A French-Inspired Meal, A Better-than-Bachlorette-Inspired Weekend

On Friday night we went to Paris. The occasion? Bachelorette does not describe it, although we were celebrating a bride-to-be. There was no gaudy outfitting and masquerading around town. We simply ate our way through her favorite places without leaving the most peaceful party house in the woods there is.

We started with fancy cheese and a French red.

(The next night our resident charcuterie artist worked her magic in Italy, but it was so pretty I had to put it here amidst France.)


This was our menu for the weekend. From Paris we went to the bride's breakfast room for waffles and cheddar cheese (yep, you heard me right) and then to our beloved city for chicken salad and the best fresh whole wheat bread and hummus, plus Caramel Brownies. And then off to Italy for a Guiseppe's-inspired Vegetable Penne with Feta Sauce that the bride declared better (and lighter) than its inspiration. We wrapped things up in Cajun country with a frittata and these frozen chocolate croissants Trader Joe's sells that rise overnight and taste bakery fresh and therefore had me talking about their wonder nonstop all morning. No menfolk meant we carbed and veggied and desserted things up like crazy.

Anyway, back to Paris. We simplified a Salad Nicoise, which some research revealed involves placing veggies in different sections of a platter and drizzling dressing on top. We skipped the anchovies, and the tuna, and wintry veggies that would have to be boiled (potatoes and beets). And that was all we needed because our protein and carbs came from...

Housemade crepes filled with a chicken-asparagus-cream sauce mixture and topped with more of the same, only prettier. I mastered sweet crepes a while back, so I wasn't too scared to try this savory variety with my trusty nonstick pan. Ahhhmazingly delicious it was.

And now for the crown jewel that proved the bride has the best kind of friends because they all scraped and even licked their ramekins. Pots de Creme, y'all. It's a little high maintenance with the individual portions that must be bathed and baked for forever and individually covered and THEN chilled in the fridge (or the freezer to speed things up). But the decadence of chilled chocolate custard  that emerged had us all only talking about its amazingness during the duration of this course. It's kind of like a chocolate creme brulee without the torched top. Cut the richness with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and not one but three strawberries slices (thanks to Helen the hand model), and you will never eat dessert out again.

Crepe Bar

If ever anything were worth savoring, it was this.

The barely sweet confection known is the crepe is the fresh-off-the-press tortilla of all things French and lightly decadent. Swirling its batter in a pan before it, poof, instantly cooks into a delicate final product, time and time again, is a therapeutic exercise, albeit one that requires all hands on deck. It's way worth it though, especially if you munch on crepe scraps while you go.

The whole spread of nuts, fruits and creamy spreads was beautiful to my taste buds, but what I found myself salivating over weeks later was the number one star: Nutella Mousse. Yes, Nutella Mousse, hazlenut-chocolate spread in creamy form. Spread it on a crepe, sprinkle on some strawberries and wrap it up with a chocolate drizzle on top, and you may never crave anything else again. It even transported one person back to Europe, she said.

Warning: If Nutella Mousse miraculously survives its debut and ends up in your fridge, it will quickly and frequently escape for you to violently tear off strips of leftover crepes to dip into it and unite with your tongue.

A spread such as this is perhaps best enjoyed with amongst female company. I often ooh and ahh (literally) over what I taste, but it's rare that other people have equally as expressive reactions like crepes elicit. So epic was this spread that I served it twice in one day, first for breakfast for the ladies in my new home group from church and second for our weekly Sunday evening Downton Abbey watching/face stuff gathering. A crepe bar would also be fun for a shower of some sort.

Side note: Extra Raspberry Syrup and Chocolate Syrup make excellent excuses to make cheesecakes and waffle bars, and might up your hot chocolate intake. Be forewarned in that realm too.

Crepe Bar Elements

Brown Butter Crepes (recipe below)

Nutella Mousse

Whipped Cream

Sliced Strawberries

Sliced Bananas

Chopped Pecans

Sliced Almonds

Powdered Sugar

Raspberry Syrup

Chocolate Syrup

Ultimate Southern Biscuit Bar

I grew up in a sort of "New South." I lived in the suburbs. I didn't really eat traditional Southern food, unless you count barbecue, nor did my family make it. When I went out to eat meat and three-type food, it was overcooked and just not that exciting. And then I grew up, studied Southern culture, started cooking new things, studied Southern food, worked for Southern Living, and began to reclaim what it means to be a Southerner in my kitchen, with a fresh twist.

So last week I started dreaming up my version of a biscuit bar: biscuits, butters and jams as a base. But then my food-obsessed brain got a little over-excited about embracing this whole Southern, fresh thing, and making food from scratch. And this happened:

On my plate:
Buttermilk Biscuit with Pimiento Cheese and Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes
Blueberry Biscuit with Basil Butter and Blackberry Jam
Sweet Potato Biscuit with Ham, Swiss and Dijon
Fruity salad

It all started with these guys, biscuits that weren't exactly fluffy (I need to work on my biscuit skills) but still tasted buttery-yum.

 There were cold toppings, with crown jewels basil butter and homemade pimiento cheese.

And there were Southernly delicious hot toppings: chicken tenders, bacon and oven-fried green tomaters.

And we had a pretty salad to balance out all those carbs.

Conclusion: Birthdays make good excuses for forcing your friends to play with you food, and spending hours brainstorming and prepping food to play with.

 

Ultimate Southern Biscuit Bar Menu

Blackberry Cocktail

Tiffany's Tea Room Salad

with Strawberries, Roasted Asparagus, Pine Nuts and Pecorino Romano cheese

Buttermilk Biscuits

Blueberry Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes

Bacon

Chicken Tenders (from Publix)

Pimiento Cheese

Deli Ham

Swiss Cheese

Avocado

Basil Butter

Honey

Mustards

Jellies and Jams