Monday, January 08, 2007

Stuffed, Italian style

Best Wishes to Nick and Josie! January 7, 2007


After all the feasting over the holidays, we faced our upcoming friend'’s Italian wedding with a mixture of resignation and eagerness. I had heard from an Italian chef friend about the large amounts of food at an Italian wedding, but I wondered to myself if he was exaggerating, and was confident I would probably do just fine.

We were both right.

Danny and I attended the wedding of Nick and Josie last Saturday and this was probably the most lavish wedding we have ever been to! There was so much food, excellent food, it was almost like being in a dream that you don'’t want to wake up from. Ok, maybe you don't have those dreams..

It all started when, immediately upon entering the ballroom, we were invited to a gorgeous buffet of appetizers. Large dinner plates were provided, and they filled up alarmingly fast as the band serenaded us with the theme from the Godfather.

The buffet was memorable.

Huge rounds of fine cheese with strawberries; platters heaped with prosciutto and smoked salmon; large whole smoked trout; deep dishes of calamari, marinated bocconcini, roasted eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, pearl onions, artichoke hearts and peppers; an Asian section with imperial rolls, deep fried shrimp, dumplings and a whole sushi table; shrimp several ways, cooked right in front of you; sausages; and more that I can recall.

Everything was in abundance, everything was the perfect temperature and it was all superb.
We were very, very happy.

Shortly after, the seven course meal started. Here is the menu:

Antipasti of Cantalope, Basil- Marinated Bocconcini, and an assortment of Italian cold cuts: Mortadella, Capicola, Soppressata, and Prosciutto.

Duo of Pasta: Florentine (spinach and ricotta) Roll with Rosé sauce

Farfalle in Tomato Sauce

Spinach and Mandarine Salad with Raspberry dressing

Lemon Sorbet

Veal Chop with Wild Mushroom Sauce, whipped potatoes, yellow and green beans, roasted red peppers


Seafood platter of Calamari, Shrimp and Mussels (breaded and deep fried)

Tiramisu

Chocolate Porto shooters


Again, it was all fantastic. We were starting to get full after the sorbet and gulped a bit when we saw the size of the veal chop. It was one of those pieces of meat that, no matter how much you eat, it doesn'’t seem to get any smaller! But it was tender and delicious and I made a valiant attempt to conquer it.

The last bit of light, creamy tiramisu was scooped up around 10:30 and as everyone churned and writhed on the dance floor to the likes of JT’s 'Sexyback'’ and Madonna'’s '‘Hung up', the ever-busy staff started assembling the midnight buffet. Mama Mia.

Danny was starting to look a little weary and so we hit up the coffee bar for an espresso (for him) and a cappuccino (for moi) and then joined the line for the buffet. It'’s amazing how an hour of dancing can whet your appetite for even more food.

This buffet was a beautiful thing. We'’re not talking cheese and crackers here, folks!

Smoked meat with the fixings, more of those Italian sausages, pasta with seafood, an enormous 8 foot cold-cut sandwich, more cheeses and marinated vegetables, a mountain of fresh focaccia, too many cakes and tortes to count, platters and platters of cookies and Italian pastries, a chocolate fountain with about 20 kilograms of beautifully presented fruit for dipping, and trays of perfect looking cannolis. Oh yeah, and wedding cake.

Once again, I am embarrassed to say, I had a full plate.

Vive la Italia!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are too funny.

Anonymous said...

holy cow...sounds like you dont need to eat for a week!

Anonymous said...

Where on earth do you pack away all that food???? Sounds like you were in heaven!

Anonymous said...

"I have seen heaven and it is an Italian wedding."

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