Joanna Weddings Cuisine Thursday - French Cuisine Rehearsal Luncheon

Le Jardin du Thé Menu

French Cuisine for The Bridal Luncheon or an Afternoon Rehearsal Luncheon

Here is a look at just some of what we have planned coming your way this spring 2011 on one of our Wedding Brasserie Menus.

Bon Appetite!

Pâté de Canard

Duck Pate with pistachio nuts, cornichons and mustard

Assorted French Cheeses

Cranberry compote, tea infused honey and warm baguettes

Blinis de Saumon Fumé

Tea Smoked salmon and crème fraiche and oestra caviar

Grilled Rosemary Prawns

Green peppercorns & blood orange vinaigrette

Salade Nicoise

Salad Le Jardin

Mixed baby lettuces tossed with candied walnuts and black fig vinaigrette

Un Mambo à Paris

Grilled ham and Cheese with a sliced avocado, vine tomato and spicy goat cheese

Croque Monsieur

White bread with layers of Gruyere cheese, ham and béchamel, topped with melted Gruyere

Quiche aux Legume

Spring vegetable tart with baby greens raspberry vinaigrette

Oeufs poachés aux asperges

Poached eggs with grilled asparagus on rye toasts and shaved parmesan

Tea Smoked Salmon Salad

Baby mache lettuce tossed with vine tomatoes, caramelized fennel and mustard vinaigrette

Sandwich au Merguez

Spicy lamb sausage with harissa and grilled onions


Beverages
Coffee (French Roast)
Espresso (Vienna)
Cappuccino

Café au Lait

Hot Cocoa
Tea (Marriage Freres Paris)
Ice Tea
Lemonade
Champagne
Wines
Beers
 

Look for more Wedding Springtime Menus next week!

Avec Joie!
Joanna

Mood Board Autumn Wedding 2011 - Orange = Festivity

Apple Chair Swag – Fdcraft.com

Edible Cocktails - Thedropbar.com

Front Door Greeting “The French Kiss Cocktail” with Orange twists

Garden White Canopies – Lator-ets.fr.

Green Plaid Linens & Custom Napkins – Fdcraft.com

Hair Simple and upsweep, elegant & timeless – Shopbando.com

Multichic’s Arcadia Rocks’ Glass

Honeymoon Scooter Reform School Rules’ Amish Made Scooter .

Snappy Slipper Orange Ilkat Chair – Urban Outfitters

Succulents & Fruits - Cacti, Citrus cymbidium, Elephant Leaves – Ojai Garden

The Cuff: By Kendra Scott

Vin and Fromage Bar - Pine Table – Frontgate

L’Orange - the color of Festivity!  - Here we've created a loose mood board for my Bride and Groom centered around the sexy color orange for inspiration.  The first element the couple wants to complete is an initial mood board  - Voila Ici! -  as an overview of the reception - and one of three mood boards to define the occasion.  The beautiful redheaded Bride and handsome Groom both architects want to be married at home or at least celebrate very close to home with the inclusion of family and friends.   Favorite foods are citrus - apples, oranges, and cheese and lots of Chardonnay.

Deferring most of the design and concept to the Bride and Groom ours was to interpret their "eye".  They want to add architectural design elements to their reception as a reflection of them as a couple and their profession (architects).  Taking their inspiration from great architectural designers they admire, and reflecting on their architectural principles they have begun designing their day.  They're resurrecting, reflecting and combining memories with their  hopes  creating their  “Dream Reception”.  Here are some of the elements:

Several ethnic bold-patterned slipper chairs for relaxation -  intimate and homey - unexpected  and later to be moved into the couple’s home as wing chairs in the dining and living room.

A French 6’ pine table will serve double duty as a “Vin and Fromage” tasting table” complete with a “Greeting Cocktail” -  ”The French Kiss” with Orange Twists; and French Aperitifs, mixers and garnishes, French cheeses and small baguettes.

Same pine table will double as a “The Scotch Bar” and offerings of candied pecans, dried fruit, figs, pineapple and hand make crackers.

Canopies and tents are to be ordered – and several custom made by a local sailmaker in small, large shapes and vintage shapes – the reception tent will be lined with a punchy small stripe fabric in the colors to match the slipper chairs.  The same fabric is to be used for the “The Ladies’ Vanity Tent”, “The Bride’s Canopy” and a "Children’s Tent".

Stylish and sophisticated, edible cocktails are to be created as well as cootie catcher for menus.

A local caterer will be serving up “in-season courses” and she will use locally grown ingredients as well. (Within 100 miles)

A few vintage and modern chandeliers in the space are being considered.

Lastly – in addition to wedding rings and earings, simple architectural gold cuffs for the Bride's wrist and arm have been acquired.

More Later....

Here's to Bonne Planning

Joanna

Signature Wedding Cocktail - Le Passioniste

I can't remember the occasion but I do remember there was a party, a beautiful home and a seductive drink called "Le Passioniste".  I remember the party home's terrace hung over a rocky beach and the mood was one of sensory overload - the view, the food, the company and the "drink" made the evening a memorable event.  For years I've dreamt of the "party cocktail" and just recently suggested it as a Signature Cocktail to one of my couples.  I thought it would make a great "Memory Making Cocktail" for their Ojai reception this fall.  Here’s the recipe – I hope you love it as much as I do.

Enjoy!

“LE PASSIONISTE”

You’ll need just a flair of ginger liqueur, then add the best rum & and the very best tropical orange and guava juice you can find.  Recommendations - make fresh squeezed orange juice and then combine with guava juice.

Use good Ron Zacapa Centenario rum - it is aged rum that can be found at your specialty liquor stores.

Use Domaine de Canton – for the ginger-flavored liqueur,

• 2 ounces orange-guava juice
• 1 1/2 ounces aged Ron Zacapa Centenario
• 1/2 ounce ginger liqueur Domaine de Canton
• 4 dashes of  orange bitters
• Ice

Ok Now -

For one cocktail combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker then fill with ice. Cover and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into rock glass.  Repeat for Cocktail #2.  Then together raise your glasses - look into each others eyes and say – with feeling!  A Votre Sante!

Summer Anniversay High Tea

Nothing could stop a Wedding Anniversary High Tea – not even105 degrees in Orange County this past week. Joanna Hendrie Events and Fêtes set the stage for an iconic High Tea complete with Silver Samovar, linens and tea cups, dessert plates, tea pots and porcelain from Rent A Tea Party. The 75 guests supped on tea sandwiches – a smoked salmon and dill, a sundried tomato and crème fraiche, a sweet onion and mascarpone cheese on raisin brioche and a Madeira and red current chicken. Also, high tea is not complete without the the savories: Mini chive biscuits and country ham, cherry bread and hazelnut port butter, fig chicken pate and cornichons on baguette, and mini croque monsieur. Sweet petite cookies – macaroons, blueberry shortbread, French crème brownies, and bite size lemon squares shared each of the guest tables with Joanna’s trademark organic farm fresh strawberries and Chantilly Crème – the strawberries crowned dessert plates and trays and were scattered among two tiered serveware of savories, sweets and sandwiches. (Thank You Vintage Tea Leaf http://vintagetealeaf.com/) - Tea for the day was a green tea called Casablanca and an Oolong from Ceylon called Peaches & Cream served with fresh apricot scones.

The anniversary gateau was a two tiered chocolate ganache cake with chocolate fudge filling, piping and served with a sparking wine from the South of France.

.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Rent A Tea Party

My new pet rental firm in Orange County and Los Angeles – a service I now can’t live without – is Tricia Van Doren’s Rent- A -Tea Party. In addition to being extremely nice Tricia is accommodating, friendly and particularly responsive when working within deadlines. She has a first-class collection of Tea Cups and Saucers, Tea Pots and magnificent accoutrements you can’t wait to lay your eyes on – She has it all for your next tea party. Her tea pots are beautiful, big and colorful, with a mix and max attitude of flowers, vines, gold and pastels. Once grouped together these pieces look heavenly on a perfectly set tea table. From a “Tea for Two or for a party of 75 or more (Thanks Tricia - for everything I needed for last weekend’s High Tea), she has what you’re looking for. If she doesn’t have the piece you need I am confident she will find it.

I can’t wait to work with Rent a Tea Party again. Please stroll on over to Tricia’s website at http://www.rentateaparty.com, and give her a call and rent a tea party and create your own tea celebration this month

Little Bit About Me

Hello I am Joanna, I'm the founder, owner and planner at Joanna Hendrie Events & Fêtes the company I founded after planning events in the corporate world as well as catering the weddings, bridal showers and receptions for friends. I started my own events company to serve brides & grooms as well as the social and charity community. With a marketing and advertising background, I have combined years of corporate communications experience with design to create the fantasy driven Joanna Hendrie Events and Fêtes. We cater to the bride on the day of and all the days leading up to the ceremony she has dreamed of forever. Our brides want stunning, elegant and seamless events while at the same time not wanting to think of anything else other than the magical wedding day. What started out for me as a wedding coordination division of my catering company Joanna Hendrie Joie De Vivre & Cie http://joannahendrie.com - has grown into an independent full-service event planning and design agency.