“Spectacular, Spectacular”

Lindsay — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:12:20 +0000

Spectacular, Spectacular
No words in the vernacular
Can’t describe this great event
You’ll be dumb with wonderment
Returns are fixed at ten percent
You must agree, that’s excellent
And on top of your fee
You’ll be involved artistically….

- Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge

Last weekend, I had the great honor of being a bridesmaid in my dear friends, Kurt + Anjali’s, Hindu/ Jewish wedding in DC. It. was. spectacular. The weekend was an absolute whirlwind of colorful saris, delicious Indian food, beautiful ceremonies and constant celebration. Honestly, it’s taken me until now to process it all. Anjali was the most divine bride and Kurt was pretty darn handsome, too. They looked so happy all weekend and I had total blast with them and their amazing friends and family from all over the world. The bride + groom:

Kurt + Anjali

Don’t they look so regal?! Gorgeous.

On Thursday, we attended Anjali’s henna party. My henna has only faded a little bit over the past week. It doesn’t quite match my Halloween costume, but whatev. This is probably as close as I will ever come to a tattoo - so I am enjoying rocking it while I can!

Anj getting her henna

Shibani's hands

Friday held two Hindu ceremonies: Grah Shanti and Mosalu.

Grah Shanti: Religious ceremony when Anjali’s parents pray for cosmic harmony – all the stars and planets to be aligned properly – so that Kurt + Anj’s marriage will proceed without cosmic disruption.

Grah Shanti

Mosalu: Family presents Anjali with her wedding jewels. (This was my favorite part!)

Dancing in the streets!

Mosalu

Although it was a little difficult to closely follow what was happening at all times, Friday was an incredibly interesting and beautiful day to witness.

On Friday evening, we had a rehearsal for the Jewish wedding and a rehearsal dinner at a delicious Mediterranean restaurant on U Street called Tabaq Bistro: http://www.tabaqdc.com/. (I could hardly believe that I was still standing by this point.) But, it wasn’t over yet!! Early Saturday morning, we arrived at Anjali’s house and started getting ready for the Hindu Ceremony at Mellon Auditorium: http://www.mellonauditorium.com/. Mellon is one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen. I wish we had someting like it in Atlanta.

Saris! Saris! Saris!

The Hindu ceremony was AMAZING. Kurt arrived via horse! (Yes, HORSE!)

Kurt + Horse

Hindu Ceremony

The Hindu ceremony was approximately an hour long, followed by a very fast wardrobe change to prepare for the Jewish ceremony. The guests cocktail hour-ed and then everyone reconvened in the Main Hall. The Jewish ceremony was just as beautiful at the Hindu one! Look:

Me + The Lovely Bride

Jewish ceremony

MARRIED!

Finally, it was time to party! We had such a blast…and I totally ate my weight in Indian food!

Mellon Auditorium

MAZEL TOV!

Mazel tov, Kurt + Anjali! It was a truly unforgettable weekend. I am so happy for y’all!!

xx, L

Cooking w/ L+L: Anj’s Famous Dessert Pizza

Lindsay — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:23:55 +0000

As previously mentioned and tweeted, I have a problem with pizza. And, I am still trying to understand why it’s not healthy when it incorporates all the essential food groups: hello, bread/ dairy/ meat/ veggie/ fruit (sometimes – love the pineapple)/ fats and sweets (def). Anyway, pizza is not only an incredibly entree, it also makes for a delicious and eye-catching dessert! One of my favorite peeps in the world, the soon-to-be Mrs. Kastorf, makes a delicious dessert pizza – and it won over her culinary genius/ fabulous finance! (Hi, A & K!)

the soon-to-be Mrs. Kastorf!

Here’s the Q+DD on Anjali’s Famous Dessert Pizza

Ingredients & Directions:

1 package of sugar cookie dough
8 ounces of softened fat-free cream cheese
1 cup of confectioners’ sugar (you could probably use 1/2 the amount of sugar)
1 large peach, sliced
1 large green apple, sliced
1 large orange, sectioned
1/2 pint of fresh strawberries, sliced
6 ounces of fresh blueberries
6 ounces of fresh raspberries
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup of chocolate syrup (Anj sometimes uses melted chocolate instead of the syrup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Flatten cookie dough onto a 6-inch pizza pan. Bake until firm to touch – about 11 to 15 minutes. Cool. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar. Spread the baked cookie with the cream cheese mixture and decorate with sliced fruit. In a small bowl, combine melted white chocolate with chocolate syrup. Top the pizza with remaining berries and chocolate mixture. Slice and serve immediately. Yields between 8 – 10 servings.

Anj gets creative with the fruit design below:

working on anj's dessert pizza

Here’s the finished product w/ microwaved sugar-free apricot preserves brushed onto it:

voila!

Enjoy with a glass of Chardonnay – immediately followed by an intense sugar rush (then crash) and a mandatory 30-minute cat nap. Also delicious, but totally unhealthy, for breakfast! Thanks, Anj!

xx, L

The Quick and Dirty Dirty » the kastorfs

“Spectacular, Spectacular”

Cooking w/ L+L: Anj’s Famous Dessert Pizza