That would be stretching it, I think. If you read the context of the sentence "because I couldn't find the food I liked" you'll find it's not about desperation

That would be stretching it, I think. If you read the context of the sentence "because I couldn't find the food I liked" you'll find it's not about desperation but about fame. The hunger artist says he has finally learned that he should not receive admiration for what he does as his artistry is simply a consequence of his never having run into food he wanted to eat. His fasting is not a skill but a circumstance. This interpretation is consistent with the rest of the story, which mostly talks about fame (well, and the artist's loneliness amidst all the admiration, of course). Nowhere in this story does Kafka mention "quiet desperation" or "ratcheting down [....] expectations." An interpretation that tries to read that into this story is therefore, I think, invalid, as there is nothing in the text to support it.