My First Show in a Few Days and Need Some Advice

[maddy123]

hi everyone
my first show is Wednesday and I am making the Ameretto Puff Pastry.
I did a prerun at home with the recipe and when I opened the pastry it is in a block , not something I can just unfold like they do on the demo.
I ended up rolling it out but was much more difficult to get it all even and the right size.
Anyone else experienced this?
I am already so nervous and just want it to all go smoothly.

 

[Chef Gilles]

Welcome to Pampered Chef!

Sounds like you never have worked with pastry dough before. I would recommend you stay away from it for your first show. It can be tricky to work with. If I can suggest a recipe that demos a lot of the products and everyone loves and it is easy to do, it'e the Fiesta Nacho Pizza. Good luck!

 

[maddy123]

you are right, no idea what I am doing with it, it looked so very easy on the demo and was suggested for new consultants. unfortunately the host has told people what we are making.
Is the nacho pizza recipe on consultants corner?

 

[Chef Gilles]

you are right, no idea what I am doing with it, it looked so very easy on the demo and was suggested for new consultants. unfortunately the host has told people what we are making.
Is the nacho pizza recipe on consultants corner?

Yes it is in the recipe section......Not sure what year but look in Season's Best!

If you want to practice working with the pastry dough a few times you might get the hang of it but even when experienced with it it sometimes causes problems. Has to be kept moist.

 

[maddy123]

I havent been able to find it in any of the recipes.
I am really worried about how to deal with this.
I believed I had picked a real easy recipe to start, lol, they didnt mention it was difficult to use puff pastry.

 

[Veevahchef]

hey Maddy!! Your director here!! LOL

Go with the other recipe.... I can't even do that puffed pastry one... mind you, haven't tryed that hard...lol

 

[maddy123]

so good to see you kari
why on earth is it suggested for new members?
I do not have much time to try and figure out a new one
I still cant find the fiesta nacho pizza
any other ideas for a great recipe with kit materials or an idea where to find the fiesta recipe?
I feel terrible, people are expecting the pastrys.
Maybe even a crash course on using pastry.
I just had 2 eye surgerys and have to leave town tomorrow to see the surgeon and will probably be in pain tomorrow and tuesday, then the party is Wednesday so not much time to try something new.
Please help if possible
Thanks a bunch

 

[maddy123]

ok, I have been researching, pepperidge farms has the kind used in the demo but apparantley we dont have those in Canada so we have to roll out the blocks we get with the tenderflake puffed pastry.
I will roll it out before any guests arrive so I have a chance to survive this.
I was already nervous enough. lol it takes my mind off the rest of the party for now anyways.

 

[MLinAZ]

What about the Aloha Pizza? It's easy and you should have most of the tools it calls for in your kit - anything you don't you can easily substitute with other tools.

I found a Mexican Fiesta Salad Pizza on Consultant's Corner but I don't know if that's the one the Chef Gilles was referring to.

As far as the pastry, I'm assuming since this is your first show that you know the host pretty well. I would just tell her you wanted to test out the recipe and you didn't realize pastry dough was difficult to work with and in order to have a successful show you'd rather work with a recipe you are comfortable with, especially since everything else abou the show will be new to you too! And then at the show I'd sort of make a joke about it with the guests - tell them you know they came expecting pastry but gosh darn it that stuff is TOUGH to use and we're in a business of pampering chefs and making life in the kitchen easier not more difficult. So, today we're going to make a recipe that I KNOW all of you can do!

 

[doughmama]

why not make the focaccia?FANTASTIC FOCACCIA Ingredients:
1 package (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust or dough purchased from pizzeria
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2/3 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix or dried oregano leaves
2 firm plum tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine, sliced Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pizza crust onto Large Bar Pan using Baker's Roller®. Press garlic over crust using Garlic Press; spread evenly using Chefs silicone basting brush. 2. Thinly slice tomatoes with the Ultimate Mandoline fitted with the V shaped blade; arrange in single layer over dough. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Grate the Romano cheese over top using the Rotary cheese grater or the Microplane adjustable grater. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning mix or oregano. 3. Bake 25-28 minutes (on BOTTOM RACK of oven) or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Cut into squares with Pizza Cutter; serve hot using Mini-Serving Spatula. Yield: 24 appetizers I always bring my own tomatoes to make sure that they are very firm. Work with dough that has been out of refrigerator for a while - and when I first started, I would already have the dough all rolled out in my large bar pan and then I would just demonstrate how I did this with the bakers roller.Then once I got the large grooved cutting board I would lift the whole focaccia out and place it on that - easier to cut then when in the stone. after cutting, I would serve the pizza to the guests and put whatever was leftover back on the stone to keep it warm.This recipe does not show off the food chopper so you could either chop up a little zucchini for the focaccia (a little because it contains a lot of water) or just bring baby carrots for a demonstration. and don't overdo the tomatoes or you'll make the focaccia soggy.shows a lot of products and is always a crowd pleaser.

 

[DebbieJ]

You should have received three recipes with your kit. In addition, the last 2 recipes in each section of the Season's Best are designed for new consultants as well.Doing a recipe you are comfortable with is really important!

 

[cheflorraine]

My favorite of the new consultant recipes was the Three Cheese Garden Pizza - everyone has always raved about it! It uses the Mandolin quite a bit. If you have an Egg Slicer, this is great to demonstrate slicing mushrooms with as well.
I tried making the Strawberry Amaretto Pastries (I brought them to a birthday party), but they're just too 'fussy' for me... I prefer recipes that come together with less effort and time. So I figure since I wouldn't make them myself normally, I'd rather not make the recipe for a show...

 

[meganmcg]

I'm with Cheflorraine on this one, the Three Cheese Garden Pizza is a great recipe! I made it for my first show and all went smooth.

 

[milkangel]

i agree the Three cheese garden pizza is really good one to use i used it for my first show and it went over very good.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Suggestion... since everyone is expecting the Pastry make it ahead and bring it, or finish it off qiuck for them. Do the 3 cheese garden pizza for your demo. It is an awesome recipe and great for new cons.

So people will not expect you to always do 2 recipes and to steer away from deserts just tell them that "while pretty easy the pastries are not a good show recipe but since they were expecting it you brought it as a special treat since this is your first show. You are new so still learning! "

Something similar happend to my 2 new cons. Hosts wanted deserts. Planed on that before I chatted with them. Both were grateful afterward for how we handled it and hosts were happy!

 

[DebbieJ]

Whenever I do the pastry, I have the shells baked in advance anyway. My demo is just making up the filling and then assembly.Good tip, Paulette!

 

[maddy123]

Thanks everyone so much!

 

[melatc]

The pastry is folded in thirds...you just have to unfold (after leaving it out for about 15 minutes to semi-thaw) it for the amaretto recipe & then cut it in 12 pieces with the pizza cutter. No rolling it out or anything. It's not a hard recipe at all! And, it tastes great! Personally, PC is all about easy; the puff pastry is EASY...they wouldn't give it to our new consultants if it wasn't. Now, putting them together is a little more work, but they taste soooo good!Although I love that recipe, to showcase more & higher priced tools, the pizza (or any pizza for that matter) is the best. You get to use the chopper & mandoline & knives...helps to book more shows or increase your sales, for sure. Couple that with a quick cookware demo & you should be able to get your calendar booked up for sure!I stopped doing the Tropical Torte altogether after doing it about three times, because all I was showing was a bunch of bowls - not that great for sales or showing people how to cut down time in the kitchen - they'd be too busy with cleanup!Just my two cents worth.

 

[Biscotti]

For my first show I made the double chocolate mousse cups. They were easy went over very very well and you didn't have to use the oven.

Just relax and enjoy yourself. Make the recipe let people help you chop etc. and just simply tell them what you love about the products. You don't have to be perfect - just have a good time.

Another thing I did was I had order a product and raffled it off. They really loved that because someone went home with a product that day.