We all have that one friend who is great at throwing parties. The consummate host who never fails to put on a memorable night filled with great company, exquisite cocktails and a heavenly spread of food.
But hosting a killer holiday dinner party is hard work, and your host deserves more than just that generic bottle of wine and box of cupcakes.
Here's what to bring the perfect party host.
For the coffee nerd
Pilot Coffee Roasters recently released two limited edition bean kits to showcase Guatemalan’s Finca Catalan de Las Mercedes farm. The farm is one of the most dedicated producers in the country, growing distinct high-quality beans. The 'bourbon' kit showcases three different beans from the fifth generation farm: yellow, red, and orange.
Guatemala Mercedes bourbon varietal kit, $75, available online in limited quantities
For the bartender
In the last year, I’ve seen more dinner hosts ditch the sickly sweet punches and generic mixes and opt for bar-style crafted cocktails. Punch bowls kicked up a few notches with tinctures and infusions. A good home bartender needs all the right essentials, so grab one (or all) of these for the mixologist in your life.
WIN-WARE Boston Cocktail Shaker set, $39.99, available through Amazon.
American Atelier reactive glaze beverage dispenser, $65.47, available through Amazon.
Disaronno Roberto Cavalli limited edition bottle gift, $33.95, available at the LCBO.
Locally made ginger ale at Thomas and Lavers, $5 for 500ml, available at the store.
For the sweet tooth
Toronto’s newest sushi restaurant, Miku, has been drawing crowds for their torched sushi (Aburi) and traditional tasting menus (Kaiseki). The food is great, but a real highlight is the restaurant’s signature opera cake dessert. Pastry chef Aiko Uchigoshi takes three days to make the layered dessert, assembling it with flavours of green tea, hazelnut and chocolate, for a total of 7 different layers. At the restaurant, you can order it by the slice, but even better, you can order a whole cake (feeds 12) to take to your next dinner party. I can guarantee it will steal the show.
Miku’s opera cake, $45, available online. Note: must be ordered 72 hours in advance.
For the wine lover
If the host is a fan of wine, there’s no better gift than a passport to iYellow’s 2016 roster of events. The iYellow group continues to host the best wine events in the city, as well as tours to Niagara and Prince Edward County.
iYellow 2016 passport, various prices ($98 – $400), available online.
For the whisky drinker
I have never seen one spirit so quickly become the unanimous nightcap of choice at dinner parties. We love whisky (most of us) and we’re drinking plenty of it. Here are some ideas for what you can pick up at the LCBO.
The local choice: I like the Gooderham & Worts, it’s an approachable but mature drink with citrus and floral notes.
Gooderham & Worts Canadian Whisky, $44.90, LCBO
The Scotch fan: The peat is soft but noticeable in this Islay malt, and it tastes of citrus, nuts and vanilla with a slightly sweet ending.
Bowmore Tempest 10 Year Old, $81.95, LCBO
The collector: If you want to impress a whisky lover, It doesn’t get any better than the Highland Park’s Valhalla collection. Named after the ruler of Asgard, HP’s Odin is a confident, bold and intense 16 year old single match Scotch matured in Sherry casks. Its peaty, spicy, smoke-y notes and has a slightly sweet finish reminiscent of dried fruit and gingerbread.
Highland Park Odin, $399.95, LCBO
For the music lover
Critics and music junkies are saying that 2015 will go down as one of the best years for music in recent times. NPR released its top 50 list a few days ago and it is full of gems.
NPR Top 50 albums of 2015, various prices, available online.
We’ve already covered headphones in a previous guide (The Jabra Move wireless head phones are great) but there are other items a host desires to set the mood for great music. Here are a few suggestions:
Braven 570 Portable Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, $99.99, available at Planet of Sound
Harmon Kardon Nova Speakers, $379.99, available at Planet of Sound
For the home cook
If you’ve been trying to broaden your cooking with international cuisine and flavors this year, you didn’t suffer from a short supply of great cookbooks. Many cookbooks this year put the spotlight on global cuisine from the Mediterranean to South America. Here are my top three picks:
Michael Solomonov’s Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
Have you ever wanted to master the art of homemade tehina? For that reason along this is the book you should pick up. Solomov’s recipes are vibrant and exciting, and he covers a good range of cooking, giving you a variety of recipes for any occasion.
$38.04, available through Amazon
Hartwood: Bright, Wild Flavors from the Edge of the Yucatán
I love this book, centered around an intrepid young couple that have set up one of the most inspiring restaurants in Tulum, Mexico. Recipes and stories are captured in some of the best photography I’ve seen this year, this book will not only inspire you to learn Yucatan cooking, but to also follow your dreams.
$39.38, available through Amazon
Vegetarian India by Madhur Jaffrey
Whenever I feel like learning a new Indian recipe, I always turn to Jaffrey’s cookbooks. They’re simply the best. Her latest is entirely on Vegetarian cuisine, covering everything from fried snacks like okra fries to mung bean pancakes.
$39.21, available through Amazon
Home cooks need the right tools to be able to create their praise-worthy dishes. I find that, unless you explicitly know that your host is a knife geek, a pair of knives is a safe bet and a gift that will be well received. Zwilling's Pro Two-Piece Starter Set is great for home cooks and it has two of the most important knives: a 4 inch pairing knife and an 8 inch chefs knife.
ZWILLING Pro Two-Piece Starter Set, $127, available at The Bay.
