They say familiarity breeds contempt, but not when it comes to food (unless you’re talking about kale smoothies; I am so done with them). But in the catering world, some of our best menus are put together with people we know really well. The reason? We don’t over-think them. Think about how you feel when close friends or family come over – it’s not a slog, because you’re happy to do snags on the barbie or that lamb dish you make all the time for the kids. Simple, easy, done!

But what about cooking for people you’ve just met – like a family you’ve become friends with through school or work, or your new couple friends? It can feel make-or-break – like that first date feeling – I mean, you’ve got to make a good impression, right? You can’t have Brendan’s mum telling all the parents that you’re just average in the kitchen… Plus, with the added pressure of all these cooking shows proving that anyone can cook like Curtis Stone, you need to up the game. So – as we have all done at one time or another – you spend five days stressing out about what to do, sourcing the ingredients and planning the meal, then hours in the kitchen sweating over the perfect lamb kleftiko accompanied by a flawless seafood kalamarakia gemista, harking of Greece and the sounds of the Aegean Sea only to be told, “I don’t eat lamb” or “I hate seafood…”.

Mic drop.

So forget going over the top. The best rule of thumb on these occasions is to cook for Grandma. I’m not suggesting something to eat through a straw because chewing plays havoc with her dentures; I’m suggesting family food. A rack of lamb with fresh rosemary and crushed garlic. An awesome roast chicken with kick-arse stuffing. And for dessert – triple cream cheese, black wax cheddar and crackers. Throw in a few blocks of chocolate, and you’re done!

This kind of family fare is food for the soul – it’s simple, easy and tastes great. It’s comforting, familiar, it brings back memories and makes everything relaxed. No matter how common or uninspiring you think it might be, this kind of food is always a winner. Because having new friends or family for dinner is about making a connection – and there’s no better way to do that than through food and casual drinks. Pulling your hair out over the stove and burning your arm on a hot oven doesn’t really create the atmosphere that inspires a second ‘date’…

So stop watching Heston on YouTube and channeling Peter Gilmore for the perfect snow egg. Go to your supermarket or grocer, get some good local produce and make a dish Grandma would be happy with. Even Brendan’s mum can’t argue with that!