What's the Best Way to Help a Host Choose Three Recipes?

[twopamperedchefs]

I have been communicating with a host via email because she's been out of state for 2 weeks. I emailed her menus we could do at an upcoming show....one menu was for a skinny dipping show where we do 3 dips, the other menu was a Halloween theme (Tomato Basil Scares and Great Pumpkin Trifle or Great Pumpkin Microwave Cake). The host wanted the skinny dipping menu originally, but I emailed her yesterday to tell her I had new options for her as well - the spinach carbonara pizza (which I had just tried) or the 30 minute chicken show (I just got my DCB). I guess I should have been clearer that I meant the spinach pizza to be a sub for the basil square because now the host wants 3 things...2 dips AND the spinach pizza! That's an awful lot! The dips are easy...it's the cool choc. fondue from All the Best, and a bean dip made in stoneware. Still, I don't want to make 3 things! Should I suggest she makes the fondue before I get there? Any other suggestions on how to coach her down to 2 recipes...like maybe just the pizza and the choc. dip. I can't imagine bean/salsa dip is going to mix well with spinach pizza and chocolate anyway! :yuck:

 

[PamperedDor]

Just email her back and tell her that she might have misunderstood - she has option 1 OR option 2 OR option 3 - not all three. Joke that no one likes a 4 hour show!!

 

[laurichef]

Ok, you gave this host wayyyy too many choices, so of course she wants it all.
Send her the recipe for the bean dip, and have her make it ahead of time. If she does not have the stoneware, oh well. She'll find a way to improvise, or decide it is not worth it.
You could do the chocolate dip while the pizza is in the oven, but I am not familiar w/ the recipe, so I do not know how involved it is. Are you doing interactive? Can the choc dip be made by a guest while you talk up other items? I do this w/ the choc lava cake -- have a guest mix the cake as I talk about the cookware or silicone stuff.

 

[laurichef]

Or you could do what Dor said :thumbup:.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

remember what you do at her show her friends will expect at their shows

 

[cmdtrgd]

You might want to try offering ONE recipe a month that is based on the month's special that you want to book. For example, my recipe last month was the Creamy One Pot Pasta because I wanted more September bookings AND I used the Dots Large Bowl to serve it in for October bookings. This month I'm doing Chicken Power Cooking using the stoneware so I get November bookings. November is the 30 minute chicken (not a recipe IMHO, but I wanted to continue to show off the DCB) and a trifle to get December bookings.

 

[wadesgirl]

Let her know if she wants all three, you can give her the recipes for two of them and then you'll make one for her show.

 

[stefani2]

If it was me - I would email/phone her back to say ' sorry to confuse you. I only do 1 demo at a Show. So lets do the XXX (one of her choices). If you STILL want the XXX (other choices), then I can send you the recipe and feel free to make it ahead of time!

 

[twopamperedchefs]

I'm going to call her tonight and try the joking line about the 4 hour show. Thanks for all the tips!

 

[pjpamchef]

This is what I say to Hosts: " I know people like me, but most don't want to spend the entire evening with me, so my rule of thumb is 1 recipe for 10 people, if you have more than that, we'll add in something quick and easy" Two birds with one stone, she tries to get more people, I let her know what is 'normal'.

 

[chefann]

Ooh- I like that wording.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I have been communicating with a host via email because she's been out of state for 2 weeks. I emailed her menus we could do at an upcoming show....one menu was for a skinny dipping show where we do 3 dips, the other menu was a Halloween theme (Tomato Basil Scares and Great Pumpkin Trifle or Great Pumpkin Microwave Cake). The host wanted the skinny dipping menu originally, but I emailed her yesterday to tell her I had new options for her as well - the spinach carbonara pizza (which I had just tried) or the 30 minute chicken show (I just got my DCB). I guess I should have been clearer that I meant the spinach pizza to be a sub for the basil square because now the host wants 3 things...2 dips AND the spinach pizza! That's an awful lot! The dips are easy...it's the cool choc. fondue from All the Best, and a bean dip made in stoneware. Still, I don't want to make 3 things! Should I suggest she makes the fondue before I get there? Any other suggestions on how to coach her down to 2 recipes...like maybe just the pizza and the choc. dip. I can't imagine bean/salsa dip is going to mix well with spinach pizza and chocolate anyway! :yuck:

Like another cheffer said.. way too many choices. I have found that my life is so much easier when I pick the recipe of the month and go with that.

I would suggest coaching her that three recipes would make too long a demo and her guests would loose interest.