KinoVino was born after years and years of hosting dinner parties for friends and family. When I knew I was almost ready to take that transitional step, I organised a pre-KinoVino private recipe testing session with my nearest and dearest girlfriends. Here’s what happened.
As this was a beautiful Spring Sunday, I wanted to reflect the mood not only in the food but also in the setting. I went for light rustic style that seemed so fitting for a spring Sunday. Tea towels make perfect place-mats and napkins. I never use napkin rings, but just arrange them directly on a plate, often wrapping the cutlery in them. As I completely forgot to get the name tags, I had to do a bit of last-minute improvisation. Who knew that parchment paper can do such a great job! And of course, a stalk of rosemary adds this elegant finish to the look. I really can’t get enough of this amazing herb, not only it tastes and smells amazing, it is so good-looking and photogenic. Tangerines, oranges or apples also play a seminal role in setting the mood for the table. They add a lovely touch of colour and the best thing is that you can eat them at any point during your meal.
The good-old rosemary played an important role in our drinks too. I can’t recommend this cocktail enough:
Pomegranate and elderflower cordial (the amount depends on how intense you like the flavour)
Prosecco (or sparkling mineral water for a soft version)
Pomegranate seeds
Rosemary leaves (can put as many or as little as you like)
Mix it all around and ENJOY!
This cocktail can be enjoyed while you are making the star of the show – the Vegan Nut Roast. So here’s the recipe.
Ingredients
60 gr raw walnuts
60 gr raw pine nuts
60 gr raw almonds
100 gr raw brazil nuts
1/2 white onion
1 garlic clove
1 tomato
20 gr fresh parsley
a handful of button mushrooms
3 tsp of vegan butter or coconut cooking butter (odourless)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chili
1/4 ground coriander
1/4 all-spice
1 tbsp of brown rice vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Method
Put all ingredients in a processor and blend them together well.
Line a bread tin with parchment paper and pour the mixture.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C and roast for 30-40 minutes.
For decoration chop a portobello and place the slices on top just a few minutes before taking the roast out of the over. Once you have tried this spicy and rich dish, you will never go back to your traditional roast.
To accompany the loaf, I made some roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes as well as roasted root veggies.
What a perfect Sunday it was and it made me perfectly confident for launch the first KinoVino session!
kinovino.org 