Get Your Love On!

Hey everybody, it's February the month of "love", which is also the scavenger hunter theme this week at ESN.  I personally can't speak much to love, oh sure, I've been in love, I've even been married thinking that being married meant love.  Well, I'm good at getting married, staying married proved to be a far more daunting task than what I seemed to be able to deal with.  But I love a lot, things like flowers, and freshly mown grass, a blue sky that never seems to end, animals of all kinds, especially puppies!  Love is an excellent wine, an exquisite meal of your favorite dishes (or comfort food!) Love is the perfect set of kitchen knives! Really, to make the perfect meal you have to have, and to love, the perfect set of kitchen knives.  Honestly.  Le Petit Marché doesn't have any knives or love to sell, but I do have some lovely fashion/costume jewelry that can help you love the way you look for a night on the town in this month of love and hearts.  Put a couple of these lovely cloisonne bangle bracelets to accent any outfit.  I have many color schemes and you can wear one, two, three or more and make a bold statement.  Come on get your love on!

Cloisonne White, Red and Green                         Cloisonne Red, Green and White

                                                              

 

Tasty Chilled Sangria for Summer

There's nothing like a nice chilled sangria for a summer party and the theme at ESN this week is "cool beverage".   Back in college we used to make huge metal tubs of the stuff for our parties and used a ladle to scoop it into our plastic cups.  There's tons of recipes on how to make it, and I don't remember exactly how we made it back then, but my tastes are a bit more sophisticated (or so I'd like to think!) these days so I don't drink from metal tubs anymore either.  I like to serve it in lovely clear pitchers so all the colorful fruit and liquor shines through brightly.  Le Petit Marche has a lovely Italian Wine Decanter for sale for your next fancy party. And I've included 2 Sangria recipes if you'd like to give it a try!  Look at the differences and the similarities of the two.

Italian Crystal Wine Decanter

 From Emeril Lagasse

 Ingredients

• 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur (recommended: triple sec or Grand Marnier)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 orange, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges
• 1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling water, chilled

Directions

Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large plastic container or glass pitchers. Cover and chill completely, 1 to 2 hours. When ready to serve, add the sparkling water. 

From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 2 bottles red Spanish table wine
• 1 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup simple syrup, or more to taste (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
• Orange slices
• Apple slices
• Blackberries
• Pomegranate seeds

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Frog Legs

This week's blog theme at eCrater Stores Network  has to do with frogs.   I don't have anything in my store that has to do with frogs so I thought I'd share a recipe from the Rhone region (southeastern) of France for cooking frog legs, just in case you've never had them and want to give them a try. This recipe is from Cuisine-France.  It's an easy recipe and only takes 15 minutes prep time and 4 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

12 frog legs 2 eggs 1 lemon juice 2 parsley sprigs, chopped Dried bread crumbs Salt Pepper Oil

Frog Legs recipe serve 6
Step 1: Preheat oven at 375 F.
Step 2: Remove frog legs skin. Wash and drain.
Step 3: Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Beat eggs in a bowl, add chopped parsley.
Step 5: Soak frog legs in the eggs.
Step 6: Crush bread into tiny crumbs.
Step 7: Roll frog legs into crumbs.
Step 8: Add oil in a pan. Fry frog legs in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Wine suggestion: Riesling, Sancerre, dry white wine

Bon appetit!

If frog legs are not on your radar for trying I do have a lovely CD/CookBook from Sharon O'Connor called Dinners for Two.  It's full of yummy recipes that has nothing to do with frogs and has wonderful classical music to cook and eat by!  You can buy it at Le Petit Marche