Hands-On Cooking Demo

Here is a great way to get your audience involved in your next cooking demo.Hands-on can mean for a few courageous volunteers or for the whole audience if it is a small group.Find a few tortilla recipes or assemble a variety of tortillas for the audience to make their own.Here are a few tips to put this demo into action:• You will need a large table or workspace so everyone can make their own tortilla.• Make sure attendees have access to a sink so they can wash their hands before handling their food.• Keep ingredients cold by refrigerating until ready to use or holding over bowls of ice.• Start your demo by showing them ingredient ideas for making wraps, pizzas, and more with the tortillas. This is an opportunity to explain the concept of a well-stocked pantry.• This is an excellent opportunity for learning to read food labels. You will want to buy different types of tortillas including regular flour tortillas, lowfat flour tortillas and corn tortillas to give  examples.• Don’t forget the Food Guide Pyramid. The Tortilla Wrap uses items from 3 food groups. Talk about serving sizes too!• Don’t be afraid to include some different vegetables other than the ones listed in the recipe. Here is a good opportunity for your attendees to taste something out of the ordinary such as grated fennel, grated fresh beets, steamed greens, and more...• Show attendees how to fill and roll a tortilla. Then show them how to present it by slicing it in 2 inch slices and laying those on their sides for a colorful presentation. (Use a white plate.)• Finally, allow your attendees to make their own Tortilla Rolls and Apple Burritos. Encourage questions while everyone is making theirs.Tortilla Fun FactsTortillas are not just for Mexican food anymore! Tortillas have found their place in the American mainstream diet, where they now serve as substitutes for traditional breads in such popular fare as hot dogs, lasagna, pitas, sandwiches (aka wraps) and pizza.• Tortillas are more popular today in the U.S. than all other ethnic breads, such as bagels, English muffins and pita bread.• The versatile tortilla rolls better when warmed slightly. It can be warmed in the oven, steamed, heated in a microwave or nonstick skillet.• Flour tortillas are a low fat food and contain iron along with other B vitamins. They have about 115 calories with 2-3 grams of fat per serving (check the label to be sure, some may be more or less).• Corn tortillas are a lowfat, low-sodium food and contain calcium, potassium and fiber. An average serving contains about 60 calories with 1 gram of fat. They are made without gluten.•  Think of tortillas as the plate, the envelope or the folder surrounding a countless array of delicious fillings.• Look for flavored tortillas to start appearing in your grocery store - they come in berry, apple-cinnamon, chocolate, banana and more.Source: The Tortilla Industry Association www.tortilla-info.com