With the Holiday season around the corner, the revolving door of hosting dinner parties and concockting cocktails is about to start. The challenge isn’t in the guests or your recent decor in the living room; the challenge is what you prepare for guests that isn’t a total snore fest or over complicated on the plate and in preparation. How do you find inspiration and not get lost on the internet with every other site having “The Latest and Greatest” recipe?
Thankfully, I’ve got a few fun recipes to try that might spice up you dinner party that are delicious and fool proof. Even Julio could cook these ones if he wanted to! With the help of my friends at Zwilling J.A. Henckels & bottlegreen Sparkling, I hope you all enjoy trying out these amazing products and recipes as much as I did!
Zwilling J.A. Henckels, as previously reviewed here on FASHIONIGHTS, is basically the Cadillac of the cooking world. I was able to get a hold of their beautiful Staub Ceramic (that can go from freezer, to oven and then table) bowls and a beautiful new Sensation frying pan too! I was in heaven!
The latest trend in the culinary world is being able to make ordinary dishes, extraordinary. One of the easiest ways to do so is by finding quality products like the cordials made by bottlegreen. By combining these two into one amazing dinner with friends, the night was a complete success!
I decided to be adventurous and cook a duck for the very first time. Buying fresh is always best, but if you do have to buy a frozen duck, always try to make sure to buy Grade A. The difference is crucial to ensure your meal goes from “just another dinner duck” to the duck everyone is talking about for weeks to come.
To add an Asian flair, I stuffed the duck with fresh lemon, tangerine and ginger and marinated it over night in equal parts bottlegreen Ginger and Lemongrass Cordial and water. I baked the duck at 200 degrees for at least four hours in the Staub Céramique Française Cooking Dish for a fall apart delicious Asian inspired main course. Julio and I added our own twist by making fresh corn tortillas and shredding the meat for impromptu duck fajitas. Elegant and approachable without the stuffiness of a classic duck dinner.
To make a salad more then just leafy greens, I tried mixing a good balsamic vinegar with bottlegreen Spiced Berry Cordial. Sweet, spiced and just bitter enough to pair beautifully with dark spinach leaves, a rich old cheddar cut into cubes and fresh raspberries. Served in a beautiful red Staub ceramic bowl for the quintessential touch of holiday red both in and around your salad.
A simple way to avoid the drab of potatoes or cauliflower (which I love, but might not impress) is to find the theme of your party and carry through to your side dish. Being that I was going for an Asian-inspired evening, I marinated julienned baby bok choy and carrots in equal parts soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and bottlegreen Cox’s Apple & Plum Cordial over night. Some people avoid marinating their veggies because it can break them down and make them mush but by picking a hearty vegetable pairing, I ensured the flavour was infused without loosing the crunch. As your duck is crisping in its last twenty minutes, take out your Zwilling Sensation frying pan. Add a table spoon of good cooking oil and turn the heat up high, as to sear the vegetables and stirfry them into a delicious side dish that is sweet and sour, crunchy and will leave you wanting more!
With great thanks to our friends at NKPR, the evening was a total success and we are already planning our next dinner with friends for a chance to use all these amazing products again.
Cutlery, Cookware, tableware, tools & gadgets… they have it all! The full product line is available online at Zwilling.ca and Hudson Bay locations throughout the country. You can find bottlegreen products at your local grocery stores ranging from cordials to their incredible and addictive sparkling beverages.
Make sure to tweet @NatashaNKPR , @bottlegreen & @DoTheDaniel with the hashtags #CookingWithZwilling & #FASHIONIGHTS to keep us posted on your tips and tricks!
For some behind the scenes from our first dinner party check out my AND Julio’s Instagram accounts!