I have to say that I'm ambivalent at best about this whole "dig a kitchen area" thing. The group I was with did that on our snow camping trip, and some folks on my 3-day snowshoe (same overall group) did one near their tent with the idea of a communal meal.

Now, I certainly enjoy the fellowship of other hikers, but apart from needless work it strikes me as a great way to get cold feet (literally). Sitting around eating with folks on the camping excursion, many/most had cold feet, jumping up and down and things to try to maintain feeling.

My normal process is to just crawl into my sleeping bag and cook just outside my shelter. Much warmer, and no extra work.

To be clear, I'm not putting folks down who do this; I would just prefer get my human interaction type done by talking while walking during the day and not gather for meals in a more exposed and sedentary way that invites a chilly experience.

Tough to be alone, however, while others are enjoying each others company. Maybe I need to get electrically heated footwear or something to adjust to this different style ...
Or just be the "loner" ! :-)