Pat Smith
In January 2000, two dozen SaddleBrooke residents met at the home of Bill and Suzanne Brown to discuss the formation of an organization that would focus on celebrating and appreciating the culture, the foods and wines and the people of France. The outcome of this meeting was the SaddleBrooke Francophiles, which has grown in numbers and has proven to be one of the most active social clubs in our community. Membership is open to all SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch homeowners.
The Planning Committee, which meets monthly, is pleased to announce the following activities and events for the 2016-2017 season. On September 24, Bob Kramer and Jean Labovitch hosted our annual Wine Tasting Event, featuring the reds and whites of the Lodi and Paso Robles wine regions of California. All wines were discussed and rated by our members as well.
On October 15, our Chocolate Party and Movie Night, which features the award winning movie Tell No One, will happen. Members will bring cakes, fruit, pretzels and other treats to dip into the dark chocolate of the flowing fountain—yum!
Pat Dawydowych is the chairperson for our Julia Child/Jacques Pepin Progressive Dinner, which is dedicated to our founders, the Browns. Members will follow the recipes of these great French chefs and create luscious cuisine for our Appetizer segment, the Entree segments and the Dessert segment of this dinner.
On January 7 we will celebrate the Epiphany with the Feast of Kings where we crown a King and Queen for the evening. Two traditional French cakes will be served to each member; each cake has a token baked inside and whoever finds these tokens will be crowned royalty and then toasted with champagne.
One of our favorite celebrations is the Mardi-Gras themed, La Chandeleur Crepe Party; hundreds of mouthwatering crepes will be filled with savory and sweet fillings, created and devoured by our members. Ooh, La La!
March 18 is the Foods and Wines Party, celebrating the wines of France and two other wine producing countries. Members will create dishes from the chosen countries and our sommelier, Bob Kramer, will choose and discuss the accompanying wines from those countries.
Our season closes on April 15 with our annual Spring Fling, an evening of fun, games, food, music and socializing. A perfect ending to a perfect season of celebrations! For more intimate gatherings, Bob Kramer chairs the Diners a la Maison on January 19, February 16 and April 20.
For more information, contact Pat Smith at 825-2409. Vive Le France!