Practicing dishes -- is this normal?

[Anonymous]

If you have having a dinner party or a family gathering, and you want to make something new, do you try it out in advance?

I'm trying to figure out if this is anxiety or totally normal, or somewhere in between.

[Anonymous]

If I was uncertain about something why not? Family's gonna eat something why not your rehearsal.

[Anonymous]

Family and close friends usually serve as guinea pigs. For the rest I may do a practice run.

[Anonymous]

Always! I never make a new dish for company.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I never make a brand new dish for company.

[Anonymous]

Depends on how close the friends are

[Anonymous]

Nope. I'm a good cook and can follow a recipe. Chances are, if the recipe has yummy ingredients, the dish is going to be yummy.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s pretty common if you are talking about a normal meal. I think it’s a bit extreme to do a full practice thanksgiving meal ( but people do).

[Anonymous]

Depends on a few factors:
• how close the people are to me (I can use my mother as a Guinea pig, less so relatives visiting from out of town)
• how formal/important the occasion is (if it’s a random Saturday night dinner with a couple of friends, that’s one thing, if it’s Christmas Eve for 15 that’s different)
• how much I trust the recipe source (something from Ina Garten or Southern Living or the NYT I trust more than a random blogger recipe)
• how familiar I am with the technique/cooking style, if not the actual recipe (e.g. I’ve made ~20 fondues so I’m comfortable with fondue in general. I’ve never made ceviche so I’m not going to “wing it” for company.

[Anonymous]

Tonight was the second Seder. My mom passed away 25 yrs ago. I was reminiscing at dinner how the first time I had to make the Seder for my new MIL, I had my mom and her best friend over for a practice dry run.

[Anonymous]

The more confident cook you are, the less testing you need. New recipes can be nerve racking so if a practice run helps, go for it!

[Anonymous]

Totally normal to test out. My husband was horrified when I suggested for a new recipe for guests.

[Anonymous]

My MIL, who does have anxiety, used to do practice runs of holiday meals even if it was things she had made before. She's the only person I've known to do it.

My mom and I are more in line with the PP who can follow a recipe and trusts ingeedients.

[Anonymous]

I don’t because I am a pretty good cook and I don’t want to eat the same meal twice

[Anonymous]

Depends. If it's friends or family, I will absolutely try a new recipe if it looks good. I have a pretty good sense for what will be good, and I've rarely had a flop. If it was a more elaborate meal (meaning making lots of things/timing mattered a lot) or for people we didn't know as well where it was more important that it turn out well, I probably wouldn't make something for the first time. I don't generally do a test run, though, I just pick something that I've made before.