Weddingbee Blog

Italians know food. They just do. Here is the story of our food tasting. But first, a few photos:

Mama Seashell, Auntie Brenda (My Mom’s MOH and my godmother), and me

Mr. Seashell and Papa Seashell

We came ready to eat. We were ready, but we had no idea. Wait, I think I’m already ahead of myself. Let’s rewind.

Way back when we booked The Glen Manor House, we got a list of recommended caterers including Russell Morin Fine Catering. Their reputation preceded them, and Mama Seashell was eager to lock them in for our wedding date. As she reviewed their menu options, Mama Seashell asked if they were open to recipe suggestions. They were. Mr. Seashell and I were thrilled because we’d hoped to include some family recipes for our appetizers to be passed during our cocktail hour. Mama Seashell, on the other hand, had even more grand ideas.

The appetizers were pretty straightforward. We chose five - three off of their standard catering menu, and two from family recipes. Here are two of the highlights:

{source}

{source}

The first photo is of mini clam cakes and chowder. Super cute or what? The second are “lollipop lamb chops”. They were so delectable that Papa Seashell made the announcement: “Forget centerpieces! Just dangle these from the centers of the tables!” Mr. Seashell readily agreed. Thanks, boys. Maybe you can have your own sweetheart table.

Next were on to what would be the seated portion of the meal. We were presented with an elongated rectangular plate with a cup of Italian wedding soup on one side, and small salad on the other. Then came a lasagna. It was my Grandma’s recipe, and you’d swear she was in the back cooking it herself. Yum.

Then we were on to the entrees. OHMIGAWD. (Alright, I don’t have a Rhode Island accent, but this deserves it.) In preparation for our tasting Mama Seashell pored over recipes for weeks. She’d call and email me with new ideas for the main entrees. “What about stuffing the chicken with this? What if we substitute that?” She was constantly coming up with new ideas. Literally, every idea sounded better and better. Finally, it was time for the taste test.

There was filet covered in a luscious mushroom sauce with asparagus and tricolor fingerling potatoes. It was cooked to perfection. Then we had chicken stuffed with prosciutto, spinach and mozzarella over sauteed kale and Yukon gold potato. Kale? Yeah. It rocked. We thought we were done, but they brought out the vegetarian dish: a rich, creamy risotto with asparagus. Oh, I wish words would do these dishes justice. Papa Seashell grinned from ear to ear and declared, “This is going to be the best wedding food ever!” He might be right. Mama Seashell nailed these recipes. The Italians are definitely on to something with the whole “mangia! mangia!” thing. Our guests will undoubtedly be well fed.

We started joking about our bodies only being able to process so many calories in a day. We may have actually eaten our weight in food. But then there was cake. Maybe we weren’t THAT full after all.

How was your food tasting? Did you customize? Did you need new pants afterwards?