As the harvest season approaches, la Madeleine Country French Café is celebrating provincial France with new pasta dishes and seasonal bakery items.
Numerous fall-inspired, handcrafted recipes bring the country French harvesting season to life at la Madeleine. Guests may choose from two new pastas: a Spicy Basque Country Pasta and a Creamy Pasta Lyonnaise, inspired by France’s Basque Country and Lyon, and new bakery items highlighting the season’s best ingredients from Nantes and Normandy: a rich Carrot Cake and a baked Apple Crème Danish.
“Our fall menu is inspired and flavored by numerous regions of France,” says Susan Dederen, vice president of culinary for la Madeleine. “The Basque Country in southwestern France borders Spain, which is where various spices and peppers are used in traditional recipes. Our Spicy Basque Country Pasta takes influence from this region with the use of these types of ingredients. As our Creamy Pasta Lyonnaise is influenced from the historic food culture of Lyon, its savory demi-glace sauce makes for a perfect representation of this region.”
The two new pasta dishes feature complementary flavor profiles. Sautéed in a tomato Gruyere sauce, the Spicy Basque Country Pasta is prepared with chorizo, roasted garlic, and red bell peppers. The Creamy Pasta Lyonnaise is complete with bacon, mushrooms, red bell peppers and is finished in a rich, savory demi-glace sauce. Both pastas are paired with a freshly baked mini sea salt baguette.
“In the French countryside, the menu changes with the season, and fall is a wonderful time for food,” says John Cahill, president of the Dallas-based brand. “At la Madeleine, we want our guests to feel as though they have entered a country French atmosphere where they can slow down, savor their meal, and enjoy truly delicious food they can’t find elsewhere. We invite guests to enjoy this fall harvest season with us in the company of friends and family.”
This season, la Madeleine’s dedicated pastry chefs have crafted numerous festive bakery items, featuring harvest-fresh apples and carrots. The traditional Carrot Cake excites the palate with its sweet pineapple, rich cream cheese frosting, and toasted almonds. Guests will also enjoy the new Apple Crème Danish, which is baked with golden apples, homemade pastry crème, and streusel and topped with a cinnamon fondant. Celebrating the festive side of the season, cafés are also offering a new iced Pumpkin Sugar Cookie.
“We have certainly allowed the fall season to lead the way in the bakery,” Dederen says. “By taking advantage of fresh carrots and apples within our bakery recipes, both of which are popular during the French harvest season, we have created perfectly sweet and festive bakery items for our guests.”
La Madeleine welcomes guests to experience delectable cuisine and an inviting ambiance every day. Writing recipes using classic French techniques, la Madeleine’s menu includes 76 items made from scratch daily.
