September has flown right past, another crazy whirlwind month for S and I! We started our month in Paris, then went to Italy for a week where we had the big Italian wedding (we actually got married in Canada in March, but this was the big reception).
Some beautiful produce from this month...
I have become utterly addicted to the incredibly flavourful heirloom tomatoes
Datterini tomatoes we had in Italy
Fresh walnuts - I never knew they were white before they dried!
On the baking front...
It was one of my rare days when I had enough energy to make this wholewheat challah, I've never made it with 100% wholemeal flour before and the rise was not particularly good...
My friend sent me a picture of a "Purebread cat" so I had to reproduce it... unfortunately my sourdough starter Barney has been struggling in between the new French flours that he doesn't seem to like and my lack of attention, so this was not a very well risen cat... we ate him anyway for lunch.
The last thing I baked was these Shanghainese style mooncakes stuffed with fresh pork. It's become a bit of a tradition the last few years, it's quite fiddly but well worth the effort!
Random meals from September...
We had S' friend over for a make your own rice paper roll party, it was a hit!
Our friend from Toronto dropped by and stayed with us for a night. I love ordering shakshuka in cafes but this was my first time making it, and it was really delicious.
Here I made a vegan mushroom broth with shiitake mushrooms, ginger and spring onions, which we ate with more vegetables and edamame on top of fresh rice noodles. A delicious dinner for us!
The wedding...
We had the reception in S' family mansion in Montagnana where his parents, his aunt and older sister were all married. It belonged to his grandparents but is not used now except for special events. The caterers did an incredible job setting up tables in the backyard and stringing up beautiful fairy lights. Some of his family came from Naples (a 8 hour drive) and I was so grateful for my friends who came from all over!
The canapes table
The pasta course was a risotto with wild chamomile and mountain herbs - the aroma of the risotto was incredible and it had the most amazing creamy texture!
They did an outstanding job with our cake, which was filled with a pistachio creme.
This was our lunch the day after the party, featuring focaccia and fresh prosciutto - the speciality of the region where S comes from
Special baking gifts from my friends who came over from Vienna
These food gifts were also super special - Taiwanese taro puffs that travelled with friends from Toronto, and mooncakes that came with my friends from Sydney
Finally, the curveball this month is a tranquil scene from the forest near the meditation centre Dhamma Mahi where I spent three days at a meditation retreat. I wrote last month that I have been struggling to adjust to the enormity of the life changes we are going through, and I was very grateful for the opportunity to retreat into nature and spend some time with my thoughts. I really loved walking in the forest, and there were the most incredible enormous orange slugs there (up to 10cm!) They lounged around like they owned the forest.
I'm sending this to Sherry who hosts the monthly In My Kitchen series, thanks Sherry and happy October fellow IMKers!
What a beautiful reception! Congratulations again. I wish you many years of happiness.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks so much Mae! Hope that we will remember it fondly for many years to come (until we have dementia, maybe?)
DeleteCongratulations!! Here's to many happy years. The wedding reception photos are gorgeous. The food all looks delicious as do your food gifts. They are always the best gifts to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Lori, I agree totally that food gifts are the best!
Deleteso many wonderful things here! Love your wedding cake and your lovely bread esp. the cat:) Thanks so much for joining in with IMK this month. Lovely to have you as usual. THat risotto looks the bomb too. have a great month.
ReplyDeleteHope you will keep the IMK spirit alive for a long time! It's a nice monthly routine that I look forward to
Deletewow ! a family mansion - how impressive and such a perfect setting for the wedding. Congratulations! Also, you challah looks beautiful and I'm loving the yellow heirloom tomatoes too.
ReplyDeleteGot to enjoy those beautiful summer tomatoes while we can.. they are rapidly disappearing now that October is in full swing!
DeleteCongratulations on your beautiful wedding, Wow what a setting, and the food looks divine. Such a special event. I would love to make that cat for my daughter, but I'm not sure how my sourdough would rise evenly to the occasion. Would be fun trying though. I'm so taken with your risotto though, is the recipe up on your website? What a fabulous month for you. thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteAh if only the caterers would have shared their secret Italian recipes with us ;) The cat was not hard to do , I just made a soft malleable dough with which it was easy to "play-dough" the cat! Good luck if you do try it with your daughter!!
DeleteYou have had a lot of changes recently, so there is no surprise you are not finding it easy. I love Italian tomatoes and miss them when we are in South Africa, so much so I brought one home and planted it! Time will tell if it grows. Your reception sounds perfect and Italy a lovely destination for any romantic occasion. I hope you find some flour that co-operates soon with your sourdough :)
ReplyDeleteFrom Johanna @ https://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/ - that cat bread is wonderful, I love the sound of that rice paper roll party and I am glad you had such a nice wedding reception in Italy - how nice to have an Italian mansion for weddings and all those traditional foods to include. The risotto sounds amazing and that cake is so beautiful. And the retreat looks like a peaceful place to relax and reflect.
ReplyDelete