The Bread Basket

Ahhh! The aroma of freshly baked bread can't be beat. Here at Chez Daniel, we like to preface every meal with a warm, perfectly crusty French baguette.

Other restaurants have a house biscuit, rolls, or some other type of bread, with the bread basket contents being remarked upon and leaving a lasting impression long after dessert has settled. It can definitely make or break one's impression of the forthcoming meal, (and can also spoil a perfectly good appetite)!

What are your thoughts on the bread basket? Which restaurants have a great offering? Do you fill up on bread or are you strong enough to abstain? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Apple of Our Eye

With this week's brief respite from the heat and humidity as well as the Back to School displays that are in full retail force, fall doesn't seem that far off after all. 

Not only can we look forward to the beautiful weather that marks a Minnesota fall, but we can also anxiously await the arrival of apple season. Everyone has a favorite apple dish around here as well as some great family recipes. 

This week we've got a bit of a sweet tooth and are pretty excited to try this French Apple Tart recipe borrowed from Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and the Food Network. 

Ingredients
For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions
For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and amelon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Yum, yum! This tart will have you thinking cool, delicious thoughts of fall in no time! Enjoy!

Happy Bastille Day!

Today marks the annual French celebration, La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration), otherwise known as Bastille Day. Commemorating the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, Bastille Day mainly celebrates the French Revolution and subsequent establishment of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

While Bastille Day in France is quite the event, with parades, fireworks, and more, Minnesota Francophliles can also join in the fun.

The Alliance Français, a Twin Cities French cultural center, will be hosting a Bastille Day celebration this Saturday, July 16, from 4 to 6pm at the University Club in St. Paul. For more information and a complete schedule of events, feel free to visit their Bastille Day 2011 page.

Barbette and vita.mn are also hosting a Bastille Day Block Party this weekend, on Sunday. Good news, if you wanted to spend all weekend celebrating! Rain or shine, the event will be held on Irving and Lagoon in Uptown and will feature performances, music, and more! A portion of the proceeds from the event will even be donated to local charity, People Serving People.

So, if you want to get out and get down all in the name of Bastille Day, you've got some options. Of course, a tasty meal at Chez Daniel would suffice just fine as well!

Viva La Revolution and Happy Bastille Day, all!

Soufflé or non?

From cheese to chocolate and everything in between, soufflés are a wonderful treat for any occasion. With primarily French roots (Soufflé literally means "puffed up"), here at Chez Daniel, our ears perk up a little bit when we hear a great soufflé recipe.

We recently stumbled across a rhubarb soufflé recipe, which suited our Midwestern sensibilities just fine. However, poor soufflés have a bit of a bad rap. Contrary to popular belief, they will not simply fall after a loud noise sounds through the kitchen. (It's usually the result of poor preparation).

Generally if a cook is careful about both the ingredients incorporated as well as the preparation itself, the soufflé can stand on its own, even for guests. Here at Chez, we've enjoyed several different soufflés on the menu over the years. Right now, we don't have one available, but we could be persuaded to add one into the mix!

Have you made a soufflé recently? If so, what are your foolproof tips for avoiding the dreaded "fall"?

Also, do you have a particular favorite (savory or sweet)? We'd love to hear about it!

Holiday Hours

As a business, getting your holiday hours down is a science. There's not a one size fits all approach, nor can one predict the flow of business precisely on holiday weekends.

Trying to best serve our customers while still accommodating the needs of our employees and managing business needs accordingly, Chez Daniel has decided upon the following holiday hours for the 4th of July weekend.

Chez Daniel:

Saturday, July 2nd - Regular hours 

Sunday, July 3rd - Closed

Monday, July 4th - Closed

Corks’ Pub & Room Service:

Saturday, July 2nd - Regular hours

Sunday, July 3rd - Regular hours

Monday, July 4th - Regular hours

City Blend:

Saturday, July 2nd - Regular hours

Sunday, July 3rd - Regular hours

Monday, July 4th - 8AM-3PM (or as business demands)

Have a safe and happy 4th of July, everybody. We'll see you at brunch next week!