Group cooking offers so much food for thought

She asked for volunteers for appetizers, dinners and breakfasts. (Lunches were eaten out.) The problems began immediately.

There were too many volunteers for the dinners, and two of them were complete opposites: One was known for quick and easy comfort food, the other for making fabulous health-conscious meals from scratch.

Stoakley made the assignments in the order people responded, and so ended up dining on pre-packaged lasagna, Texas toast and romaine lettuce from a bag.

And the gourmet cook? She made Saturday's breakfast, cooking two egg casseroles, one with sausage and one with vegetables.

As it turned out, that plentiful meal not only gave people a choice, but the leftovers saved them on Sunday when that meal's chef realized she had only bagels, having forgotten the eggs and left the bacon unrefrigerated in her shopping bag all weekend.

Despite the gastronomic goofs, by taking it all in stride, "We really had a good weekend", Stoakley says. "It didn't ruin the friendships and we all made it through."

To help things go smoothly, consider these tips:

• Pick one person as the coordinator who can find out what staples the vacation rental provides, compile shopping lists, collect money or make dinner reservations. Consider rewarding the coordinator with a pass on cooking or cleaning.

• Plan how duties will be shared. Is a person responsible for an entire day's meals, a single meal, or just part of a meal? Decide who will clean up.

• Discuss allergies and dietary restrictions. A peanut allergy, for example, might also mean no peanut oil, which can be found in a variety of foods from pesto to chocolate. Depending on your crowd, chefs may be perfectly willing to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, paleos and others－or they may find it a great imposition. Either way, it's best to hash it out in advance.

• If you, or yours, are picky eaters, bring your own food and make sure others know it's not up for grabs.