The Satisfaction Equillibrium

Home Made French Fruit Tart 2008

The idea of making desserts sounds both fiscally and academically straining. Many recipes are - especially those involving cheese or fruit, such as cheese cake or fruit tarts or tiramisu. Still, homemade desserts are a clearly superior to processed ones when we compare them using what I call the satisfaction equillibrium.

The satisfaction one can attain from a dish can be calculated by a simple formula:

Satisfaction = Taste ÷ Price²

The formula is derived from the well known formula:

Satisfaction = Reality ÷ Expectations

Notice: As expectations rise, satisfaction lowers. The better the reality, the higher the satisfaction. Now, from a college-food context, we can assume that the criterea for reality is mostly taste, allowing for substitution:

Satisfaction = Taste ÷ Expectations

Recall from experience that both the time and the money spent on a dish is a good judgement of what to expect. Also recall that 'Time is Money':

Satisfaction = Taste ÷ (Time*Money)

Time = Money

Satisfaction = Taste ÷ Money² = Taste ÷ Price²

 

This law can be generalized to all food. Now, application of this equation has some interesting implications. Notice, for example, that as we take the limit of Price to zero, Satisfaction grows to infinite. Indeed, no one ever complains about free food. Also, notice that taste has to be four times as good to account in only a 2 times increase in price.

Even as a beginner cook, I have to insist that half the fun of eating is sharing food I've personally made. Perhaps theorists should concentrate on adding a "bragging rights" weight to the equation.