30 April 2011

THOSE HATS

It's not like me to stay up beyond midnight but as one of the young things said to me, "You probably only to get to see two royal weddings in a life time."

When I was at Cordon Bleu last century we rushed through our prep and then literally ran all the way from Marylebone to The Mall to watch the procession for Princess Anne's wedding to Mark Phillips. When Shy Di wed Charles, back in New Zealand, we bought our first TV, our daughter Katie wore a gold crown she'd made at Constance Colegrove kindergarten that day, and we all sat in our lounge and watched that regal occasion.

This time, for Will and Kate's wedding it was all about the food. I took my 88 year old mother to The Langham for the Tea Royale and Champagne during the week, as Mum wanted to watch this wedding by herself last night so she could hear and see everything and even change channels at whim. The Tea was a huge success on Wednesday. Mum loved every bite and was more than impressed with the nine tier wedding cake in the hotel foyer.

So we went to friends (pictured above)and I cannot imagine a more suitable dinner to celebrate than the one we shared last night, while glued to the telly. Fit for a future king, and certainly fit for a wedding observers' feast, we started with Champagne and oysters in the shell and smoked salmon on blinis.
Then Coq au Vin with salad and bread and Pegasus Bay pinot noir (a perfect meal for eating on the couch.) To top it off, just as the blissfully and newly- wed couple emerged from the Abbey, we indulged in pavlova with lemon cream and raspberries.

But there was more. How could you watch a wedding like that and not have chocolates? Scorched almonds - the classic- and a box of soft creamy centred chocolates.

Now, about those hats at the wedding........ouch!