Happier Hour!

Just when you thought Happy Hour couldn't possibly get any better, we rolled out $5 Happy Hour appetizers! Our lounge wants to make sure your Happy Hour is as pleasant to your wallet as it is to your tastebuds.

Available for a limited time from 4:30 to 7pm, Monday through Friday, you can choose from any of the delectable options below, or sample several and share with friends.

In addition to the great appetizers, we're also pleased to offer great Happy Hour drink specials! We're in the process of revamping our offerings and will start unveiling them shortly. In the meantime, if you ever want to know the particular specials we'll be offering on a given day, please give us a call at 952-888-4447.

With a wide variety of popular imbibements available and our hand-selected wine list, we've got the perfect beverage companion to whatever your craving.

This week, don't let work get you down. Get happy with some $5 appetizers when you grab a drink with friends.

And don't be shy! What kind of specials would you like to see offered for our Happy Hour? We'd be downright giddy to have your input.

Top Secret!

A recent advice column entry had me thinking this week on family culinary traditions. The individual who wrote in for advice was passed on her aunt's famous pancake recipe only after promising to never share the recipe and its secret ingredient with anyone.

Well, of course, the aunt passed away, and the niece's sister-in-law demanded to know the secret ingredient. The niece refused, feeling she would be betraying her deceased aunt's trust. The advice columnist agreed with the reader since she had made the promise.

This, however, brought up an interesting question. What would be the statute of limitations on the pancake recipe? Would the niece ever be able to share it in good conscience? (I wonder a little if she simply wanted to  hold it over her sister-in-law).

With recipes as intellectual property (and in our litigious society), it makes the issue even more interesting. In my family, we have lots of tradition-passed baked-item recipes, but they can be difficult to pull off without the right skill set.

What do you think? Do you have a famous family recipe that you don't feel comfortable sharing? Or are you of the persuasion to share freely?  I'd love to hear a greater consensus on this!

So classically French, the madeleine is, (contrary to popular belief), quite easy to prepare and enjoy from the comfort of your home!

Created from a list of surprisingly traditional and generally on-hand ingredients, the only thing out of the ordinary required to make madeleines is the special, shell-shaped madeleine pan. (Make sure you choose a metal pan over its silicone counterparts, for a more even browning).

When choosing a madeleine recipe, thanks to the internet, you have a plethora of options. Many incorporate lemon zest for added flavor. There are chocolate variations, cinnamon versions, coconut madeleines, and more. You can dredge them in milk chocolate and enjoy them with your favorite warm beverage.

A traditional madeleine recipe may be a good starting point. (Unless, of course, you're feeling adventurous, in which case, you should go all out!) We've decided to share one of the best traditional recipes we've found. This madeleine recipe is by Susan Champlin Taylor and borrowed from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Madeleines

Makes about 20

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
•  
• Powdered sugar
• 
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour pan for large madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4 inches).* Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon peel and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended.
  
  
• Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown, about 16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. 
  
  
  DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead.
• 
  
  Dust cookies with powdered sugar.

Happy baking (and eating)!

Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil is coming to Bloomington! Ovo, the latest installment, will open under the Grand Chapiteau in Mall of America's North Parking Lot on May 26, 2011.

 Described as "an immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects," Ovo promises to be just as spectacular as its Cirque du Soleil predecessors. While the show is based on the world beneath your feet, you can be sure that Ovo will take place around and above you! Acrosports, Flying, Slackwire, Spanish web-duo Butterflies, and more all set to a fantastic original score that Cirque du Soleil is known for will delight your senses and astonish your sensibilities.

Make sure you have your tickets, because they're bound to go quickly. Then, secure your reservations at Chez Daniel for some pre-show dinner or post-show dessert!

St. Germain

The weather this week has been fantastic! As we focus on the coming of Spring and all the wonderful things we'll be able to do at the end of such a long hibernation, we've started to ruminate on Spring drinks.

One of our new favorite staples remains St. Germain, the Elder Flower Liqueur. Not only is it a product of France, but it tastes sublime and comes packaged in the coolest Art Deco bottle ever!

We haven't yet encountered a drink made with St. Germain that we dislike, so we decided to share some of our favorites for you to try.

The Classic St. Germain Cocktail

2 oz. Dry Champagne 

1.5 oz. St. Germain

2 oz. Club Soda

Add all ingredients to a tall, ice-filled glass. Stir completely. Garnish with a Lemon Twist. 

The Pear Tree

1 1/2 parts St. Germain

1 1/2 parts Pear Vodka

1/2 part Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of Pear.

Make sure to pick up a bottle and whip something up for your next Spring shindig. We're sure you'll be feeling warm and fuzzy in no time!

Sweets - What's Not to Love?

Love is in the air! As we approach Valentine's Day weekend with ardent anticipation, our minds are on only one thing....Food!

Since everyone loves a good list, we've put our heads together to compile the most romantic desserts just in time for you to share a finger-licking, oh-so-sugary sweet moment with your valentine!

10. Gourmet Cupcakes in Unique Flavors

The cupcake craze continues to sweep the nation.
Surprise your sweetheart with an unexpected flavor, like lavender,
or even a traditional Valentine's Day favorite, red velvet!
Better yet, select a few choice flavors and share as you compare tasting notes. 

9. Chocolate Mousse

8. Chocolate Fondue

Molten hot chocolate with a variety of items to dunk, dip, savor and share?
Sounds like a valentine's dream come true!
Think berries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, dried fruit (mango, apricots, etc.),
and Pirouette cookies. A simple chocolate fondue pot or double boiler
does the trick to melt your choice of chocolate to perfection.

7. Mini Chocolate Lava Cakes

6. Crème Brûlée

If you're looking for a challenge to impress your special someone,
crème brûlée is a great option!
You can stick with the traditional vanilla variety or
even upgrade to amaretto, or a variety or fruit options. 

5. Chocolate Truffles

4. Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Easy to prepare, chocolate covered strawberries are a longstanding
Valentine's Day favorite! Select from white, dark, or milk chocolate
(or even some combination of all three), and make sure you use long-stemmed fancy strawberries.
(They are a bit more pricey, but are larger, prettier, and
better tasting, so it's a solid trade-off). 

3. Anything flaming! Think Bananas Foster (for two of course)...

2. Berries & Fresh Whipped Cream

Possibly the easiest treat to prepare on the whole list with added points
for ease of portability. Select strawberries, raspberries, black berries, and blue berries.
Then, use slightly sweetened, freshly whipped cream
(or in a pinch even canned whipped cream would suffice). 

1. Anything sweet shared together in a romantic locale! (By a fireplace (indoor s'mores anyone?), where you had your first date, maybe even somewhere more private...)

Chocolate, berries, and cream seem to be the predominate elements on our list this year. (What a coincidence, Chez Daniel luckily incorporates many of these romantic ingredients into our dessert list).

So, now that you have our list to get you thinking, how will you sweeten your Valentine's Day?

Dining Out + Kids = Great!

Depending on who you ask, dining out with your children in tow is either a for sure or a faux pas. Yet, you can't just stay home when you don't have a sitter. Besides, how else are your kids going to learn how to behave in restaurants without experiencing it firsthand?

We've come up with five tips to help ensure dining out with your brood remains an enjoyable experience.

1. Make sure that the restaurant you're visiting welcomes children. Often, smaller and fancier restaurants do not have child-friendly menu items or even spaces and seating that are accommodating to younger diners. The best way to ensure success is to phone the restaurant directly and give them the ages of your children. This way the restaurant can let you know ahead of time if they'll welcome your kids with open arms.

2. Time is of the essence. Consider your children's attention spans very carefully. Then, figure in whether or not you'll have to wait to be seated and the restaurant's usual timing between courses. A restaurant that does not take reservations might be a poor choice for a busy weekend night, because hungry young diners often lack the fortitude to wait patiently for a table. Additionally, restaurants that serve multi-course tasting menus could either delight an older child, who anxiously awaits the arrival of the next course or aggravate a younger one, who is no longer amused with the situation.

3. Be prepared. More often than not, the restaurant will have coloring sheets and crayons or bread/crackers available for young guests, but this is not always a certainty. Crayola Color Wonder products are great to have on hand, because the markers only show up on the special paper. With travel kits available, transporting them is a snap! Worse case scenario, that pen and notebook Mom keeps in her purse could be a lifesaver. Additionally, when the kids are starving, rolling their eyes, and threatening imminent death should they not be fed immediately, granola bars, snack size bags of Cheerios, and other small snacks are great rations to tide little tummies over until meals arrive.

4. Make it fun! Show kids that eating out and experiencing different cuisines is a great way to learn new things and develop new likes. Let them pick out an appetizer that they've never tried before or talk them into splitting an adult entrée with you instead of the same old kids' menu fare. Then, for older children, let  them guess the total of the bill and help figure out the gratuity. It's a great way to impart your values on gratuity and how you honor those in the service industry by tipping.

5. Enjoy your time together. You're not busy cooking or cleaning up and you're all together, so this is a great time to sit back, catch up, and enjoy one another's company. Find out what they've been doing in school this week. Before dinner, engage in a tic-tac-toe battle royale with your elementary-age child or an I-spy session with your preschooler. No matter what you do, at least you're doing it together.

We're sure this list is by no means comprehensive. What do you do to make dining out enjoyable with your kids? We'd love to hear from you!