French Thanksgiving Favorites

Once again, we're sharing some French-inspired and French favorite dishes for you to incorporate into your Thanksgiving menu.  We've come across some fabulous ideas that will have everyone at your table saying, "Ooh la la!"

Starters

Cheese Puffs

We suggest going with Comte or Gruyere. Yum!

Baked Brie with Cranberries

A classic holiday favorite

Pate, Smoked Salmon, Assorted Cheeses, Grapes Platter

Salads

Roasted Pears with Candied Pecans and Roquefort Cheese

We'll be serving this one at our Thanksgiving Day Brunch

Warm Green Bean Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Many French salads are actually served warm

Side Dishes

Herbed Zucchini and tomato Tian

Actually quite healthy

Pear & Red Onion Gratin 

Would make a fantastic substitute for stuffing

Butternut Squash Gratin with Onion & Sage 

Again, would make a fantastic substitute for stuffing

Alternative Main Courses

Duck with Apple & Cherry Sauce

Great if you're not big on turkey or wanted a second meat to serve

Classic Pot au Feu

Slow Roasted Beef served with Potatoes and Vegetables

The Finale! 

Apple Brioche Cake

Pumpkin Maple Créme Brûlée

A harvest twist on a classic favorite

Profiteroles

Serve filled with ice cream a la Chez Daniel or your own pastry cream preference!

Basque Custard Torte

White Chocolate Lemon Mousse

This Thanksgiving, spice up your spread with some French themed cuisine, and make sure you have plenty of your favorite French wines available to pair with your menu choices!

~ Bon Appetit & Joyeux Thanksgiving ~

Crème Caramel

We get to celebrate another fabulous food holiday on October 3 this week, National Caramel Custard Day! While that should be enough to pique your sweet tooth, we thought we would go one step further and devote a whole blog post to the French version of Caramel Custard, Crème Caramel.

Crème Caramel (commonly known as Caramel Custard or Flan) is a custard-based dessert topped with a layer of soft caramel. Crème Caramel remains a dessert staple in many European restaurants due to its ability to be prepared in advance. This doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to prepare, as both making the custard to the ideal consistency as well as preserving its integrity and keeping it from splitting takes care.

Composed of sugar, milk, cream, eggs, salt, and vanilla, the standard recipe for Crème Caramel involves making the caramel for the bottom of each custard cup. Then, one whips up the custard base and pours it over the caramel before baking the whole thing in a hot water bath. The final step involves inverting the cooled custard onto a serving plate at which point the liquid caramel tops the custard and drizzles down the sides.

A version of Crème Caramel is served throughout the world, with different regions "spicing" up their versions to accommodate local tastes and preferences. In Latin America, Crème Caramel may be enjoyed with Dulce de Leche, and in the Caribbean, different localities add things like cinnamon and coconut milk to their renditions. Additionally, in some parts of southern Vietnam, a black coffee is poured over the top of the dessert prior to serving. In fact, the only continent that doesn't have their own versions of Crème Caramel is Antarctica!

So, no matter where you're enjoying it or how you take your Crème Caramel, Happy Caramel Custard Day and bon appétit!