Drink to Your Health!

French women have long been heralded as beacons of fashion. One of the long lauded and oft-admired traits of the French woman is her ability to enjoy wine daily, and still retain her figure. Well, there's even more to it than that, as drinking a small glass of wine everyday has several distinct benefits to your health.

Originally published in the February 2008 issue of Health magazine, Debra Gordon identified the following six benefits derived from daily imbibement in her article "6 Reasons Why a Little Glass of Wine Each Day May Do You Good."

1. Feed Your Head - Wine can not only preserve your memory, but also prevents clots and reduces blood vessel inflammation. Alcohol has also been linked to raising HDL (the good cholesterol), which helps to unblock your arteries. 
2. Keep the Scale in Your Corner - Daily wine drinkers have been shown to have lower body mass than those who only occasionally indulge, while moderate wine drinkers also have more slender waists and less abdominal fat than those who drink liquor. Plus, studies have shown that alcohol may encourage your body to burn extra calories for up to 90 minutes after it's consumed. 
3. Boost Your Body's Defenses - According to a British study, people who consumed one glass of wine per day reduced their risk of infection from the bacteria that mainly causes gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancers by 11%! Even just half a glass has been cited to fight against food poisoning when consumed with contaminated food. 
4. Guard Against Ovarian Woes - In an Australian study, researches found that those who consumed one glass of wine per day reduced their risk for developing ovarian cancer by as much as 50%. 
5. Build Better Bones - Moderate drinkers appear to have higher bone mass, in that alcohol seems to delay the body's destruction of old bone. 
6. Prevent Blood-Sugar Trouble - Women who have not yet hit menopause and who drink between one and two glasses per day are up to 40% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Researchers indicated that wine appears to reduce insulin resistance in diabetic patients as well. 

As in most (if not all) aspects of life, moderation is always key, so don't feel guilty about enjoying your favorite vintage tonight. After all, you're drinking to your health!

Mardi Gras

This week, we celebrate Mardi Gras, which is French for 'Fat Tuesday.' Held on the Tuesday right before Ash Wednesday kicks of the Lenten season, Mardi Gras essentially refers to the encompassing Carnival celebrations that begin on Epiphany and run up to Ash Wednesday.

In New Orleans, this tradition is taken very (*ahem*) seriously, and quite the party ensues. Up here, where we're a little less steeped in French tradition, and it's A LOT colder, we can still celebrate. What better way to celebrate than with a little baking?!

A traditional Mardi Gras treat, the King Cake, would be a perfect baking project to celebrate the occasion! In order to get the full effect, you will need a small, plastic baby. (It will be baked into the cake). When you go to serve the cake, make sure to warn everyone that they are looking for the baby, so they can be careful.

There are several traditions as far as who finds the baby. Some dictate that the finder will be soon having a baby, some state that the person is king/queen for the day with special duties and obligations. Make up your own tradition, even if it's just that the finder will have good luck!

Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake - borrowed from All Recipes

Ingredients
PASTRY:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter

FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Learn French Fridays

As you know, around here, we're either a little bit Francophile or we're actually French (Chef Pierre Jean), and we certainly LOVE French cuisine.

Therefore, we decided to start a little Friday fun with the inception of Learn French Fridays! Each Friday we'll feature a new, popular French word or phrase for your enjoyment.

Practice it, speak it, and hey, c'mon in and try it out on us!

Happy Parlez-vous-ing!

Get H-appy Already

With Spring just around the corner, we're thinking of heating things up already. That's why we decided to spice up Happy Hour (and well, any hour you're hanging out in our lounge) with our new appetizers.

New Appetizer Offerings

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Habanero Shrimp

Captains Catch

Walleye Fingers, Habanero Shrimp, Fried Calamari, French Fries, Onion Rings 

The Sampler (serves 4) 

Chipotle Honey Lime Wings, Chicken Fingers, Breaded Zucchini Sticks, Tempura Green Beans, Mozzarella Sticks, French Fries 

Spicy Beef Bites

From savory teryaki to hot and spicy, we'll have you thawed out in no time. Plus, our new samplers are the perfect feast for your hungry group. (Not to mention, the perfect complement to a cool drink). 

So, bring your next happy hour to Chez Daniel and beat the cold with some heat! 

Romance is the Name of the Game

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we doubt you can find a more romantic setting than Chez Daniel. The vintage, French bistro flair, and cozy seating options is the perfect setting. This year, bring your beloved for our four-course Valentine's Day dinner and make it a meal he/she won't soon forget.

First Course 

(Select one) 

Pear Salad

Belgian endive, roasted pears, roquefort cheese, mustard vinagrette, red wine reduction, candy pecans 

Apple Beet Salad

Heart shaped beets, apples, micro greens, apple cider vinaigrette, red wine reduction 

Second Course

(Select One)

Sea Scallops 

In cream of brie chive sauce

Shrimp Morel 

With spinach puree and wild mushroom cream

Third Course

(Select One)

Roasted Beef Filet

Roasted tomato demi glace, red wine reduction, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus 

Crab Crusted Salmon

Thai chili butter sauce, golden jewel grain blend and haricot verts au beurre 

Fourth Course

Raspberry White Chocolate Cake

Heart-shaped raspberry white chocolate cake

This four-course special presentation is offered at just $50 per person. Plus, to make a truly romantic event of it, take advantage of our prime location nestled within the Embassy Suites Bloomington and get a room, already! 

To make your dinner reservations, call Chez Daniel at 952.888.4447 or book online at Open Table. 

Happy Valentine's Day!