Ladurée-inspired fête~~le menu, la table, et le thé

To all of you who have attended my Ladurée-inspired party thus far, thank you for your sweet comments regarding the invitations and décor. Now on to the most important element of my party planning-the food. Pretty invitations and a romantic atmosphere are nice but a delicious meal enhances the entire experience. An when throwing a Ladurée-inspired party, one must serve authentic French cuisine.

Months before the party I carefully planned the menu. Then I designed an actual menu to place on the table. Perched on top of a small, ornate easel, my French menu gracefully greeted each guest. I created mini menus, as party favors, and placed them at each table setting.

_{romantic table setting~shiny silverware, soft white napkins wrapped in rich champagne satin ribbon, and miniature menus}

I began planning this party nearly a year ago with a Ladurée theme in mind. I envisioned an all white table with gold accents. I wanted white linens and classy antique white plates with gold rims. Even though I searched for a year, I never found the plates that I was looking for...until YESTERDAY...yes, yesterday I found the set for which I'd been searching-three weeks after the party...C'est la vie.

Our lunch was a leisurely five course meal...comme les français, bien sûr.

All of the food was homemade by me-the day of the party-except for the crème brûlée. I want to thank Renée (my other sister-in-law) for helping me prepare the plates in between courses...You should have seen us scurrying around in the kitchen:)

LE MENU

L'entrée :

_{la soupe à l'oignon gratinée {French onion soup with cheese}}

This French onion soup was made following Rachel Ray's Recipe: French Onion Soup with a Sicilian Twist. I love the fresh rosemary cooked into the soup and the large homemade crouton {from a French baguette} that is covered with grape tomatoes and basil from the garden. This makes a delicious lunch all on its own.

La salade:

_{une salade verte au chèvre chaud {Warm goat cheese salade}}

When I studied abroad in France about 10 years ago, I remember eating warm goat cheese salads everywhere I went. This was my first attempt at bringing this salad to my home.
Simply slice chilled goat cheese, roll slices in flour, then roll in Panko crumbs and fry in the skillet with some olive oil.
Add fried goat cheese to a bed of green lettuces that have been tossed in a French vinaigrette-et voila! a classic French salad.

Le plat principal:

_{la bouchée à la reine {Chicken Friand}}

I never had Chicken Friand {la bouchée à la reine}in France, but it is my favorite dish at La Madeleine-a country French café chain here in the United States.
If you love puff pastries, chicken, and mushrooms, you will LOVE Chicken Friand!

Click here for the recipe.
And here's a little secret for a great tasting Chicken Friand-use a rotisserie chicken for the best flavor!

Le fromage :

Our cheese plate included:
gouda - not very French but delicious;
le fromage aux noix {cheese with walnuts- The BEST tasting cheese you will ever eat!}
and chèvre {goat cheese}

La crème brûlée:

My sister-in-law, Renée (the one who made Amelia's aqua birthday cake with white chocolate sea creatures) made the creme brûlée, and we all enjoyed torching the sugar on top~
It was so delicious we had to restrain ourselves from licking the ramekins clean.



Later that afternoon, we enjoyed un pause-thé {a break for tea}. We enjoyed drinking fresh loose teas such as Jasmine pearl tea, Imperial Pu-erh, and Earl Gray.
And as a gift, I gave each guest a vintage teacup and saucer as a party favor and souvenir of our special day together.

Along with our teas, we had homemade French macarons.
I enjoyed creating the uniquely flavored macarons just for the party while staying with the classic pale Ladurée color palette.

_{macarons by à la parisienne}

I used a butter cream base for all three macaron flavors:
pistachio-lemon;
cinnamon with fresh ginger zest;
& lavender/rosemary infused honey

By the end of the day, our souls were replenished not only by food by but also through convivial fellowship, and I was so thrilled (and relieved) that our fête surprise à la Ladurée had been a success.

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual glimpse of the party. I appreciate your visits and kind words of encouragement, and Felicia appreciates the birthday well wishes. Merci.

_{images by à la parisienne}

Ladurée-inspired fête surprise-The Décor

A beautiful, ethereal atmosphere and delicious French cuisine were the two essential components of la fête surprise. "Over the top" is a common phrase my sister-in-law uses when describing something amazing- a well-decorated space, a favorite dish, or a special experience. If you knew Felicia, you would know that she has a finesse for creating things that are "over the top." She's an extraordinary decorator and craftswoman. How could I honor such a savvy woman's birthday with just common balloons and streamers?

~~~

A party at a nice venue would have been nice, but those are few an far between here, not to mention expensive. So, I decided, I could create a beautiful atmosphere in my home with a little bit of planning and moving. Yes, moving. My husband and I switched the furniture in our parisienne salon and diningroom-just for the party.

_{drama & the unexpected-a trail of peachy-blush lace spills off of the dining table and puddles onto the floor like the train of a wedding dress.}

The party took place in the parisienne salon, which receives the most glorious peach-infused morning light.

_{upclose view of table and beyond a glimpse of the tea table}

I purposefully made this party very intimate, with a list of 5 invitees (including myself and the guest of honor.) I wanted us to have a few special, private hours around the table, dining on French cuisine at our leisure and enjoying each other's conversation with soft French music in the background. How many public venues in Texas can offer such an ambiance?

_{a picture of the birthday girl during her adolescence~ May her life hold many more years full of wonder.}

~~~

When Felicia returned home, she sent me the sweetest message:

"We just got home and there is only one word to describe today and that is 'magical.' On the drive home I described {to my husband} every bite, every color, every detail and how special you made me feel. Today was sincerely the best birthday I have ever had but the real gift is you. I beleive with all my heart that God not only hand-picked you for Aaron but he also had me in mind too. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and for a memory that I will always cherish. I love you...Sissy"

~~~

And that is what hosting a party is all about~making people feel special and drawing loved ones even closer together.

Next, I will share le menu....

_{images by à la parisienne}

Une fête surprise ~ inspired by Ladurée

Vous êtes invités...

Here's a hand delivered invitation for you to attend la fête surprise that I hosted this past weekend.

This wasn't just any party; this party was specially designed for one of my dearest friends, who happens to be one of the most creative, talented women I know~~my sister-in-law.

Felicia deserved the very best party I could create, so what better inspiration to use than Ladurée?

Ladurée boxes inspired the invitations for the party.

The boxes were hand painted and given a beautiful one of a kind label on top. Then they were wrapped in a rich champagne double faced satin ribbon, but the real treat for the recipient was what was inside the box...

homemade pistachio macarons with a lemon butter filling...

made by yours truly.

Yes, I tought myself how to make French macarons~~just for this party.

More delicious party details to come...

_{images by à la parisienne}