For our wedding celebration I am in pursuit of the best wedding punch ever.  I have been scouring the internet and talking with friends and family to try and find THE recipe for us.  We are trying to incorporate a French or Parisian feel to as much of our party as possible and the punch is no exception.  Last year I had some friends over and prepared a "Champagne Punch."  This is a definite possibility since we can easily make it with French Champagne.  It is really something special.  The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup limoncello
• 2 teaspoons vermouth
• 1 (750 ml) bottle chilled dry Champagne or sparkling wine
• Ice
• Lemon twists, for garnish

Directions:

Combine the lemon juice, sugar, vodka, Limoncello, and vermouth in a large nonreactive bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours. Add the Champagne and stir to combine.

Source

Another of my favorite punches is terrific for a fall reception or party.  Called a "Tart and Bubbly" punch the star of this drink is cranberries:

Tart and Bubbly Punch:

Ingredients

• 2 (6 ounce) cans frozen pink lemonade concentrate
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
• 1 gallon cranberry juice
• 2 liters cranberry ginger ale
• 4 cups crushed ice

Directions:
In a large punch bowl, mix lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice concentrate and cranberry juice. Add ice and slowly pour in the ginger ale.

Over the next several weeks I will be trying out several other punch recipes.  I am looking for something sophisticated and delicious!  If you have any suggestions please post and I will give them a try.

Sulpice Debauve was the royal family chemist. One day, when he visited the queen with a new concoction, she complained that most of her medicines tasted too strong and quite unpleasant. She suggested taking them with the hot drinking chocolate she was accustomed to enjoying for so many years in Vienna. To put medicine in hot drinking chocolate, however, was not a good idea, as the result would be even worse since the heat would increase the taste and the smell of the medicines.

Thus came about the idea that they would put medicine in solid chocolate, not the chocolate used to make drinking chocolate (in thick liquid form), but a new kind of solid chocolate devised to be eaten solid with the medicine inside.

The Pistole was founded by the Queen herself when she saw the first ones in a coin shape (more beautiful as such when displayed on a tray). She enjoyed nice conversations over them with the Spanish nobles visiting her.

The Pistole was first made of cocoa, cane sugar, and medicine mixed together. However, because the queen was a chocolate fan, she asked for more, though with an even further improved taste. Thus S. Debauve simultaneously became a chocolate chemist (manufacturing Pistoles with medicine according to the orders of the king's doctor) and a "chocolatier" because he produced Pistoles with pleasant flavours such as orange blossom, almond milk, Orgeat cream, coffee, vanilla, etc., according to the queen's wishes. We believe the queen's favorite was almond milk.

After the Revolution, S. Debauve opened his first chocolate shop and decorated the front with a quote from Horace: "Utile Dulci," referring to the mix of the health benefits of cocoa and the pleasure of enjoying chocolate. Pistoles De Marie Antoinette are available today from the same company estabilished after the French Revolution.  Click here to order and enjoy!

The Croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake.  The exact translation of the word is” crack in one’s mouth” or “crunching in one’s mouth” because of the sensation you get while eating one of the puffs. The croquembouche has been used as a celebration cake for weddings by the French nobility since the early 18th century. Each wedding guest would bring a “sweet bread” or two with them to help create a tower of cream puffs. The bride and groom would attempt to kiss over the tower.  (I hope Eric's height will compensate for me being vertically challenged)  As tradition has it, the hope was that this ceremony would grant them a prosperous life together, which in those days of course included having many children (not sure about the many part but Eric and I do plan to have children).

The cake itself consists of puffs of choux pastry filled with a vanilla crème patisserie, held together with a delicious cobweb of caramel. Although tradition calls for it to be decorated with sugared almonds, there are many ways of serving this versatile cake. They range from lacing it with spun sugar to drizzling dark or milk chocolate over the whole pyramid. As with traditional wedding cakes, during the cutting of the cake, most couples pose with a knife against the croquembouche before it is taken away for serving. Traditionally, the croquembouche is served by hitting it hard with a sword, with the bridesmaids catching the pieces in a tablecloth.  (You just have to love the fun in tradition)  Below are some examples of a croquembouche.  They range from simple to very elaborate.  Can't wait to share one with our friends and family at our reception in May.

Today we visited an awesome Patisserie and Confiserie (pastry and confections shop) in Carrboro, NC.  Miel Bon Bons opened its doors in 2008 and their dessert creations are out of this world!  Bonnie Lau, pastry chef and owner expresses her passion for specialty desserts through exquisite designs, distinct flavors and unique textures.   Working and studying under some of the world's most renowned chefs such as;  Ewald Notter, Jacquy Pfeiffer, Colette Peters, and Ron Ben Israel, her never ending quest for discovering innovative techniques has led to extensive traveling throughout the US and Europe with a main focus in France where she studied pastry art under the M.O.F (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) at ESCF Ferrandi in Paris and the l'ecole Lenotre Paris.  Bonnie treated Eric and I to cakes and chocolates fit for a King.  We will be offerening Bonnie's creations at our reception to be scheduled for mid-May 2011.  Below are some pictures of the amazing work Bonnie produces in her great shop in Carrboro.

Artisan Chocolates created by Bonnie at Miel Bon Bons

Bonnie Lau, Owner and Pastry Chef at Miel Bon Bons

Pomerol wine from  Bordeaux and french toasts topped with foi gras, Gruyere cheese or a salty tapenade...heaven!

Dessert displays at Fauchon in Paris.  Desserts look like sculptures of art and taste like heaven...you can find these on just about any corner in Paris, AMAZING!

Today was quite the adventure. We were greeted by our wedding planner, Nancy, when we arrived in Paris this morning. We visited 5 potential wedding venues, all with very unique characteristics. Below is a picture and a short description of the first of five amazing sites. It's getting late and after a plate of French roast beef, cheeses, macarons and tarts the pillow is calling my name! I will post the remaining sites tomorrow.

Musee Rodin
The Rodin Museum was once the residence of infamous sculptor and artist, Auguste Rodin. Most well know are his two sculptures, "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" both proudly displayed at Musee Rodin. The museum is surrounded by a unbelievably gorgeous "jardin" (garden). Housing 200+ sculptures the grounds is a French masterpiece in and of itself.