Saturday 19 July 2014

HIGH TEAS @PETITS FOURS

Hello

At Petits Fours we specialise in Afternoon and Themed Royal Tea's.
a Few Tips if you are planning a tea for your friends. 
I found the info from English and French tea rooms - enjoy!
♡First we must know the terminology ~ there are various types of teas parties:
♡Afternoon Tea is served in the U.S. typically between the afternoon hours of three o’clock and five o’clock.
A variety of teas are served along with three distinct courses – first, finger sandwiches are eaten, scones are next, and finally the sweet treat of pastries. In addition, afternoon tea is sometimes called “low tea” because it is served at low tables placed beside armchairs.
♡Afternoon tea has been around for many centuries, but became popular in the 1840’s by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who suffered hunger pains during the long afternoons between lunch and the late evening meal. It became the “It “ thing to do and eventually turned into a social affair among the English aristocracy.
♡High Tea- please remember the biggest faux pas is to refer to afternoon tea as “high tea.” (You will be looked down upon as a novice tea drinker) Often times the term “high tea” is misused by people who want tea-time to sound more refined. Note: “high tea” is a hearty, simple, sit-down meal that the Industrial Revolution workers of the 19th century originated. The workers came home in the late afternoon from the fields, factories, and mines starved after a long and hard day of work. Traditionally the high tea meal was served in the late afternoon. It was set-up family style with tea to drink and meat to eat, now known as a supper buffet.
♡Royal Tea is a choice of tea and a four-course menu of finger sandwiches, scones, sweets, desserts and a glass of champagne or sherry. The addition of the glass of champagne or sherry is the distinction of “royal tea.”
♡Light Tea is a lighter version of afternoon tea. The menu excludes the fingers sandwiches but includes scones, sweets, and of course a variety of teas.
♡There are various ways to serve the food at a tea.
A savvy host knows an easy and elegant way to present each course is on a tiered stand.
The first course eaten is from the bottom tier and we work our way up.
The first tier (bottom) is reserved for the finger sandwiches.
The second tier (middle) holds the scones.
The third tier (top) is for the small pasties, tarts and other bite-size sweet desserts.
♡There are several “nevers” to remember:
Never fill your cup to the rim – it will only spill onto the saucer creating a dilemma.
Never stir so others can hear it.
Do not allow the teaspoon to touch the sides of the cup.
Quietly stir in a little figure-eight motion and place the spoon on the front-side of your cup.
Never cradle the cup with your fingers.
Never swirl the tea around in the cup as if it were a wine glass.
Never-ever bounce the tea bag up and down in your cup to help the steeping process.
Never drain a tea bag by winding the string around a spoon.
Never place your empty cup, saucer and plate back on the tea table when you leave.
The tea table is the display for the tea and food and should remain beautiful through the tea time.
There are also several “always” we should adhere to at tea-time:
Always keep your tea cup and saucer close together, do not separate more than 12 inches apart. For example: if you are sitting on a sofa and lean back – pick up your saucer too, or if your stand up, do not leave the saucer sitting on the table.
Always hold your saucer (with the teacup) in the palm of your hand at waist level and sip (a silent sip!).
Always request the tea bag be placed in the teapot first and the hot water added.
Always pour tea in your cup first in order to judge the strength before adding lemon, sugar or milk.
Always use lemon slices in your cup, instead of wedges. The handle of the spoon and the handle of the cup point to 4 o’clock.
Always take your spoon out of your cup after stirring, then place your spoon in front of your cup
Always request a saucer to hold the used tea bag, sugar wrappers or any disposables used.
Always write your host a thank-you note after the tea party.
Hosting a tea in your home is a special way to entertain friends or even hold a business meeting. There is much to know about “tea-time” and this information will prepare you in advance and provide you the confidence needed to navigate the tea table.
♡Oh yes, and remember one more thing:
Do not raise your pinky finger up when holding a tea cup.
♡At Petits Fours we love to plan the tea's with the client and we love to serve their favourites at a beautiful table.
♡Book a meeting with myself or my daughter Janie -we do the customised event planning, flowers , Menu's invitations, Celebration Cakes and wonderful welcoming drinks.  We cater for Weddings and all Speciality Parties.
We can also give the tea party in the privacy of you home.
Tel 011 782 1778  Janie or Magdaleen

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Crepes in Opera

Hello



One of my dearest memories of Paris is of me and my daughter Janie in a small Krêp Café close to the Opera district- and the delicious crepes perfectly folded in a triangle and served in a pretty bamboo holder - real french flair.
I love the food, the passion and elegant traditions of the French people. 
Part of my heart always stays behind in France...

FRENCH CREPES WITH A WONDERFUL CHICKEN FILLING
Crepes Recipe
100g Cake flour
2 large eggs
300ml low fat milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for frying
pinch salt

Method:
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
Whisk the eggs slightly withva fork and pour into the middle, then pour in about 50ml milk and 1 tbsp oil.
Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil.
Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste.
Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.
Lastly add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter.
While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk.
Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
Bake your crepes in a warm pan very lightly brushed with oil.

Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Filling
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup Cake flour
2 cups chicken stock, hot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp full cream milk
480g skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions
1 1/2 teaspoons very finely chopped garlic
250g mixed mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and chopped
125 g diced bacon - grilled crispy
60ml dry sherry
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tbsp spring onions chopped
75g grated Gruyere
75g grated mozzarella
125ml grated Parmesan
Seasoning:
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tpsp freshly ground salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

Method:
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the hot stock in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate.
Bring to a simmer and cook, on a mediym heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until thick.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and stir to incorporate.
Slowly whisk in the cream and simmer, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat and put a piece of clingfilm on the top of the milk to prevent a skin from forming.
In a large pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken strips, season lightly with the seasoning, and cook while stirring, until lightly browned and cooked through.   Remove with a slotted spoon.
To the fat and juices in the pan add the red onions, garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped mushrooms, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and cook while stirring, until they have given off their water and the start browning.
Add the bacon bits and stir through for 2 minutes.
Add the sherry and bring to a boil, stirring to deglaze the pan.
Add the tarragon and spring onions, and return the chicken to the pan.
Stir well to blend and cook until the sherry has evaporated.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in enough of the cream sauce to bind and thicken, 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Spoon the filling along the bottom third of each crepe  and roll  to enclose the filling.
Packin rows in a heat proof dish.
To the remaining cream sauce, add the Gruyere  and mozzarella stir to incorporate.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the crepes.
Bake until warmed through and the top starts to become bubbly, 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with the Parmesan.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the topping is golden brown, 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place in a chafing dish holder or on trivets. Serve hot, 1 to 2 crepes per person.

Safe rest of seasoning in airtight container.

Bon a petit
Magdaleen

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Halloumi, Asparagus and Bacon galette

Hello everyone 

It's no secret that I love baking - it's definitely my first love in the kitchen.
I love classic baked savoury pies, from our creamy Chicken Pie to our Beef and Beer pie.
But to be honest it's the Cakes and the sweet pies I really love to make.
But.... I also love to travel, thank goodness the two go hand in hand.
My love for food and travel began years ago in France..... joy comes easily when you experience something new and for me when I sit with a wonderful Menu with fresh, new ideas and flavours.
Nothing can transport me back to a place like a taste.  Apple Pie with thick clotted cream in La Place Amsterdam, Macarons in Paris and
delicious flat bread in Frankfurt.
More than a photo, souvenirs,  it's the food that keep the journeys alive for me.
I would love to travel with all of you around the world and exchange recipes and style ideas.
Bon voyage.

My first travel recipe I want to share with you is from a pretty tea room in Paris ~ Bread and Roses.

Halloumi, Asparagus and Bacon Galette

Serves 4

6 slices streaky bacon
60 ml tomato chutney
300g green asparagus, trimmed and blanched
200g halloumi, cut into 8 chunks
Pinch Herbes de Provance
2 sheets good quality store-bought puff pastry, thawed and halved

Preheat oven 200`C.
Place the puff pastry on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper.
Using a fork or a knife score a 1.5cm border around each rectangle.
Brush the chutney on and top with the asparagus, bacon and haloumi.
Sprinkle dry herbs over.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden and bacon crispy.
Serve with a fresh winter herb salad sprinkled with a fresh citrus viniagrette.

I hope you enjoy playing around with this recipe.



Tuesday 8 July 2014

Welcome to our Blog!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our blog.
My name is Magdaleen van Wyk and I am the owner and founder of the Petits Fours Brand.
Petits Fours is not only our business but also our way of life and in this blog we want to share with you our passion for food, beautiful things and life.
We will be posting weekly recipes, inspiring ideas and just things we feel like sharing with the world!

Please feel free to follow us on Facebook (Petits Fours Deli) or go to our website (www.petitsfours.co.za) if you want to find out more about what we do and stand for!