Yeah, if you’re hosting then you’re cooking or at least in charge of the food. I wouldn’t ask you friend. 

My gut is to say do not ask her! Maybe a good middle ground is ask her if you can text her during the day if you need help/something goes wrong. A have a few friends in the food industry, and the last thing they want to do when going over to a friends house is to be put to work. Especially since you don't know her that well right now!

I wouldn't. The last thing anyone wants to do on their day off, let alone at a party, is work. I think in terms of help, just rely on her for a quick question here and there and she can nudge you in the right cooking direction without doing it for you. 

That's what friends are for. I know it's annoying to ask someone to essentially do their job to help you (most chefs I know order takeout on their nights off, so confirmed they look at cooking as a job), but, at the same time, if they needed a favor that lined up with your career, would you be offended? I would bet not. 

Sometimes I actually enjoy when my friends ask me for my advice or help about something — makes me feel knowledgable! 

Tough one. I feel like it could be a bonding moment between you and New Friend Chef, too. Like, people wanna help! If a new friend I made asked me to come over and help her arrange flowers for a shower (I arrange flowers semi-professionally) then I would want to, even though it's my part-time job and I'm "off the clock," because it'd give me a chance to get closer to a new friend. Depends how desperate you are but I say ask! "Soooo I know you offered to help. How serious were you? LOL"

Yeah I wouldn't. I imagine being a chef who is invited over to dinner parties is like being a doctor at a hypochondriac convention. People always relying on you to be on — I'm sure she'll appreciate the night off! 

I think if she's there and offers to help, you can be like "oh man, I'd appreciate that!" but I wouldn't reach out to a new friend (who is a guest) to put in labor for your dinner party! Good news, salmon is easy to cook ! Just start prepping early in the day... You've got this. 

So I'm hosting a dinner party this Friday with a pretty new-ish group of friends I've made since moving to a new city. One of my friends I invited is a professional chef and I wonder if it's rude to ask her to come by a bit early to help. 

For full context, we were hanging out last weekend and I mentioned that I felt a little in over my head cooking for 8 people and although she did give me some recipe advice, I still feel like I can mess this up. She did offer to help, but it wasn't a firm, "yes, I'll be over an hour early to cook with you" and since we are still new friends, I don't want to impose. 

Is it rude to point blank ask her to join me in the kitchen? I don't want to make this weird, since this is what she does for work and after all, this is supposed to be fun! Ugh, now I have 4 pounds of salmon in my fridge and I'm nervous. 

I'm hosting a dinner party for the first time. Is it wrong to ask my chef friend to help me cook? 

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