Entertaining people at your home is a lot of fun, but most your time usually goes to preparation, setting up and getting the food and drink ready. Add in a few courses and some drinks and entertaining at home can also cost you a fair amount. Here are some handy ways to save yourself some time and still cater delicious food and drink for your guests.
Fun and Fizzy Party Drinks
If you are having a dinner party or throwing a birthday party for the kids, a soda siphon can be a really convenient way of catering beverages. You can use plain soda water as a mixer for alcoholic drinks or add flavored syrup for a sweeter taste the kids will love.
Also known as a seltzer bottle, a soda siphon is a more traditional and cost effective way of providing fizzy drinks. This invention dates back to 1790 when the concept of carbonated beverages was introduced for the first time. The soda siphon we know today was invented way back in 1829 by two Frenchmen who made a valve that succeeded in keeping the contents of a bottle carbonated while still allowing it to be poured out. Its use was popularized in the 1920s and 1930s and became especially popular in Eastern Europe where a lot of products were manufactured. After the Second World War, however, many of the factories were destroyed and demand went into decline.
Delicious Desserts
If you are short on time you can make the most delicious desserts in record time without any hassle. Cream chargers can make creamy toppings and accompaniments, as well as decadent desserts and save you valuable preparation time.
Cream charges are fueled by nitrous oxide, which acts as a whipping agent. Nitrous oxide mixes easily with cream and does not cause any oxidization. Nitrous oxide also stops bacteria from growing inside your canister. In order for cream to be whipped properly, it should have a fat content of at least 28%. Cream chargers are also known as whippets, whippits, nangs and nossies.
The ideal mix for a tasty dessert or after-dinner coffee should be heavy whipping cream, two or three tablespoons of sugar and a flavor or essence of your choice. The cream dispenser works in the same way that carbon dioxide carbonates beverages, to create bubbles in soda water.
You can also use a cream dispenser for more elaborate desserts that can take hours to prepare when using conventional methods. Your cream dispenser not only makes delicious fruit creams for sundaes, but can also make decadent chocolate mousse. Add some coffee, cocoa, brandy and sugar to your cream and whip up a mousse in minutes. Make authentic Italian tiramisu by simply adding two egg yolks and some Amaretto to your cream and spooning the mixture over finger biscuits moistened with Amaretto. Simply sprinkle with some cocoa dusting and serve.
It can also be used with two tots of alcohol and some sugar to top after dinner coffees for a perfect end to a perfect meal.