COCKTAILS IN PARIS

I just want to share with you our Cocktail Dinner at the Le Pré Catelan Le Restaurant in Paris.

 

We were invited to a cocktail dinner and indeed, it was all cocktail. I know all the better now.

A cocktail party (from wiki.answers.com) is a social gathering that features mixed drinks, along with finger foods - hors d'oeuvres. A cocktail party can be formal or informal and guests are encouraged to intermingle and engage in conversation.

But because there was so much cocktails and desserts, you could really still be so full! 

The presentation was fantastic and they love putting a touch of gold leaf.

From Wikipedia, gold leaf is:

In some cultures gold (and silver) leaf is considered non-toxic when labeled as food-grade and so can be used to decorate food or drink, conveying a perception of luxury and high value. Such a leaf is called Vark. They can often be found on a number of dessertsand confectionery including chocolates and mithai.

Here are the hors d'oeuvres!!!

Hors d'oeuvre (UK /ɔːˈdɜrv/ or /ɔːˈdɜrvr(ə)/,^[1] US /ɔrˈdɜrv/; French: [ɔʁ dœvʁ], literally "apart from the [main] work") or the first course, are food items served before the main courses of a meal.^[2] The French (singular and plural) is hors d’œuvre; in English, the œ ligature is usually replaced by the digraph "oe" with the plural often written as "hors d'oeuvres" and pronounced /ɔrˈdɜrvz/. There are several related terms, such as a one-bite appetizer.

Hors d'oeuvre may be served at the desk, as a part of the meal; or they may be served before sitting at the table. Hors d'oeuvre prior to a meal are either rotating or passed. Stationary hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "table hors d'oeuvre". Passed hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "butler-style" or "butlered" hors d'oeuvre

 

salmon

 

more salmon

 

 

the gold leaf

 

 

Since hors d'oeuvres are supposed to be first meal, we did think that there would still be the main course.

Anyway, the taste was interesting, too! Some familiar... some not!

The place was beautiful and refreshing... so green and airy!
And the company was a great venue for making new friends and colleagues.

But I guess in the end, I was the busiest... taking pictures of all these little hors d'oeuvres!!! 

Actually, since I already escaped to do more shots of the place, they said I missed the many many dessert that came after!

TASTE OF NORWAY: FREIA CHOCOLATES

Well, I have on more Chocolate blog and this was given by my friend, Araceli T. E. from Norway!!! We met for our reunion and I was one of the favored classmates to be given the FREIA TWIST (2 NYE BITER)!!!

Here are some other things about FRIEA from Wikipedia:

Freia is a Norwegian chocolate candy manufacturing company. The company is famous for Freia Melkesjokolade and Kvikk Lunsj, as well as for other candy and dessert products.

The company was founded in 1889, but real success was seen only in 1892, when Johan Throne Holst (1868–1946) took over management. Holst realized that there was a potential market for edible milk chocolate, in addition to thedark chocolate and other minor products Freia were producing at the time. Holst built up Freia to be Norway's leading chocolate manufacturer. By the turn of the century, Freia was the leading Norwegian brand in sweets. Since its inception the factory has been in the Rodeløkka neighborhood in the borough of Grünerløkka in Oslo.

Based on the success in Norway, the Throne-Holst family in 1916 founded the chocolate factory Marabou inUpplands Väsby outside of Stockholm in Sweden. The name Freia (or Freja) could not be used due to a conflictingtrademark in Sweden. The name Marabou was chosen instead from the Marabou Stork, the species of bird on the Freia logo.

Freia was purchased in 1993 by Kraft Foods Nordic, for NOK 3 billion. The company’s flagship product has since then been the Milk Chocolate candy bar, Freia Melkesjokolade. On the basis of this famous product, Freia produces several other candy bars, with added nuts, raisins, cookies and Daim pieces. The brand has constantly been marketed in a national romantic spirit - as the essence of everything that is Norwegian. Their slogan is "A small piece of Norway" (Et lite stykke Norge).

There are several chocolates in my Freia Twist bag = = with caramel filling, coconut, banana and apricot  fillings, nougat, nuts, toffee, dark chocolate and lots more !!!

Interesting, right?!?!?!

And remember, the chocolates taste sweeter when we remember our friend who gave the chocolates to us! Thanks, Cel!

Unfortunately, Freia isn't so readily available in our side of the world... Hope you can also try it out someday!!! 

TASTE OF SWITZERLAND: SPRÜNGLI LUXEMBURGERLI

You must be wondering what these are!

We were so lucky that we had the most gracious host ever, the Nobles family! 

And Ate Evelyn couldn't really help but wanted us to taste the Luxemburgerli! So she brought us to the Sprüngli store in the Zurich train station as soon as we were done with the Chocolate store!

So from Wikipedia, this is what Luxemburgerli means:

Luxemburgerli (also Luxembourger) is a brand name of confectionery made by the Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich,Switzerland. Essentially a small macaron, they have a top and bottom sugar-based confection with a center cream filling. The Luxemburgerli is lighter than a macaron and is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.

Flavors

Flavors include: vanilla, chocolate, stracciatella (chocolate chip), caramel, hazelnut, champagne, amaretto, chestnut, mocha, cinnamon, lemon, mandarin, and raspberry. Many flavors are seasonal. The shelf life is three to five days, refrigerated.

Invention

Luxemburgerli were invented by the confectioner Camille Studer who brought the recipe to Zürich after creating them in a Luxembourg confectionery shop (Confiserie Namur) in 1957. There, the recipe was refined for a confectionery contest. The name Luxemburgerli is derived from the nickname which a colleague bestowed on Studer, whose family originated in Luxembourg. The original name, Baiser de Mousse (foam kiss in French), perceived as appropriate for the new creation, was changed to Gebäck des Luxemburgers ("Luxemburger's confection") which became, in Swiss German, Luxemburgerli ("little Luxembourger")

Here is the store and the confections galore.

When I saw the name of the store after I left, I remembered Eunice's advice... then, later found out the confection store (Confiserie Sprüngli) is different from the chocolate store (Chocolat Sprüngli AG)!

The Luxemburgerli is lighter than a macaron and is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.

 

 

This is our Luxemburgerli box.

TO ENJOY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 

top and bottom sugar-based confection with a center cream filling

This was our snacks while we were on our train ride to Milan!

As adviced on the box: TO ENJOY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!

These were sweet and yummy indeed! 

Thanks Kuya Nelson and Ate Evelyn for another distinct taste of Zurich, Switzerland!!
And thanks to Dr. Frankie F. for the opportunity to meet his wonderful cousins!!!