Somehow, I get a very high ratio of those not so good ones that must be consumed before serving the rest
Those are for COMPANY!
Actually, I haven’t made a batch yet this year. I’m going to an afternoon party this Saturday and might not have enough time to get the prep stuff done plus the smoking for approx 2 hours. Hmmm…
Yes, of course, all the good, nice ones are for company! I’m just constantly surprised at my exacting standards
Damn! Screwed up that whole sheet!
Has anyone been faced with that decision? I can’t imagine it, really.
There are so many factors. I think it’s impossible to say. I’m sure it wouldn’t come down to that. Someone likes their steak well-done, or we have more than we need. If it was just me and my wife, we would probably split both. But it depends.
Sure, I’ve been through it a number of times where one of the stuffed tomatoes came out of the oven kind of sad looking, or omelets that didn’t fold over quite right, or even baked potatoes where one has an ugly looking burned out chunk to it. The guests get the best looking pieces.
A well known phrases among chefs is “First, we taste with the eyes”, the guests get the best looking portions even if there’s nothing wrong with the way it would taste.
If something is marginally nicer looking, and I was serving, I would give it to the guests, or whoever I was feeling deferential to at the time.
If I burned the garlic bread, then I take the burnt portions.
If I broke one fried egg, then I take it - I broke it, why should the wife or kids suffer?
(bolding mine)
Well, are the kids teenagers?
Exactly.
Everybody I know who cooks for friends, family, guests and others, serves themselves last - they take what is there. This includes me.
Dan