I always cook for myself alone which means I’m used to cooking just one portion, or 2 portions which I end up eating in one sitting anyway. I usually improvise my meals and my brain just seems hardwired to measure quantities for a single portion meal. Does anyone have any tips for scailing your cooking up to cook for groups?
I’m gonna add another vote to look into some cookbooks. One that comes to mind is called Company by Amy Thielan. It’s specifically about cooking for large groups. Most of the recipes are for large groups though (8-12), so you may end up needing to half the recipes, but the best thing about the book is the prose. She writes a lot about strategies and the planning that goes into cooking for a group. Lots of insights into the ingredients to keep on hand, the equipment to use, and recipes that can be made ahead or are best at room temp to make the whole process less stressful. Getting three hot dishes out at the same time is tough on 4 burners. But a meal with a room temp veggie side, and a cold appetizer, means the attention can be given to the main event. I’m sure there are other books addressing all this, but Amy’s just released and I’ve been cooking from it and loving the shit out of it. I highly recommend it. If you’re hesitant to purchase, maybe check a library to see if they have a copy?