Pizza people: how do you encourage guests to eat hot pies without sounding like a tool?
- Thread starter BDAABAT
- Start date
Pies look great! I would have someone take the lead, cut and hand out slices to guests. It's frustrating to see your hard work turn cold.
I've often thought of making pizza for a crowd, but being able to turn out one pie at a time would be a deal breaker.
I've often thought of making pizza for a crowd, but being able to turn out one pie at a time would be a deal breaker.
kickedaside05
Knows what a fatty is.
Invite me I'll get it started. Looks great.
The suggestions on having people build there own is a pretty good one. I've done a pizza party once. At the time we were traveling in our RV and did weekly grilled pizzas, so I wanted to do that when we were at home. It was a good sized group, and people paired up to make their own pizzas, so I'd cook 1 at a time, and those 2 could eat. My creative part was having fun with the toppings and some 'suggested' recipes posted for them to use. I brought unique and regional ingredients that weren't common.
I appreciate the time going into making the menu and planning the whole thing out, but not everyone gets it as much as we do. That's where sometimes you have to pivot and go decide what's important. If using the pizza oven is-then adapted HOW it's used. If full menu control is important, then you have to adapt WHAT you use.
Always remember-you are cooking for an audience. Sometimes that audience is you, other times it's the people you invited over, or who you take food to.
I appreciate the time going into making the menu and planning the whole thing out, but not everyone gets it as much as we do. That's where sometimes you have to pivot and go decide what's important. If using the pizza oven is-then adapted HOW it's used. If full menu control is important, then you have to adapt WHAT you use.
Always remember-you are cooking for an audience. Sometimes that audience is you, other times it's the people you invited over, or who you take food to.
This is what I was thinking too. I think it helps on two dimensions. It reinforces they should start rather than waiting for it all. Plus, even when all the food is set out for them in a buffet type setting no one ever seems to want to be first.
Grab a piece, have a family member grab a piece and see if it changes the dynamic
ModelMaker
Quintessential Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
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- Lake...
Please take this with the intention offered..
You might want to dial back your vocal enthusiasm and level of perceived expert pizza guyism.
The vibe I got from your opening conversation was kinda like " Don't these people know how great my pizzas are and why aren't they fighting to get in line for them? Don't they know how much time, money, and expertise I've put into this party?"
Maybe just cook for friends and family and if they don't appreciate your effort, mark them off your list for net time.
Ed
You might want to dial back your vocal enthusiasm and level of perceived expert pizza guyism.
The vibe I got from your opening conversation was kinda like " Don't these people know how great my pizzas are and why aren't they fighting to get in line for them? Don't they know how much time, money, and expertise I've put into this party?"
Maybe just cook for friends and family and if they don't appreciate your effort, mark them off your list for net time.
Ed
BDAABAT
is one Smokin' Farker
@ModelMaker: I hope that wasn't the perception, although it certainly could be. The intention was, "Please enjoy this food at it's optimum taste, texture, and flavor." Waiting to be polite (after communicating that people really should dig in, that the process is just going to take some time to complete, that the pizza is really best when it's just out of the oven...and me and my wife both repeating that message between pizza rounds 1 and 2).
BTW: I appreciate all of the feedback!
As a result of this discussion, I've come to a realization: I'm not "normal"....particularly when it comes to food. The way that I think about food is very different than others. And that's OK! I just need to remember that my enthusiasm doesn't always translate to others.
What I think will be the plan going forward is to:
1.) chill myself out. It's important to remember the entire point of this experience is to enjoy time with friends and family. If it becomes stressful for me and for others, that's no bueno. That's on me and I'll do my best to remember the actual point of getting together.
2.) be more thoughtful about the specific meals that we decide to make depending on the group attending. If we know there are "normies" attending, we'll make something that's a lot easier to serve everyone at once.
Thanks!
Bruce
BTW: I appreciate all of the feedback!
As a result of this discussion, I've come to a realization: I'm not "normal"....particularly when it comes to food. The way that I think about food is very different than others. And that's OK! I just need to remember that my enthusiasm doesn't always translate to others.
What I think will be the plan going forward is to:
1.) chill myself out. It's important to remember the entire point of this experience is to enjoy time with friends and family. If it becomes stressful for me and for others, that's no bueno. That's on me and I'll do my best to remember the actual point of getting together.
2.) be more thoughtful about the specific meals that we decide to make depending on the group attending. If we know there are "normies" attending, we'll make something that's a lot easier to serve everyone at once.
Thanks!
Bruce
BobBrisket
Moderator
All I can add is to cut into 8 slices instead of 4 on the first pie or 2. That way there are more to go around and people won't feel like they need to wait till there is enough for everyone. Not a problem I have ever had with friends. LOL.
Good luck.
Bob
Good luck.
Bob
As a parent, I've had success with my finicky kid back in the day of picking up one of the pieces and then making airplane or choo choo noises as I push the piece forward into their mouths.
Try that.
Try that.
kurtsara
is one Smokin' Farker
I have the same oven and have no problem getting the family or neighbors to eat as it comes out of the pizza oven, luckily my wife has someone run me out a couple hot slices while I'm cooking more
sandro
Full Fledged Farker
Y'all too polite. We're like «you sick or something? Eat that ****ing pizza»
NickTheGreat
is One Chatty Farker
- Joined
- May 8, 2012
- Location
- Iowa
My wife has a friend whose husband is that guy who eats immediately after getting to a party. He’s a little guy, but he’ll barely have his coat off and be heading for the food line.
One time, he didn’t come to a party as he was sick or something, and nobody knew when to eat. Like it’d been half an hour and we realized no one had started yet!
So you need one guy to ‘prime the pump,’ so to speak. [FONT="][/FONT]
One time, he didn’t come to a party as he was sick or something, and nobody knew when to eat. Like it’d been half an hour and we realized no one had started yet!
So you need one guy to ‘prime the pump,’ so to speak. [FONT="][/FONT]
Dustin Dorsey
Full Fledged Farker
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- Aug 25, 2014
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- Burkburn...
I'm the exact same way when I barbecue or cook something. I want to serve it at the perfect temperature. I want everyone to dig in immediately because it will RUINED if they don't. We all know how a brisket slice can start drying up immediately after it's cut and I want everyone to have the best possible experience of how that brisket was cooked.
Then when people do compliment the food, I want to nitpic the food and tell them they are wrong, the food is terrible because of something they didn't even notice. But I'm crazy. I've had to learn to relax, and it's fine.
On the other extreme back at my old job maybe 15 years ago, they would have a beer and wing thing on fridays once a month to celebrate everyone's birthday and give out employee awards, etc. The wings were all in steam trays on a table against the wall. Evidently, we were supposed to wait until after the whole ceremony to partake, because I walked up and grabbed some wings and turned around to a whole cafeteria staring at me. Whoops. I just mumbed "What?" and sat down with my wings and it slowly dawned on me what I'd done. There was something in the newsletter that next month about waiting until after ceremony. I'm sure that had nothing to do with me.
Then when people do compliment the food, I want to nitpic the food and tell them they are wrong, the food is terrible because of something they didn't even notice. But I'm crazy. I've had to learn to relax, and it's fine.
On the other extreme back at my old job maybe 15 years ago, they would have a beer and wing thing on fridays once a month to celebrate everyone's birthday and give out employee awards, etc. The wings were all in steam trays on a table against the wall. Evidently, we were supposed to wait until after the whole ceremony to partake, because I walked up and grabbed some wings and turned around to a whole cafeteria staring at me. Whoops. I just mumbed "What?" and sat down with my wings and it slowly dawned on me what I'd done. There was something in the newsletter that next month about waiting until after ceremony. I'm sure that had nothing to do with me.
NavarreQ
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2012
- Location
- Navarre,Fl
I had the same problem, now I cut the pizza into slightly smaller pieces and give to the women who showed up first with their husbands. The men get a beer till all the women get a piece. They sit around the oven watching me burn the hair off my knuckles and laughing till they get some pizza. I don’t give them a choice. I put it on a plate, deliver it and say eat! All my guests were so polite and wanted to wait until everyone had a piece. I totally agree with you, homemade pizzas don’t hold longer then a few minutes before they start going downhill! it stressed me out coming in with second pizza and the first pizza still sitting there due to not enough pizza for everyone. Now I stick it in their face and say eat.lol
ModelMaker
Quintessential Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
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- Lake...
I think what you need to do is find a friend or relative, tell them face to face, when I bring out a pizza take a slice and say Bob get over here and get some and then Bill come over here, on and on.
They'll catch on.
Ed
They'll catch on.
Ed
Shadowdog500
is One Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2012
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- Down...
As you discovered several times, people will not start eating until everyone is served because it’s considered rude to do so. To be quite honest you are putting your guests in an awkward position.
I suggest you serve a meal that everyone can start at the same time. Offer to make custom made-to-order pizzas later as snacks.
I’m curious on how many minutes between pies? How many guests? We had someone bring a waffle iron to a pot luck. I think she was only able to make a handful of waffles during the event due to the time it took per waffle.
I suggest you serve a meal that everyone can start at the same time. Offer to make custom made-to-order pizzas later as snacks.
I’m curious on how many minutes between pies? How many guests? We had someone bring a waffle iron to a pot luck. I think she was only able to make a handful of waffles during the event due to the time it took per waffle.
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