Asian-inspired Braised Duck Legs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fiji Water, for the Perfection Takes Time campaign. All opinions are my own.

Recently I realized something, and it made me a bit wistful. I realized that I don't take my time in the kitchen anymore. I mean, YES—I'm always in the kitchen. Always testing recipes. Always making dinner. Always moving a stack of cookbooks from the table to the floor. Always fretting over lack of counter space...lack of daylight...lack of clean dishes. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Spending my time instead of taking it.

Sixteen years ago, when I moved into my first real apartment...not a dorm room, not a house or apartment shared with college roommates...just me, I took my time in the kitchen. I was just coming into my own. I was learning cooking processes and techniques. I used to make lists, explore ingredients, and prepare meals that took time. Golden-skinned chicken that was roasted in the new stoneware dish I was so proud of. Chuck roasts so tender and beckoning that burning my fingertips just to get an early taste didn't hurt a bit. Pink hams wrapped in a shiny glaze. Pork loins propped up by a bed of sturdy vegetables. You know, the type of food that envelops the entire house in a sense of calm.

And I did it just because I enjoyed it.

Crockpot Chicken Tinga Tostadas

It's that time of year again. The time when days grow shorter, and activities stretch out longer. School really throws a wrench in things, doesn't it? By the time you've picked up the kids from their various practices, meets, games, and clubs it feels too late...or you feel too pooped...to start thinking about dinner. Don't you love it when you actually planned ahead a wee bit? Just enough that, even as the kids are strong-arming each other to see who can get in the house first, a glorious scent fills the air in pushes back in greeting.

Yes, I'm talking about the beauty of a crockpot, people. If the welcoming blanket that envelopes the house isn't enough, the thought that dinner is basically done already will be.

I've mentioned plenty of times before that I think a keeping your slow cooker at-the-ready year-round is the way to go. It doesn't heat up the house in the summer, and it's cozy and comforting in cold weather—that's my kind of kitchen "tool" (one that doesn't gather dust). That being said, there is just something about using it when there's a chill in the air that makes using it feel right. It's probably nostalgia, and nostalgia is a powerful emotion.

Duck Salad w/ Grapes, Almonds, & Blue Cheese + 13 more tasty ways to use DUCK!

A lot of people consider duck a "special occasion" meal, often roasting a duck during the holidays, and not thinking of it again for a whole nother year. While duck does make for a very special holiday meal, it's also great on a Tuesday.

Duck is extremely versatile, and holds up well to bold flavors. Try it with your favorite spice mix or rub. Still not sure when to use duck? Replace the chicken, pork, or beef in a recipe with duck! Try duck in a curry. Use it as a taco filling. Shred some slow-cooked duck legs and combine with your favorite barbecue sauce for a Pulled Duck Sandwich! Season a duck breast, sear it, and serve it over a salad or rice. Use any portion of cooked duck in a duck salad sandwich or wrap (like the one pictured below made by a local catering company that's filled with duck, pecans, pickles, mandarin oranges, and I think there was even rice in there!).

Duck Bacon Fried Rice {#EatingIndiana: Maple Leaf Farms}

Welcome to my very first #EatingIndiana feature.  You can click here too learn more about why I started #EatingIndiana, but at the core of it all, I will be featuring Indiana grown/based/established food.

Maple Leaf Farms was established in 1958 by Donald Wentzel near Milford, Indiana.  They began small with 280,000 ducks their first year (seems like a lot to me), but continued growing, and had 1 million ducks by 1964.  Mr. Wentzel passed in 1968, but the business is carried on by his son-in-law, Terry Tucker.  This family-owned company has a commitment to not only family, but also friends, personal fulfillment, community involvement, and high-quality products.

Maple Leaf farms now employs 750 people at operations in not only Indiana, but also Wisconsin, California, and Michigan.  They are at the top of the North American duck market with their White Pekin Duck products, from raw to fully-cooked.