Create a French Noël Party with Culinary Impact (Dec. 4 – Dec. 10)

Holiday parties are food events! Entertain with French style for creativity and inspiration.
Guests will be enchanted with a French pâtisserie called a Croquembouche. This glorious towering pastry design incorporates an abundance of round cream puffs into a cone shape (that is shaped like a Christmas tree) and it is held together with golden caramel.

For culinary grandeur, serve Fruits de Mer. This is a French style appetizer in which a large tray is elevated in the center of the table. The tray is filled with iced lobster, crab, oysters and seafood delicacies.

Cheese displays are exciting. I love to carve little mice from chunks of cheese. A radish can be used as a tail and cloves can be used for the eyes. A French consideration is to serve honey with blue cheese. I shape the Roquefort into a beehive formation and pour the honey inside. Then I set on marzipan shaped bees for decorations. It is attractive to display the honeycomb with the cheese, also.

As the end of the party is near, offer French style hot chocolate by simmering the hot chocolate with a split vanilla bean. Strain before serving and intrigue the guests as you pour the delicious chocolate from an authentic chocolate pot. A porcelain chocolate pot looks similar to a porcelain coffee pot except the spout is at a right angle to the handle instead of being directly across from the handle. There is an open space in the lid to hold a wooden spoon called a molinet for stirring. The hot chocolate will warm the hearts of your guests and may take off an alcoholic edge as the guests begin to exit.

Entertaining does not have to be expensive. By providing a few dynamic food features and an international flare, your guests will delighted. May your entertaining season be “joie de vivre” – the joy of life.

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