I do love cooking a meal for hosts when we are guests; with their full permission, of course. We usually stay with people who enjoy my cooking, and who trust me to look after their things. I always ask permission before poking through cupboards. We sometimes will prep together, or they will pour cocktails while I chop.
I also love having others in my kitchen! We had an informal group for regular “Monday night suppers”. We all work in hospitality, and Monday is usually our day off. Sometimes we did a one pot meal and salad. Other episodes we would do 5-8 small plates. Always delicious, always good company. Our apartment is open plan, with a prep island. There’s just enough space to walk past an open dishwasher. And I have a place for bins of dirty dishes on our patio.
I think the most epic meal was probably a tapas style, with croquetta, potates brava, many sorts of grilled vegetables, and chorizos. Many bottles of wine… cava, albariño, tempranillo, probably granacha. Ran the dishwasher 3 times for that. But such a good time!
I’m a personal chef, so am rather at ease in others’ kitchens.
Garnacha, Patatas Bravas, Croquetas …
I am sure these you had made some typing errors however, I had to correct your Spanish … And names of grape varieties are capitalised. Albariño, Tempranillo, Cava etcetra.
Sounds like fun … Tapas a truly amazing enjoyment either out or home.
Thanks
Creative solution. Making the most of what you have.
In the wintertime when we’ve had friends over, our windowed 1920s porch has done double duty as a walk-in beverage fridge. Drinks stay chilled. Keeps people out of our small kitchen.
Giant outdoor refrigerator 
I’ve had my first experience these last holidays . It was a big crowd over seven days , including Christmas. I allowed a couple “ wannabe chefs” into my kitchen with me and it was a nightmare for me . I m bad at multitasking OTHER than my carefully planned dinner and focus . With people asking where is this and that and wanting certain items for their food they want to cook, I break my routine and feel like a chicken with her head cut off . Add to this , the insult of constant, unsolicited advice , judgement ( ohhh YOU don’t own this and that ? Are you a cave person? NEVER AGAIN!!!
Welcome to HO! I can so relate to all you’ve said, especially the part about losing focus and becoming derailed, unfortunately. If I can get my task(s) done, and take a step back, it’s better. Kind of hard to do when hosting though…
This year I was cooking in MIL’S kitchen, and my son and DIL wanted to help, and she said they can watch this time and DO the next. I’m sure I was almost as annoying but she let me “help” anyway.
I think I might be able to tolerate the first part: where are the stuff, or try to deal with the problem of multitasking. But not the contemptuous and rude remarks.
Yes, agree with @Lambchop, hosting is hard.
Welcome to HO, @Deepinit , hope you find the site useful.
I have cooked in MIL’s kitchen, I always make sure I’m there just to execute, so far so good with her. Once MIL wasn’t home, I cooked lunch for the family, FIL protested that I have added black pepper in the tomato sauce that went with the pasta, he said that this wasn’t the correct Italian way.
Saregama, my husband is the same way. If it makes sense to him, there it goes, and that’s not concrete- he may change his mind all of a sudden. And not just the kitchen, either, although that’s where he does the most annoying. I pretty much quit cooking for several months when I started having to spend a half hour or more looking for all the parts to the food processor or a specific tool. Every single time.
Looks like I’m in the minority but I love guests in the kitchen.
We have one room in our home which we rent out to lodgers or tourists to make a little extra $$$… I’m always a little nervous about letting them cook in the kitchen after a previous guest destroyed our worktop by leaving a hot straight from the hob on it. I was FURIOUS!!! After reading this blog on kitchen worktops (and taking several large deep breaths) I decided to switch out our old surface for a granite one, which copes with wear and tear a bit better. I still dread letting people loose in my kitchen though!
I was wondering what a worktop is!
