My freshman year of college, I met a dear friend named Katherine. Throughout college, we were buddies and went on many adventures together...to new restaurants, the movies, the theater. After graduation, our friendship continued with new monthly adventures: kayaking, alumni events, theater and brunch, to name a few. Fifteen years later - and our adventures are still going strong!

Earlier this spring, Katherine, married a wonderful man named Matthew and they planned a weekend of celebrations this month with friends and family. The weekend ended in the true spirit of our monthly adventures, with a traditional Chinese wedding dinner. I wasn't quite sure what to expect - I was just told to come hungry.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were told that this would be a TEN course meal. No wonder I was told to come hungry! Our table had a giant lazy susan in the middle, and shortly after being seated, the first of many dishes arrived. For two hours, we were regaled with platter after platter of delicious seafood and meats and vegetables. I made sure to take pictures of every dish and take notes so that I could share with you all!

After the dinner, I did a little research and learned that many of the ten dishes have a symbolic meaning in the Chinese tradition. So keep reading for photos and descriptions of all ten of the dishes!

FIRST COURSE: Crabmeat and Asparagus Soup

This soup was a light first course - a thick soup filled with pieces of crabmeat and white asparagus and very flavorful! I have not always been big on seafood - but this was the first of many seafood dishes in this meal that I came to enjoy. In the Chinese tradition, the crab represents prosperity and success.

SECOND COURSE: Crispy Crab Claw

This course was delicious and one of my favorites. Each crab claw is cracked to reveal some flesh and then a shrimp paste mixture is molded into a ball around the claw then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.

THIRD COURSE: Shrimp and Scallops with Chinese Greens

This dish was quite tasty - the shrimp were enormous and reminded me of shrimp scampi, with strong garlic flavors. In the Chinese tradition, shrimp represent happiness and good fortune.

FOURTH COURSE: Yang Chou Fried Rice (with shrimp and pork)

The fourth course of our meal was probably the most familiar - fried rice. It had a combination of shrimp and pork and was quite tasty. Apparently, the fried rice dish is often served at the end of the wedding dinner, but our couple chose to move it up in the menu. I think that was a good idea, because I'm not sure if I would have had room for rice if it had been served last! In the Chinese tradition, rice represents fertility, luck, wealth and a connection between heaven and earth.

FIFTH COURSE: Crispy Skin Fried Chicken

This chicken was so delicious and flavorful and beautifully arranged on the platter. It was also served with these crispy pop-chip like crackers that added a nice crunch to the dish. The chicken is served with the whole head because it represents togetherness and completeness.

SIXTH COURSE: Pan Fried Sea Bass

The next dish was pan fried sea bass. It was prepared with the skin left on one side and the other side pan friend to get a crispy coating. It was served in a delicious glaze and topped with fresh parsley. You just had to be careful of the fish bones! LIke the crab, the sea bass also represents prosperity.

SEVENTH COURSE: Twin Lobsters with Ginger and Scallions

We're now more than half-way through the meal...do you still have room? Cause I wasn't sure I did when this platter of two lobsters was brought out. As I mentioned before, seafood isn't always my thing - and lobster in particular. I had avoided it in all forms: steamed lobster, lobster rolls, even lobster mac 'n cheese. But I decided I needed to try everything at this meal - so I took a small claw, picked out the meat and tasted it. And IT. WAS. AMAZING. So much so that I made that lazy susan spin right back around to me with the lobster and took a second (much larger) piece. Not sure if I'm ready to put on the lobster bib and crack one open - but I definitely won't be saying "no" to some lobster mac 'n cheese if it comes my way. In the Chinese tradition, the lobster represents the dragon, or the groom.

EIGHTH COURSE: Salty Shrimp, Scallops and Squid

The eighth course brought more seafood - this time with a combination of shrimp, scallops and squid fried with a salty tempura batter. This was a favorite dish at my table.

NINTH COURSE: Seafood Combination in Bird Nest

We're really in the home stretch now...only one more dish to go! This course was a beautifully arranged "basket" of seafood and vegetables in a bird nest made of fried taro surrounded by a crown of fresh broccoli. This was my opportunity to fill up on some green veggies before I truly had no room left!

TENTH COURSE: Beef with Mushrooms and Mustard Greens

The final course of the night was a giant bowl of slices of beef with mushrooms on a bed of mustard greens. At this point in the meal, I had room for but a bite or two of the beef - but it was a very satisfying final course. In the Chines tradition, vegetable greens represent close family ties.

BONUS COURSE: Peanut Cookies, Fortune Cookies and Strawberry & Coconut Jelly Squares

So no meal would be complete without dessert, for which one can always make room. We were treated to a light spread of cookies and jello-like squares of strawberry and coconut. What a sweet ending!

One of the more appropriate fortunes read at our table!

And here is what lay in the wake of our finished meal. What an incredible feast!

At our table, we also discussed what tips we would give others partaking in their first Chinese Wedding Dinner. We all agreed: come hungry! Seriously, skip lunch, skip your snack - this meal will have you waddling out the door like it's Thanksgiving. You should also come with an open mind and be willing to try new things. And, vegetarians need not apply - there is nothing but meat and seafood in this meal. But I imagine if you were invited to a dinner and were vegetarian or kept kosher, they would make accommodations for you. Everyone at my table enjoyed trying new dishes and being a part of the whole experience.

Many thanks to Katherine, Matthew and their parents for the honor of attending this celebration. Cheers to the happy couple!

So this weekend I had some friends over for dinner and a movie. Things didn't turn out quite as expected, at least as far as the movie part. We just enjoyed the food and conversation so much, we never left the dinner table! I had initially proposed that we order Chinese to eat while we watched our movie, but became inspired to make my own Chinese take out. On the menu: veggie fried rice and chicken lo mein.

The veggie fried rice was the easy part - I kinda cheated and bought a seasoning packet that told me what to do (even the purists take shortcuts every now and then!) The chicken lo mein would require a little research, so off to The Google I went. I read several recipes and ended up mashing a few of them together for what turned out to be a delicious homemade version of a takeout favorite! This makes a LOT of food - great for entertaining guests (like I did) with enough for leftovers.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Lo Mein

1lb box, thin spaghetti
4 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water
4 chicken breasts
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp sesame oil
2 bags frozen Asian vegetables
2 cloves garlic
1 bag (or 4 cups) Asian slaw
2 Tbsp corn starch
4 Tbsp cold water
1/2 cup light soy sauce

In a large pot, bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving the liquid.

Cut chicken in to small pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and saute chicken until done. Remove from pan and set aside

In the same large skillet or wok, heat the sesame oil and add the vegetables, garlic and asian slaw and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add cold water and half of the reserved pasta liquid to the vegetables and stir.

Add cooked pasta and chicken to the vegetables. Add the remaining reserved liquid and soy sauce. Cook on low heat until pasta is nice and dark in color.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Adapted from Food.com

All in all - this recipe was really tasty and I loved how much it made. In fact, it was almost TOO much, as it barely fit in my largest skillet! My kitchen was definitely a little messy after all this. :o) When I make this again, I'm going to add more vegetables. I only bought one bag and I didn't think it was enough in the pasta to veggie ratio. The recipe above reflects the additional bag. And in case you're wondering what's all included in that magic bag of Asian vegetables, you get an assortment of broccoli, snap peas, carrots, red pepper, onion and water chestnuts. Some brands also include baby corn. Use whatever suits you!

As for the Asian slaw, I discovered these new salad bags from Dole: Chopped Asian Blend. It's a great, healthy addition to this lo mein with not only the expected cabbage, but also red cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw, snap peas and that superfood everyone tells me I should eat...kale! Once it all gets cooked in with the pasta, chicken and soy sauce...you don't even know it's there!

So with the help of some seasoning packets and this recipe, all you need are some chopsticks and fortune cookies to have a great Chinese Fake Out night!

Chinese Wedding Dinner Adventure

Chinese Takeout Fakeout