, was this a true sorbet or a mango ice? Details will be appreciated - we are fully into summer soft fruits over here and mangos abound.

[bloviatrix]

P.S. Bloviatrix, your sorbets rocked -- especially the mango sorbet!

So, B, was this a true sorbet or a mango ice? Details will be appreciated - we are fully into summer soft fruits over here and mangos abound.

It's a true sorbet - made of mango puree and a star anise infused sugar syrup. I'll enter the recipe in recipeGullet.