Food Demo Tips - Food and Health Communications

Food Demo Tips
These are excerpted from our new MyPlate Cooking Demo Kit.
Practice.
• Confidence is the KEY to success in any cooking demonstration.
• Practice the recipe on your family several times before going on stage with it.
Bring examples.
• Choose packaged foods that are high in sodium and fat. This helps clients see how label reading and cooking are important for their health. It also entertains them while things are cooking.
Provide handouts.
• Give your audience handouts with recipes, cooking tips and ingredient substitutions.
• Encourage the audience to follow along and take notes while you demo the recipes.
Organization is key!
• Double check the equipment and shopping lists to make sure you will have everything you need.
• Organize your work area before you start each demo. Items you will use first should be closest to you.
• Clean as you go should be your motto.
Appearance is important.
Wear comfortable shoes and professional clothing. Here are a few tips and reminders:
• Black pants and a white blouse or chef's coat
• Your hair should be tied back or secured
• Makeup should be kept very light
• Only a minimum amount of jewelry
• No nail polish
• Have 2 aprons in case you spill something
• Keep towels to wipe your hands
• It helps to stand away from the counter to stay neat.
Prepare ahead.
• Prepare all recipes as far ahead as possible.
• Chop all vegetables, measure all ingredients, cook pasta, etc.
• Some dishes that take a long time to cook should be made in advance for tasting purposes and then show them how to assemble with a 2nd set of ingredients.
• An audience becomes very bored if they have to watch you measure everything.
• This strategy can also come in handy when you are limited on cooking equipment. If you want to make a pie but don't have an oven, you can bake one ahead of time and just show them how to assemble it in class.
Find a helper.
• Have an assistant to help monitor the microwave and stove so you can concentrate on your presentation and questions.
Involve your audience.
• Ask for volunteers to come up and help you with various steps. Make them wash their hands before they start.
• This adds a lot of fun and interest to your demo and people appreciate being included in the cooking process.
Show a finished dish.
• Give great presentation tips such as sprinkling with chopped herbs or parmesan and using colors of veggies and fruits.
Encourage questions at the end.
• Take questions at the end while your assistant is dishing up samples. This helps keep your demo moving and prevents you from becoming distracted while trying to cook.
Be food safe.
• Follow food safety standards - keep hot food hot, cold food cold and don’t cross contaminate. When in doubt, throw it out. (see fsis.usda.gov)

By Judy Doherty, PC II

Judy Doherty

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Art, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, 2 art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography studio where her love is creating fun recipes.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest in nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.