Après Fête: champagne

Showing posts with label champagne. Show all posts

April 19, 2013

Parisian Bistro Birthday Party

The invitation said "Champagne & Onion Rings, Oysters & Absinthe". This party was off to a good start! And though one needs little more for sustenance, we took the Parisian bistro theme and ran with it. Getting the French jazz band Avalon to perform set the perfect tone for this backyard fete. While they charmingly sang and played, guest enjoyed plenty of champagne cocktails, sazeracs and mini croque monsieurs. For dinner, we kept it totally simple and classic--e.g. steak au poivre and frisee with lardons & egg--with more ever-present champagne (and onion rings, of course!). Bistro lights over small cafe tables made the whole night feel cozy and Amy's use of garden roses throughout the party was stunning and chic. I'm longing for a trip to Paris and this party with a glimmer of my associations: Hemingway's obsession oysters, my favorite restaurant's profiteroles and a semester abroad filled with boozy love and fun. Bon Anniversaire Ryan!! xx

The Menu

sips

French 75

gin, champagne, lemon

lavender champagne cocktail

lavender, champagne, bitters, sugar, lemon

kir royale

cassis, champagne, twist

sazerac

rye, absinthe, sugar, peychaud's bitters, twist

absinthe

burnt sugar, water

snacks

raw bar with oysters on the half shell & mignonette

mini croque monsieurs

duck confit, pickled cherry & ricotta on endive

french cheese boards, grilled toasts & accoutrement

to share

steak au poivre

onion rings with remoulade

potato & fennel gratin

haricot verts with cherry tomatoes & thyme

frisse salad with lardons & egg

sweet

profiteroles with espresso chocolate sauce

photos by Hana Ardelean

February 12, 2013

Breakfast in Bed. For Dinner.

This year I partnered up with The Chalkboard to create a new way to celebrate Valentine's Day: breakfast in bed, for dinner. While Valentine's Day is all about the sexy lingerie, it's also a fun excuse to wear pj's to dinner and stay cozy under the sheets. Greg is normally the breakfast maker in our house, so I needed a new menu item to impress him. Crepes were a fun solution and really couldn't be simpler (I learned how to make them in my seventh grade home-ec class!). In order to avoid any up and down between the bedroom and kitchen, I served an assortment of chocolates for dessert. After all, when else are you going to treat yourself to such a pretty treat? Amy made me a very sweet menu that also served as my valentine to Greg (check our her pretty valentines at The Chalkboard). You can also get my how-to's and recipes for ham & gruyere crepes and the frisee, bacon & egg salad at The Chalkboard. Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day filled with love, hearts and romance!

The Menu

sips

champagne cocktails

savory

ham & gruyere crepes

frisee salad with bacon lardons & egg

sweet

assorted ococoa chocolates

photos by Yayo Ahumada

champagne cocktail recipe

place a sugar cube in champagne flute.

splash the cube with a few dashes of bitters. let soak a moment.

add a lemon twist.

top with bubbly.

December 6, 2011

La Vie En Rose

My favorite gifts to receive are experiences: special dinners, trips or gift certificates for classes and spa treatments. They are also my favorite gifts to give (Greg just might be seeing Jay Z & Kanye @ Staples Center...). Instead of presents, I like to give my girlfriends a holiday dinner party. Why not go all-out girly with a French menu of decadent yet ladylike fare? It doesn't get more generous or festive than champagne and caviar. I also splurged on chocolates from three chocolatiers in Beverly Hills and we did a tasting...Madame Chocolate was the clear winner. I am grateful for all of my friends who helped make this past year the greatest and a festive meal is the perfect way to celebrate them. I mean, can anyone really top the gift of a champagne sorbet palate cleanser?