my bride with the fantastic pre-reception food

cream puffs and homemade beef stew that's even better than what you can get at din tai fung? yes please! click here to see her same day edit by avec lumiere out of california.

borscht; steam the beets, simmer the veggies in white wine

•3 quarts beef or chicken broth
•1/4 tsp butter
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•white wine
•1 turnip, thinly sliced
•1 teaspoon dried marjoram
•2 celery stalks, trimmed, thinly sliced
•1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
•1/2 head shredded cabbage
•1 bay leaf
•salt and pepper to taste
•4 beets, peeled, grated
•4 tbsp lemon juice
•sour cream

other recipes involve:
•no beets at all!
•1/4 cup dill, minced
•2 onions, diced
•1 leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
•2 parsnips, peeled, thinly sliced
•whole allspice berries
•potatoes
•bacon
•meat
•2 Tbsp tomato paste
•6 Tbsp honey
•beet stalks and beet greens
•pickle juice


Scrub beets, cut off tops an inch from the base. I steam them in a double boiler and peel off the skin with gloves when they've cooled. Reserve any juices that have dripped into double boiler. Other recipes bake them in foil or boil them.

Bring broth to a simmer while you prepare the vegetables. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat with the butter. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute and stir in the marjoram.


Add the celery, turnips, carrot, and cabbage. I add a generous splash of wine to minimize the use of butter. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 8 minutes

Add the vegetables and bay leaf to broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer partially covered for 10 minutes before grating the beets directly into the soup. Add any beat juices that dripped into the double boiler. Simmer, partially covered, until the soup is flavorful and the vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice.

Cover and chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight. Reheat before serving, but not to boiling or the color will disappear. Serve with sour cream.

my bride with bacon at the buffet