I got to do a Cooking Demo :-)

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

, A cooking Demonstration was organized yesterday evening. A professional Game-Cook and writer was brought in to show people techniques for preparing wild game. I was asked to assist and I suggested that I could demo side-dishes that would be healthy, and work well with his menu. The organizers said Ok.

I made up a menu that included mashed sweet potatoes with Splenda & molasses, brown & wild rice with Portobello mushrooms, cooked in chicken stock, stir-fried veggies, cold strawberry soup with sliced strawberries and blueberries, and wintergreen tea.

All of my dishes came out perfect . When I gave my demo, I used the actual ingredients that I had used to make up the dishes, and showed the people how to properly use the chef's knife, how to maximize effort by dicing & slicing veggies & fruits in the proper sizes for the various dishes, and how to season successfully. I even showed them easy techniques for bias slicing veggies for the stir-fry.

To make a long story short, I was able to expand on the info given by the pro, and show people that with a bit of imagination, they could prepare delicious food without a lot of fuss & bother, and without exotic herbs and spices.

My emphasis was on preparing food in its simplest form, using proper technique, and choosing foods that compliment each other.

After all was said and done, I had several people ask me if I was planning on doing any more demo's. I had one lady tell me that she hated sweet potatoes, that is until she tasted mine. And several people told me that they'd never heard of adding mollases and sweetener to sweet potatoes, but that they loved them. And the compliments I received about the rice, well it makes me blush (or would if I was the blushing type ). They also loved the strawberry soup, made with fresh berries, unsweetened soy milk, Splenda, and blueberries. Most said that they didn't like soy milk, but loved the soup.

I even got compliments from the pro, who told me that I really knew my way around a kitchen and who also complimented me on my preparations.

In other words, the experience, my first of that kind, was an unqualified success! I wish I could do that for a living. It's so much fun opening people's eyes to the simplicity of cooking. It's really not rocket science, but you do have to learn the basics. I hope all of you who love to cook can enjoy the same kind of experience I had yesterday evening.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[middie]

goodweed sounds like you had fun !
maybe you really should do more demos !

 

[crewsk]

Great job Goodweed!

 

[kadesma]

Goodweed,

great job..It is great when someone takes the time to help others with a food plan and gives tips that they can use at home. Way to go...You must feel so proud and rightly so..I'm proud for you...Keep up the good work. We have several diabetic friends, who just sem to have given up, but, I've been trying to help them with a meal plan that will get them motivatee to eat better but will also teach them you do NOT have to give up everything, just be moderate in what you eat, and how much you eat.
kadesma

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

Thats AWSOME!!!!!! Im jealous!!! How many folks were there? I think I might have nervous.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

There were about 30 people there. And Kadesma. Invite them to your house and fix them something that tastes incredible. Let them pay for the ingredients, but promise them an incredible meal.

I'm betting that when they find out how good food can taste, even without all the starches, fats, and sugars, it will inspire them.

Some suggestions; Three bean salad made with Kidney, Green, and Black beans. Mix Splenda and rice vinegar together to create the sweet/sour flavor. Add diced onion, celery seed, and a touch of dill. Make some whole wheat bread dough, divide into 1 inch rounds, and spray with just a bit of cooking spray. Then roll in a Splenda/cinnamon mixture. Bake them up for the desert. For the main dish, plank some Pollock on cedar, and serve with a touch of dill weed sprinkled over the top. And you cant go wrong with fresh melon.

If that doesn't wake up their taste buds, nothing will. Of course, the above suggestions are just a sample menu. You obviously have the talent and creativity to make anything you want. I say go for it. Give your own demo.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Andy M.]

Goodweed:

Good show! When do you take the show on the road? Let me know when you're appearing in the New England area.

 

[callie]

Bravo, Goodweed! Way to go!!

 

[PA Baker]

Congratulations, Goodweed! What a great experience! Maybe this will be the start of a new career for you!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I wish it could be. But like most of us, I'm a slave to the wage, or rather to my wife's medication bills. I need my current medical insurance coverage. But such is life. That's why I come here, to help, and to learn a bit as well. This is a great crowd. You people help make life a good thing. Thanks.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Raine]

That's great! You could start doing those kind of things on the side, like cooking classes, etc.

We have a number of bbq buddies who do that. They hold cooking classes to show people how to cook bbq or cook for competitions. Make the class to fit whatever your focus is. You might could start out using your church, VFW, etc. Just a thought.

 

[luvs]

good job, goodweed!

 

[Claire]

Super, Goodweed! Wish I was there to see it! By the way, why do folk (anyone chime in here) feel the need to add any kind of sugar to sweet potatoes? To me they are sweet enough as is.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Claire; I too love sweet potatoes just as they are. At home, I only dress them on my plate, after baking them, with a bit of butter. But I know many people who don't like them at all. I can usually alter that view by showing how versatile they are. Just as flavorings are added to regular potatoes, by adding things like ginger, allspice, cloves, cinamon, and sweeteners, or even salt & pepper, to sweet potatoes, you alter the basic flavor and create something new. It also keeps them from becoming boring. Though I love them just as they are, were I to have them daily, I would have to change up the recipe as I'm not one of those people who can eat the same thing twice in one week. I need variety.

Also, different varieties of the tubor have varying degrees of sweetness. some are amost syrupy, while others are bland and very starchy in both texture and taste. So, changing the sweetness may be required due to the particular type of sweet potato available in an area.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North