I've been meaning to write a bit about Kimmi and Seanno's wedding, which went down on October 16th as part of the Weeks of Insanity. It was most definitely the high point of that busy time! It's been put off as I've been finding myself blogging less, simply because I've actually been going out and doing things... apparently, I seem to have gotten a bit of a life here in the 'Peg! Regardless, the writing bug is still festering... and I can only watch so many episodes of anime before a serious sushi craving kicks in. Maybe I should attempt a bento box at some point in the future...
Sorry. Way off track there. Let's talk about my most favourite newlyweds.
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| And here they are, the new Mrs. Kimmi and Mr. Seanno! |
Kimmi and I have a lot of interests in common, a love of good food among them. So, I've known for some time that her wedding celebration would feature delectable edibles. In a way, though, I feel like a terrible friend... due to my desire to document said food, and a significant intake of wine, I think I took more pictures of plates than of people. Ah well, that's what the professional photographer is for, right? On with the show!
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| At the rehearsal dinner, which was held at Aroma, a Portuguese restaurant just a few blocks from my old apartment. This was some delicious chicken, with a hint of the piri piri pepper that seems so central to Portuguese cooking. |
The rehearsal dinner was absolutely fantastic-- wonderful people, lovely entertainment in the form of a live singer, and delicious food. In addition to the above chicken, bitoque was also on the menu... a fried steak topped with a fried egg, and french fries. Mmm. Hubs, being the consummate red-meat carnivore, opted for that... I got to taste a bit, and it was to die for. We got to start off with caldo verde, as well, which was a delicious potato, kale and chourico soup. Hubs really enjoyed that as well, so Kimmi's mom offered to share the family recipe. To finish off, in keeping with wanting to save the best for last, we got a Portuguese custard tart.
Let me talk to you about these tarts for a minute. If you don't like custard, fine... just skip this paragraph. But these things are, simply, amazing. They're about the size of a standard buttertart, but much better, in my opinion. Instead of a dense shortbread-like crust, the shells are a bit flaker. Not as flaky as phyllo, but closer to that idea... according to the above link, puff pastry is used. The filling is a fantastic, not TOO sweet, firm yellow custard. What really does it for me is that the tops are caramelized, almost brûléd, which adds a great depth of flavour. This isn't just some sickly sweet pastry... it's an art form. We had a huge platter of these at Kim's sister's baby shower, and I'm ashamed to admit that I ate about three of them. They're just so worth it.
Next up, the food on The Big Day!
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| Sweet potato soup, with the delicious white wine, my bridesmaid flowers, and a DJ in the background. I'd never had a soup made with sweet potato before, but it was fantastic... and very much in keeping with the sunset-hued fall colour scheme of the wedding. The only downside? We ladies all stuck our napkins in our necklines to prevent drops of this scrumptious concoction from splashing on our fancy dresses. I'm considering trying out this recipe to see if I can recreate the experience, since I doubt that The Delta London Armouries is willing to give out theirs. |
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| Main course! Chicken breast with a roasted red pepper sauce, combined with a well-prepared medium/medium rare beef tenderloin au jus. Parisienne potatoes and steamed veggies went alongside. DELICIOUS, and very filling... good thing we relaxed for a bit listening to speeches before the dancing began! As a testament to how thoughtful and considerate Kimmi is, she'd specially arranged for Hubs to receive two pieces of beef to accomodate his poultry prejudice. What a sweet bride! |
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| Dessert #1. Fresh strawberries atop chocolate and vanilla mousse, held in a caramelized sugar tuille of sorts, which was cemented to the plate with dark chocolate. Oh, my. Yes, please, and thank you. |
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| Dessert #2. Much later in the evening, we enjoyed the delicious pétit fours created by Seanno's talented cousin. This was an excellent way to soak up some of the inebriation we were experiencing (as evidenced by my flushed face and the many glasses on the table... these belonged mostly to Hubs, I swear). A toast to the happy couple!! |
As the holiday season approaches, I can't help but reflect on how central food and drink is to celebrations and family gatherings. Sometimes (not at this occasion, but at certain other, completely overdone Italian weddings), I can't help but groan at the lavish overabundance of food... but really, aren't we just carrying on the medieval tradition of feasts? Sure, we might not dine on whole roast animals so much anymore (though still popular, if the success of
Danny's Whole Hog is any indication...), or take our used bread
trenchers and toss them out back for the poor to scavenge, or binge and purge like the Romans... but the overall celebratory feeling is still there. Everyone, gather round, sit, eat, talk, drink, and revel in the pleasure of good food and good company.
Looking forward to the continuation of feasting as we get closer to Christmas,
-Honeybee
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