The cook’s favorite part may be hearing the room grow quieter after serving.

Some feedback does not come in words. A table that goes briefly silent after the plates land is saying more than any compliment could, and anybody who has cooked for people knows to listen for it. The reward is not praise; it is the evidence that the thing worked, delivered in a form nobody intended to give. Most crafts have an equivalent signal that only the maker knows to look for.

Work out what your own version is: the pause, the repeat visit, the question asked two days later. Notice it deliberately this week rather than waiting for someone to tell you outright.