Host a party like a pro with Swissmar gourmet tools

With Christmas just a few weeks away, many people are preparing to host parties at their homes.

 

Most people find hosting a party a cumbersome task. But Marc Hoffman, Swissmar brand manager, said there are kitchen aids to help make food preparation less stressful for the hosts.

 

During the recent launching of Swissmar gourmet houseware at Gourdo’s at The Podium in Ortigas, Hoffman said the Swiss are very particular about design and quality.

 

Apparently, even with cooking tools, the Swiss aim for perfection. In fact, the Swissmar swivel raclette was a finalist for the Innovation Award in the 2012 International Home and Housewares Show.

 

Hoffman said Swissmar gives people the chance to experience fine dining at home any time of the day.

 

The raclette, worth P6,100 at Gourdo’s, has an unique design, as it could be unfolded up to 180 degrees. It is the only raclette in the market that can accomplish this.

 

Hoffman said the aim in having a swivel function is versatility. The raclette can be folded up when the table is short and there are only a few guests, and unfolded when the table is long and there are many people at the party.

 

The Swissmar raclette has a hot stone as well as cast aluminium non-stick grill plates.

 

According to celebrity chef Jackie Ang-Po, who did a cooking demonstration during the Swissmar launching, said she has broken several hot stones using other brands of raclette in the past.

 

Po, chef of Del Monte Kitchenomics on GMA-7, said she now knows the proper way of heating a hot stone: heating in a conventional oven for 20 minutes. 

 

Directly heating it on a gas-fired stove will not work as the abrupt rise in temperature will cause the stone to crack.

 

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Po said the Swissmar raclette was perfect for small parties as it had eight non-stick raclette dishes and eight heat-resistant spatulas.

 

However, she clarified that a raclette grill—something that is placed on top of a table while dining—does not have the cooking capacity of a barbecue grill.

 

It’s not possible to cook large chunks of porterhouse steak or porkchop over a raclette grill.

 

But Po said the raclette is ideal for small slices of pork barbecue on a stick, seafood, vegetables, and others that do not require extremely high heat during cooking.

Once upon a time, in Switzerland
 

Hoffman shared that in Switzerland, it is a time-honored tradition to invite people over to their homes and share a meal through raclette cooking.

 

Some months ago, at the sidelines of a Swiss Embassy event, Swiss Ambassador to the Philippines Ivo Sieber recalled that Switzerland had been a poor country in the past, as it had very little natural resources.

 

However, with the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s to the 1800s, Sieber said the Swiss’ passion for excellence and perfection helped their country become one of the world’s richest countries, manufacturing top-quality watches, pharmaceutical products, and other goods.

 

With Swissmar, even tiny kitchen tools like the spatula or brush have the Swiss mark of excellence.

 

The spatula, costing P415 each, comes in bright and attractive colors and is heat-resistant up to 220 degrees Celsius. Made of silicone, the spatula is sturdy and easy-to grip. 

 

The Swissmar brush, also P415, is similarly made of silicone. These little tools are not only functional, but also nice to look at. 

 

Swissmar is selling its products at all Gourdo’s branches. — VC, GMA News