Director Brainstorming Help Needed for Tomorrow Night's Show

[dannyzmom]

I have a show tomorrow night for the owner of one of those "Mr Foods" type of places. Those are the places where you go in and go down an assembly line of pre-prepped foods and put together your meals for the week.

Anyway - she wants to do Mr Foods recipes using PC tools. She gave me the recipes (which are hardly recipes at all) and the menu for this & next month so I will know what tools to bring/show...I need some brainstorming help if you wonderful cheffers wouldn't mind assisting:

Here's her email:
Hi Carolyn


I plan for us to demo cooking one or two of the attached recipes. One would need a sauté pan and the other a grill pan (I do have one at home if you need me to bring in?). Do you have a cooking element that you use? I have one.


If you have a salad recipe that you would like to demo, that would be good, we do not have one on the current menu. If so, let me know what ingredients you need me to get.


For the desserts I already have the Three tiered Stand to display on and the appetizer plates and caddy set.


Feel free to bring anything you like to demonstrate. As I mentioned we have a Pot roast coming up in October so the stoneware baker would be great to show as something to cook that in. A lot of the prep work for our recipes is done in the store, so if I were you, I would focus on showing cookware, micro cookers, nylon cooking tools and entertaining display items to compliment our recipes.


It might be helpful if you take a look at our menus so that you are familiar and it may spark some ideas for you:
Sept:
MEATLOAF WITH TWICE BAKED POTATOES
This meal is sure to bring the kids back to the dinner table! Lean, ground beef is seasoned just right, then covered with a touch of sweet, mild chili sauce. Serve with our potato skins stuffed with mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, and fresh green onions. You'll want to stock up on this family pleasing meal. It's perfect for any occasion.

SALMON AND CRAB PINWHEELS
Flaky Atlantic salmon is stuffed with a King Crab and topped with a lemon and garlic infused white sauce. This is an elegant meal that can be served to family, or as a great entertaining meal you can cook up in minutes.

CIDER BRAISED PORK CHOPS
Lean boneless pork chops are jazzed up with apple juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and tart granny smith apples, then gently flavored with allspice and herbs. Simply sear the chops on the stove top, add the sauce and simmer.


SOUTHWEST STEAK
These lean steaks are seasoned with our unique southwest rub, blending the deep flavors of cumin and chili powder for full bodied flavor, then brightening it with the freshness of cilantro. These are easily grilled or oven broiled and when combined with one of our Chef Touched sides you have a restaurant quality meal prepared in minutes!

SEAFOOD CIOPPINO
Always a favorite and a San Francisco classic, our cioppino is full of shrimp, scallops, tender white fish and sea bass all simmered to perfection in a flavorful broth of garlic, tomatoes and herbs. This is a healthy, hearty stew that is a great way to end your day.

CHICKEN SAUTE
Just one bite of this colorful chicken and you’ll think you’re in the Mediterranean eating in a local bistro! Tender, juicy chicken breasts are seasoned, pan-fried, and topped with a savory sauce of tomatoes, capers, kalamata olives and rosemary with a touch of Dijon mustard whisked in for creaminess. All this served over pasta and topped with Feta cheese crumbles.

GARLIC BALSAMIC MARINATED STEAK
Full of flavor and ready to grill or oven broil. Lean and juicy sirloin steaks are marinated in a sweet yet tart mixture of balsamic vinegar, thyme, garlic and molasses to give these steaks their fabulous flavor.

CRISPY FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
This crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside chicken was such a hit we’re bringing it back. You may want to stock up this time; we won’t have it on the menu again this year!

CARIBBEAN PORK ROAST WITH TROPICAL PINEAPPLE SAUCE
You marinate this roast at the time of preparation so it’s ready to cook to succulent perfection. Serve drizzled with our tropical pineapple sauce and you’re sure to please whether serving family or guests for dinner.

October:

POT ROAST WITH MASHED POTATOES
Perfect for an autumn dinner, this tender cut of beef sirloin is braised in a rich, satisfying beef gravy. Serve with our fluffy mashed potatoes (provided) for a traditional meal you’ll be proud to serve any night of the week! This is a great dinner for the crock pot as well.

MAPLE GLAZED PORK ROAST
Our lean pork loin is roasted and glazed with a delicate blend of maple-flavored syrup, herbs, Dijon mustard and a touch of cider vinegar creating a sweet, yet savory, roast. Cooked until tender and succulent, the aromas of this meal call the family to dinner!

Below are the "recipes" they provide the customers with so these are the steps the customers will follow at home (thus the need for the grill pan and 12" skillet)

Southwest Steak
1. Thoroughly combine herb ingredients in bag; cover all sides of steaks with rub.
2. Grill on med-high or broil for 3-5 min. per side (internal temp.145°F).

Cider Braised Pork Chops
1. Spray large skillet with pan spray. Over med. high heat., brown chops 3-4 min. per side.
2. Add sauce mixture to pan & bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered 12-15 min. (internal temp. 145°F).


So - what I need from my cheffers is a list of tools I should bring with me...help!??!?!

 

[kcjodih]

I would still bring what I normally bring to my shows. Maybe some of the guests will see that the prep work can easily be done at home too. As well as stoneware, cookware and serving pieces.

 

[finley1991]

I agree... I would bring your normal kit, plus your 12" Skillet (exec and stainless) and DCB. If you have those, tongs and our slotted turners, you can be a success with their recipes. Maybe play off that angle?

 

[dannyzmom]

But my "normal kit" usually consists of whatever is needed to make that show's recipe and a few other key items.
There's no "recipe" tomorrow night.
What would you consider a normal kit?

 

[pamperedbecky]

Maybe bring one stone (the DCB if it's not too much of a pain), the 12" skillet, a forged cutlery piece or 2, a SA piece or two and maybe some of the new, smaller products?? I guess cookbooks are kind of a toss up since they provide the recipes, right? I wonder if she'd be expecting people who tend to like to entertain? In that case, some things that are nice for entertaining like SA and the beaded serving pieces? I only bring things that I need for the recipe too and then one of each: cookware, stoneware, SA and knives. And maybe you can bring just a bunch of tools in the tool turnabout? Good luck!

A pot roast in the DCB would be a nice demo, but make sure it's not frozen! I know some of those places have recipes that go straight from the freezer to the oven and others you have to thaw in the fridge. We used to have lots of "Dinner by Design" places out here that was the same concept, but they've been dropping like flies.

 

[finley1991]

But my "normal kit" usually consists of whatever is needed to make that show's recipe and a few other key items.
There's no "recipe" tomorrow night.
What would you consider a normal kit?

I was thinking along the lines of your TTA filled with as much as possible, a stone, mandoline, etc....

I normally do that same thing... only take what I am demoing so I totally understand your question. I just know that some have a standard kit. HTH!

 

[cmdtrgd]

You could do a garnish demo and show our hand tools...or the potato and lime demo...go back to the old add on things.

 

[cheftiffany]

Take her up on doing a salad recipe. Pick the mandarine pasta salad from 4 years ago. It will show the tools you want if she has a microwave it's a 30 minute chicken recipe. I may be reading this wrong but it sounds like shes hoping you are going to do 4 recipes-salad, 2 main dishes that are hers and a dessert. I read your other post about how she invited like 1300 people but still how long does she plan on you being there? Maybe while you are demoing the salad recipe she can be on the side preparing her main dish recipes. That way maybe you will both be happy--you get to demo and she gets to show off her recipes.
Good luck I can't wait to hear how many people actually show up.

 

[dannyzmom]

From what I am understanding she wants to lead the ladies to do THEIR recipe using PC tools. Most of the foods are already prepped so no gadgets are needed to demo. She wants me to have a lot of entertaining pieces. I told her I wanted to show the DCB so she said I could tie it into the roast they are offering next month.
I don't see how there will be time for me to do any sort of salad demo as any demo would take at least 30-45 minutes and she will already be taking up so much of their time. So I am bringing the new Cookie Press with some sugar cookie dough and a flat stone as well as the following tools:12" skillet (for her recipe)
grill pan & press (for her recipe)
a full dots place setting (placemat, napkin, dinner plate, salad bowl, stemware, martini glass & mug( that I will set up for display
Bamboo snack tray & bowls filled w/our 4 sauces
garlic peeler, slicer & press and a head of garlic
Cookie press with dough
Med collapsible bowl
Bamboo Med bowl
DBC
8" SS Skillet so they can see the quality of our SS
Small metal baking pan
RUFTH Trivet
Chef's Tongs
Saute Tongs
Beaded Sppon, Fork, Spreader
FC
Salad Chopper
Citrus Press
Micro Cooker
and a buncha other things I can't think of...

 

[finley1991]

I think your list looks great! Good luck!!!!!

 

[finley1991]

So how did it go???????

 

[dannyzmom]

Oops sorry I forgot to update.
There were torrential thunderstorms all night so only about 10 people showed up. Sales are at $650 and there are two TENTATIVE bookings - "Call me next week and we'll see" types. We had fun...she posted some pics on her FB page for her business. And she's talking about doing it again next fall. So I am happy

 

[finley1991]

Thanks for the update!

 

[dannyzmom]

Thanks for asking, Colleen