Showing posts with label Alsace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alsace. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

It's National Cake Day

Madeleines
A Traditional Teatime Treat


Celebrate National Cake Day with this recipe for spongey, golden Madeleines – a traditionally French afternoon treat that’s impossible to resist!

I love Madeleines - even the store-bought ones!

Did you know, Madeleine or petit Madeleine cakes originate from the Lorraine region in northeastern France? Traditionally shell-shaped, these buttery and spongey cakes enjoy a delightfully crispy batter.

The name "Madeleine" according to some, was given to the cakes around 1755 by French King Louis XV to honor Madeleine Paulmier, his father-in-law's cook.

Try making them today with this easy to make recipe.

Ingredients

Makes 12 cakes
  • 2 large eggs
  • 130g sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I like orange as well)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 120g flour
  • 300g unsalted melted butter
  • A sprinkling caster/powdered sugar

Ingredients

  • Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. Line your Madeleine molds with butter and dust with flour.
  • Using an electric whisk, beat your eggs and eggs sugar in a mixing bowl.
  • Mix in your vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt, before adding the flour until a batter is formed. Slowly add the melted butter.
  • Spoon a tablespoon of your batter into each of the Madeleine molds and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the batter appears golden brown.
  • Cool before removing from the molds.
  • For the next batch, repeat the process – buttering and flouring the molds each time you use them.
  • Dust lightly with caster sugar before serving.

You can find madeleine pans on Amazon.

Speaking of Lorraine . . .

French Hotel Barge Panache

The 12-passenger Hotel Barge Panache cruises in Holland & Belgium during the springtime, then through Paris to Champagne, and finishes their season in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.



Panache

The 128-foot Panache is a 12-passenger luxury hotel barge of classic Dutch design, fully air conditioned with spacious public areas and six en-suite stateroms, with your choice of twin or double bed configuration. En-suite bathrooms have twin sinks and oversize showers with massage jets. Panache is traditionally furnished in an old ship style with brass and mahogany, creating a comfortable and charming ambience. The salon and dining room have large panoramic windows for viewing the passing countryside, as well as comfortable sofas, books and music, and an always open inclusive bar. The sun deck is spacious and has a heated spa pool; a perfect place to watch the sun set after dinner.

Panache has a highly professional crew of six, comprised of Master Chef, Deck Hand, Tour guide, two Housekeepers, and led by a knowledgeable and experienced Captain, who will ensure your cruise is memorable and more.




Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book PANACHE
View Panache's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 





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Sunday, September 15, 2019

Tasting the Wines of Alsace

Tasting the Wines of Alsace with Panache


One of the enjoyable experiences you’ll be offered on a French hotel barge cruise in Alsace will be the opportunity to enjoy private wine tastings when cruising through the Route des Grand Vins.


The Route des Grands Vins


Officially established in 1953, the Route des Grands Vins winds through the valleys in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains for some 170 kilometres. Stretching from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south, a journey along the Route takes in over 1,000 wine producers.

Many vineyards and wineries along the Route des Grands Vins welcome visitors for tasting sessions. When you're travelling through Alsace aboard the Barge Panache, you’ll have the chance to attend wine tastings during the onshore day trips.

To reassure the novice and to refresh the more experienced wine connoisseurs, here are some tips for tasting etiquette so that you get the most from your visits to these vineyards.


Tasting Protocol


Wine tasting may seem a little intimidating to the average, casual drinker, but with a few pointers it is easy to learn the basics. You don’t need loads of expert knowledge to get started – all you need are your senses!


Sight

The very first thing you’ll need to do is give your wine a thorough visual once-over. Swirl and tilt the glass to catch the full range of a wine’s color.

Alsace is a mainly white wine-producing region, so expect to find a lot of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris (with the occasional Pinot Noir for the red-loving crowd). With the white wines you’ll be looking for color tones that are tawny, golden or yellowy-green. You should make sure it is clear and sparkling, not murky and dull.


Next, the smell test

A few quick sniffs should tell you everything you need to know about a wine’s bouquet. Experienced connoisseurs might talk of grapefruit and musk, but focus on specific bouquet groups to get started. Is it fruity? Herbal? Flowery? From dry to sweet, fruity to herbal, you’ll find a spectrum of bouquets in Alsace.


Taste

Finally, the tasting. Take a small sip (not a gulp) and let it circulate through your mouth. You may want to spit the wine out if you’re planning to taste many, but swallowing the wine is perfectly all right. In tasting, you should be able to pick up the same characteristics you identified in smelling the wine, but you will also be able to get a sense of the wine’s balance and complexity.




The Ultimate Test

Remember that the best measurement of a wine is whether you actually like it. Though your preferences may evolve with more tasting experience, the best wines are the ones you would actually want to taste again.

Along the Route des Grands Vins, you will have plenty of opportunities to sharpen your tasting skills. On a Panache hotel barging cruise, the vast and varied world of Alsatian wine is open to you in this stunning corner of the world.




About The French Hotel Barge Panache

French Hotel Barge Panache

The 12-passenger Hotel Barge Panache cruises in Holland & Belgium during the springtime, then through Paris to Champagne, and finishes their season in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.



Panache

The 128-foot Panache is a 12-passenger luxury hotel barge of classic Dutch design, fully air conditioned with spacious public areas and six en-suite stateroms, with your choice of twin or double bed configuration. En-suite bathrooms have twin sinks and oversize showers with massage jets. Panache is traditionally furnished in an old ship style with brass and mahogany, creating a comfortable and charming ambience. The salon and dining room have large panoramic windows for viewing the passing countryside, as well as comfortable sofas, books and music, and an always open inclusive bar. The sun deck is spacious and has a heated spa pool; a perfect place to watch the sun set after dinner.

Panache has a highly professional crew of six, comprised of Master Chef, Deck Hand, Tour guide, two Housekeepers, and led by a knowledgeable and experienced Captain, who will ensure your cruise is memorable and more.




Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book PANACHE
View Panache's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 





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