5 Things - Apéro Time!

1) On the terrace




2) Along rue Montorgueil

3) Aperitivo in Bologna

4) A generous apéritif dinatoire in Montmartre




5) At our neighborhood café - they could stand to be a bit more generous with the popcorn, non?





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Where To Taste Wine In Paris

Take a class.
Thierry Givone owns Wine Tasting in Paris, a charming tasting space in the Latin Quarter. I'm a big fan of this guy! He helped me arrange a private Champagne tasting for my family last year, which they absolutely loved. They came away feeling like experts and happily continue applying their Champagne knowledge today.




Head to the Seine.
Paris boasts 65 open-air markets and 13 covered markets, so assembling a picnic is a snap. Then head to your local caviste or hit the grocery store for a bottle or two. Just don't forget the corkscrew!

Go to a tasting.
Most Saturdays you can meet the winemakers while tasting their wine at one of the best wine shops in the city, La Dernière Goutte.
Additionally, its owner, Juan Sanchez, offers a fundamentals of French wine class called Elements, which I'm taking next week. You can never have too much wine knowledge!




At the café. 
They might not serve the best wine that France has to offer, but the people watching will more than make up for it.




On a balcony.
Don't have one? I'm sure you know someone who does!



"Decisions, decisions."






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Savory Mini Muffins

When it comes to apéro nibbles I have but one requirement - they should not be fussy.

Actually, now that I think about it, I might have a few more...
Nibbles shouldn't require utensils, they can be eaten in only one or two bites, and of course they should be delicious.
Oh, and one last thing...they shouldn't take hours and hours to make.

Luckily there are a myriad of recipes out there that meet my strict requirements, and these mini muffins are one of them.

I have British chef, Delia Smith to thank for this recipe. These savory little muffins are bursting with a sweet onion and rich chèvre flavor.

This is my adapted recipe.

Savory Mini Muffins
Makes 24 muffins

For the muffins:

• 10 ounces (275 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 8 ounces (225 ml) milk
• a little butter for greasing the muffin pan
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the filling:

• 4 ounces (100 grams) fresh goat's cheese, broken into little pieces
• 4 ounces (100 grams) red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 24 small sprigs for garnishing
• 1 ounce butter

1. Begin by melting the butter in a small saucepan and softening the onion in it for about 5 minutes. Allow onions to cool.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt on to a large plate, then take a large mixing bowl and sift the mixture again, this time into the bowl. You want to give the flour a good airing.
4. Beat one egg together with the milk.
5. Next, fold the egg and milk mixture into the flour, using the minimum number of folding movements. (ignore the lumpy look of the mixture at this stage and don't over mix.)
6. Gently mix the onion along with the goats' cheese and chopped rosemary into the muffin mixture, folding in, as before, with as few strokes as possible.
7. Spoon the mixture straight into greased mini muffin tins. You can pile the mixture quite high.
8. Beat the second egg and brush the muffin surfaces with it, then top with a sprig of rosemary.
9. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until well risen and golden.
10. Remove the muffins from the tins to a rack.
11. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Previous recipes: Spiced Party Pecans, Smoked Salmon in Endive Leaves and  Herbed Chèvre
Bonus recipes: Puffy Cheese Straws and a Savory Cake aux Olives

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Herbed Chèvre

You didn't think that I would share a bunch of fabulous nibbles and snacks recipes without including at least one that was made almost entirely of cheese, now did you?

About 15 years ago I tried this recipe from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (I love these ladies!), and it became an instant favorite.
It is super rich and flavorful, and is always one of the first things to disappear when served at a party or an apéro dînatoire.

Herbed Chèvre
makes 2 cups

• 1 log (12 ounces) Montrachet or other soft mild chèvre
• 1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 3 bunches (about 12 stems each) chives, finely snipped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Break the log of Montrachet into 4 pieces and process in a food processor fitted with a steel blade while slowly adding the cream. Process until smooth. Scrape into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the chives, thyme, pepper, lemon juice and zest. Refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to blend.  
2. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with crusty bread...

I've also tried it using my homemade chèvre, but without the cream and by simply mixing it in a bowl with a spoon, instead of in a food processor. The flavor is more tangy and the texture is much lighter, but it is just as delicious.

Previous recipes: Spiced Party Pecans and Smoked Salmon in Endive Leaves
Bonus recipe: Savory Palmiers

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Smoked Salmon in Endive Leaves

My second simple nibbles and snacks recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine. I just don't think you can go wrong with this one.
It's both elegant and packed with flavor - and low calorie as well!

Smoked Salmon in Endive Leaves
yields 2 dozen

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
• 24 Belgian endive leaves
• Parsley sprigs (optional)

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. 
2. Spoon 1½ teaspoons salmon mixture onto each endive leaf. 
3. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Yesterday's recipe: Spiced Party Pecans

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Spiced Party Pecans

Moving is always stressful. Moving during the holidays...doubly so!
I still don't know what we were thinking when we decided to move only one week before Christmas. (and I'm sure our friends and family are wondering the same thing)

But that doesn't mean that we won't be celebrating! We have a friend arriving from the States on Christmas day and although we'll be keeping this year's cooking and festivities fairly simple, they will be festive indeed!

Over the next few days I thought I would share some of my simple, tried and true nibbles and snacks recipes that can either be made in advance or only take a few minutes to assemble right before serving.
Just in case you too are experiencing that overwhelmed-by-the-holidays feeling, either from moving or from life in general.

Santé!

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L'Heure de l'Apéro

L'heure de l'apéro (the French version of the cocktail hour) is a local tradition that we have happily embraced.  It's an invitation to sit down, relax and whet our appetites before the focal point of the evening; dinner.

Our evening apéro gets under way around 7-7:30 and normally lasts about an hour.  I have a glass of white or rosé wine, or sometimes a kir, and my husband either has a mixed drink or a glass of wine. 
Little bowls of pretzels or olives are served to take the edge off, and when we have friends over we serve something a little more substantial, such as little slices of saucisson, a chunk of pâté and another dish or two.

Santé!

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Apéro Hour

I'm afraid that the apéro hour extended into apéro two hours this evening, thus la Fête du Fromage post didn't get finished.  Please have a look for it tomorrow.
Merci!

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Photo du Jour - A Little Something to Nibble On

I wish I could claim credit for this scrumptious creation. But I can't. I have to give it to a friend of mine.

A simple combination of horseradish cream cheese spread on thinly sliced rounds of toasted baguette and topped with slices of roasted beets. Sprinkle a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper over the top and voilà - perfect apéro hour nibbles! Pin It

Photo du Jour - Olive Cake

Savory Cake aux Olives.
Delicious to serve with un petit apéro.


Domaine Saint Luc's Cake aux Olives
8 servings
from The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells

4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces (1 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Swiss Gruyère cheese
1 scant cup black Nyons olives, pitted and halved lengthwise*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 cup homemade Tomato Sauce (optional)

1. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan (preferably nonstick) and set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir to blend. Slowly add the eggs, whisking to incorporate. Whisk in the milk, cheese, olives and oil. Set aside for 2 hours to allow flour to absorb the liquids (making for a lighter cake).
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Stir the batter to blend once again. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place in the center of the oven and bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature, sliced and cut into cubes. Or to serve as a first course, slice and serve with fresh tomato sauce.

*I like to make this cake with green lucques olives or a mix of green and black olives. Pin It

Photo du Jour - les Lucques

A perfect apéro - les lucques and a glass of rosé. Pin It