Ah the French!
The St-Germain Le Peep Holiday Chapeau.
Christmas Eve. My St-Germain liquer "Le Peep holiday chapeau" was strategically posted to be received on Christmas eve. It was taken from the lovely cardboard envelope that I found with other Christmas tidings in the post. The return address was St-Germain, Coral Gables, Florida and I was puzzled to receive this. St-Germain is made in France. But what was inside? St-Germain is made in France from the the flower of Elderberry, sweet and best accompanied in champagne.
Much to my delight I found three papers inside - 2 of heavy cardstock. The contents - a cardstock paper with 3 pictures and a "template"/recipe card, an instruction page and a card stock chapeau,. The last, one has to assemble. St-Germain referred to it as a "peep show" and it did not take long to see the lovely early 19th century Parisian ladies posed in various stage of dress. The instructions guided you thru the placement of the card inside the box on the reverse of the peephole. It further suggested that one might use the template card to insert a picture of one's own. (commenting - "this could be very interesting".)
It is suggested one is expected to wear this on top the holder's head at holiday gathering and for New Years' celebration. It did take some guidance from a cohort of mine to explain the use of the "chin strap".
Making Christmas Sweet - A letter from Elaine Sciolino.
Not to be outdone, on Christmas morning - over the din of 5 splendid grandchildren running and rummaging around the tree - I picked up the New York Times and to my further delight found Elaine (recall author of La Seduction) has posted a letter from Paris in the Dining section on Christmas day. You know how I feel about Elaine.
I smiled so broadly as I read of the arrondissemonts and shops in Paris that I had only been to 6 months prior.
The "seduction theme" could be found again as I started to read the article in which Elaine wrote of a 'Chocolate Christmas tree", chocolate yule logs to scale and other tantalizing chocolate experiences of the French life. The efforts by the Paris Metropolitain, "metro", to paint a train car chocolate brown and display it in all the stations of Paris with an exhibit on chocolate. And she wrote of all the the efforts the French go through to reach chocolate perfection.
tip - Valrhone chocolate is considered the best industrial made chocolate.
Bonne Année
The St-Germain Cocktail
Bon cocktail, Bon Chic.
from St-Germain Liquer
2 parts Brut Champagne
1 1/2 part St-Germain
2 parts sparkling water
Stir ingredients in a tall chilled ice-filled glass, mix completely. Think Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Variation: Think Sartre circa 1947. Be the lemon twist.
Appetizer: unsalted almonds.
Playlist:
Something lively and fun like of the music of Cuban chica Cucu Diamantes.
Happy New Year ... Bonne Année et Bonne Santé ... Ευτυχισμένο το Νέο Έτος
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