parisian party

After nearly 8 years in Paris, I’m still not very clear on the whole metrics thing, but I’m fairly certain that 2°C means cold. No, it’s not Chicago cold, but it’s cold enough. Now, I learned very early on that the best cure for cold Parisian winters is to snuggle under the couverture with a hot French boy. In time, I’ve come to learn that the second best cure for cold Parisian winters is a warm mug of vin chaud. Vin Chaud (hot mulled wine) is quick and easy to make, tastes delicious and makes your house smell all Christmas-y while you’re preparing it. Plus, offering your guests a glass of vin chaud seems so much more chic than handing them another glass of eggnogg, don’t you think? Here is a simple recipe for your next holiday get-together:

Vin Chaud

Ingredients

• 2 bottles of red wine
• 1 cup of cassis
• 1 Tbs orange zest
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions

• Pour the wine and cassis in a large pot.
• Add the orange zest, lemon zest, and all spices.
• Heat the wine until it just begins to simmer.
• Lower the heat and allow to steep with the spices for 20 minutes.
• Serve in punch cups or mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks