hosting-feeding-groups

What this skill does

# Hosting & Feeding Groups

Feeding 4 people is cooking. Feeding 20 is logistics. The difference isn't just multiplying ingredients -- it's timing, equipment, food safety, and setup. Most people either panic and overspend, or wing it and run out of food at a party. Neither has to happen. This skill covers the practical mechanics of feeding 10-50 people well, safely, and cheaply. The core move: pick foods that are forgiving, scale reliably, and serve themselves.

```agent-adaptation
# Localization note
- Portion sizes vary by culture (US portions run large, ~8oz protein; many other
  countries serve 4-6oz portions with more sides)
- Common crowd-feeding foods differ: rice and curry (South/Southeast Asia),
  asado/BBQ (South America), tagine (North Africa), stews (West Africa),
  pierogi/dumplings (Eastern Europe), rice and beans (Caribbean/Latin America)
- Temperature units: Fahrenheit in US, Celsius elsewhere
  140F = 60C (hot holding), 40F = 4C (cold holding)
- Food safety regulations for community events vary by jurisdiction
- Swap unit measurements: cups/ounces/pounds vs. grams/kilograms/liters
- Dietary restriction prevalence varies (celiac awareness higher in Northern Europe,
  vegetarian baseline higher in India)
```

## Sources & Verification

- **USDA Food Safety for Large Events** -- food safety guidelines for serving groups, temperature requirements, and holding times. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety
- **ServSafe Food Handler Guidelines** -- industry-standard food safety training and protocols. https://www.servsafe.com
- **Feeding America Community Meal Guides** -- practical resources for community meal coordination. https://www.feedingamerica.org
- **Commercial kitchen scaling references** -- professional recipe scaling ratios and techniques
- **Anthropic, "Labor market impacts of AI"** -- March 2026 research showing this occupation/skill area has near-zero AI exposure. https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

## When to Use

- User is hosting a family reunion, block party, or community event and needs to feed a crowd
- Someone volunteers to cook for a group and doesn't know where to start
- User wants to do regular group meals (Sunday dinner, community kitchen, potluck coordination)
- Someone is feeding a crowd on a tight budget
- User is overwhelmed by the logistics of cooking for more than 8 people
- Potluck coordination help (what to assign, how to avoid 15 desserts and no main course)

## Instructions

### Step 1: Recipe Scaling Math

**Agent action**: Teach the user how recipe scaling actually works -- because it's not just multiplication.

```
RECIPE SCALING -- WHAT MULTIPLIES AND WHAT DOESN'T

THE BASIC RULE:
- Original recipe serves 6, you need to serve 24
- Multiplier = 24 / 6 = 4x

WHAT SCALES LINEARLY (multiply directly):
- Meat, beans, rice, pasta, vegetables
- Butter, oil, cream
- Canned goods (tomatoes, broth, coconut milk)
- Sugar in baked goods (mostly)

WHAT DOES NOT SCALE LINEARLY:
- SALT: Use 70-80% of the multiplied amount, then taste and adjust
  (Example: Recipe calls for 1 tsp salt, 4x = 4 tsp, use 3 tsp and taste)
- SPICES AND HERBS: Use 60-75% of the multiplied amount
  Spices get stronger in larger volumes -- start low, taste, adjust
- LIQUID IN SOUPS/STEWS: Use 80% of multiplied amount
  Less evaporation per volume in a bigger pot
- GARLIC: Use 75% of multiplied amount (gets sharper at scale)
- CHILI/HOT PEPPERS: Use 50-60% of multiplied amount
  Heat compounds unpredictably -- you can always add more
- BAKING POWDER/SODA: For batches over 3x, reduce to 70% and
  test one batch first. Chemistry changes at scale.
- THICKENERS (flour, cornstarch): Use 80% of multiplied amount

THE GOLDEN RULE: You can always add more. You can't take it out.
Season incrementally at scale.
```

### Step 2: Plan the Menu

**Agent action**: Help the user choose dishes that work for crowds. The criteria: holds well, serves itself, scales reliably, and is affordable.

```
MENU PLANNING FOR CROWDS

THE BEST CROWD FOODS SHARE THESE TRAITS:
- One-pot or sheet-pan (minimal timing coordination)
- Good at room temperature or held warm for 1-2 hours
- Self-serve friendly (people can plate themselves)
- Cheap per serving
- Forgiving (won't ruin if overcooked by 15 minutes)

WORST CROWD FOODS:
- Anything that must be served immediately (souffle, eggs, fried food)
- Anything requiring individual plating
- Anything with a narrow doneness window (steaks, fish fillets)
- Anything with expensive per-serving costs ($$$)

MENU STRUCTURE FOR 20 PEOPLE:
1. ONE main protein dish (chili, pulled pork, chicken thighs)
2. ONE starch (rice, pasta, bread, tortillas, potatoes)
3. ONE vegetable side (roasted vegetables, coleslaw, green salad)
4. ONE "extra" (bread/rolls, chips and salsa, fruit)
5. ONE dessert (optional but appreciated -- brownies, cookies)

PORTION PLANNING:
- Protein: 6-8 oz per adult (1/3 to 1/2 pound raw)
- Starch: 1 cup cooked per person
- Vegetable/salad: 1/2 cup to 1 cup per person
- Total food: Plan for 1 to 1.25 pounds of food per adult
- Always make 15-20% more than headcount (seconds, surprises, leftovers)
- If alcohol is served, people eat 10-15% less food
- If it's a potluck, plan as if 1/3 of promised dishes won't show up
```

### Step 3: Budget Crowd Meals

**Agent action**: Show the user specific cost breakdowns for feeding groups at different budget levels.

```
COST PER HEAD ANALYSIS (US prices, 2026 approximate)

$3/HEAD -- THE BARE BONES:
- Rice and beans with salsa and tortillas
- Pasta with red sauce, garlic bread
- Soup and bread (potato soup, minestrone, chili)
- Bulk oatmeal bar with toppings (for breakfast events)

$5/HEAD -- THE SWEET SPOT:
- Taco bar (ground beef or chicken, shells, toppings)
- Chili bar (chili, rice, cheese, sour cream, cornbread)
- Pasta bar (2 sauces, garlic bread, salad)
- Sheet-pan chicken thighs, rice, roasted vegetables

$8/HEAD -- IMPRESSIVE ON A BUDGET:
- Pulled pork (buy pork shoulder on sale ~$2/lb), coleslaw, rolls
- Baked potato bar with chili, broccoli, cheese, sour cream
- Chicken and rice with 2 sides and rolls
- Enchilada assembly (can prep day before)

$12-15/HEAD -- NICE EVENT:
- BBQ spread (2 meats, 3 sides, rolls, dessert)
- Italian spread (lasagna, salad, garlic bread, dessert)
- Fajita bar with guacamole and all the fixings

WHERE TO SAVE:
- Buy protein in bulk or on sale and freeze (pork shoulder, chicken
  thighs, ground beef/turkey)
- Costco/Sam's Club for cheese, tortillas, bread, condiments
- Restaurant supply stores (open to public) for disposable
  serving ware -- much cheaper than grocery store party supplies
- Generic/store brand for anything going into a big pot
- Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) are always cheap
```

### Step 4: Timing Multiple Dishes

**Agent action**: Help the user create a reverse timeline so everything is ready at the same time.

```
REVERSE TIMELINE METHOD

TARGET SERVING TIME: ___:___ (fill in)
Work backwards from there.

EXAMPLE: Taco bar for 20, serving at 6:00 PM

5:45  Set out toppings (cheese, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, etc.)
5:40  Warm tortillas (oven at 300F, wrapped in foil, 10 min)
5:30  Final taste/season check on meat
5:00  Rice into rice cooker (or finish stovetop rice)
4:30  Start browning ground beef (season at 4:45)
4:00  Prep all toppings (chop lettuce, dice tomatoes, open cans,
      grate cheese, slice limes)
3:00  Go to store for anything missing
DAY BEFORE: Make salsa. Grate cheese. Prep any slow-cook items.

GENERAL TIMING RULES:
- Anything that can be prepped the day before, should be
- Starches (rice, pasta) take 20-45 min, start 1 hour before serving
- Proteins take 30 min to 6 hours depending on method
- Slow cooker proteins: start 6-8 hours before serving
- Oven proteins: start 1.5-3 hours before serving
- Stovetop proteins: start 45-90 minutes before serving
- Toppings/sides: prep 2 hours before, set out 15 min before
- ALWAYS add 30-minute buffer. Something will take longer than plan