|
Sangeetha's
starry, starry night
By Nedra Wickremesinghe
Pix
by Ishara Kodikara
What makes each wedding meaningful is the individual personalities
of the bride and groom and the mood they create at their celebration.
Certainly this young couple was the heart and soul of their own
star-studded wedding reception.
|
A
study in pink and gold: The bride and her retinue
|
 |
|
The
happy couple on the dance floor.
|
Popular
star of the Sinhala screen Sangeetha Weeraratne known for her vivacious
personality,certainly dazzled the star-studded guests when she wed
Roshantha Kariyapperuma last week. Their evening reception at the
Grand Ballroom of the Colombo Hilton had lights, cameras and plenty
of action - including song-and-dance filled festivity. Among their
1000 odd guests last Tuesday were the Prime Minister, ministers,
family members, friends and almost everyone in the movie industry.
From the moment
the lights dimmed heralding the couple's grand entrance, pin-drop
silence reigned in the packed Hilton ballroom as guests waited eagerly
to see Sri Lanka's leading screen idol walk down the aisle. Four
dancers carrying small baskets of jasmines led the bridal retinue.
In typical movie style, the bridesmaids were none other than country's
leading tele-drama actresses Yasodha Wimaladharma and Kanchana Mendis.
Finally
Sangeetha, a picture-perfect radiant bride appeared in a saree of
gold tissue on the arm of bridegroom Roshantha. Besieged by photographers,
they made their way to light the oil lamp and cut the multi-tiered
cake while an eastern ensemble played beautiful Sinhala melodies.
The couple opened the dance to Rukantha's "Suwadha dani dani".
Afterwards the guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner buffet.
The ballroom
(other than the dance canopy of muted gold tulle with cascading
jets forming the ceiling ) was beautifully decorated in traditional
style with lotus blooms and oil lamps forming the main theme.
Centre-pieces
made of lotus and lamps adorned the tables. The most unusual of
all was the elevated bridal dais where a sea of lotus and lamps
formed an elegant backdrop. The antique couch and pots filled with
lotuses gave the setting an air of regality. Janaki De Soysa of
Flowers of Summer said that it was an honour to have done the flowers
for the celebrity bride.
Sangeetha's
Kandyan bridal was a gold tissue saree with net insertions of floral
appliques corded in gold and encrusted with pearls and Swarovski
crystals. She was dressed by Lou Ching Wong. Her accessories and
hair ornamentation were kept to a minimum with tinted Phelenopsis
orchids adorning her hair.
Her bouquet
in muted hues never over-powering the saree was made of Phelenopsis
orchids, strap vandas and stephonotis. The bouquets too were done
by Janaki De Soysa.
The bridesmaids
sarees were of lotus pink - the fall and the ihe in plain silk and
the rest woven silk in lotus pink and dull gold. They carried bouquets
of calla lilies.
Felicia's special Christmas Cake
Knighted by her native Sri Lanka,
Sikhamani Felicia Wakwella Sorensen has earned an international
reputation for her expertise in Sri Lankan and South East Asian
cuisine. With Christmas right round the corner, baking that important
traditional Christmas cake is indeed first on your cooking agenda.
For those new to the art of baking and keen to add a traditional
recipe to their Christmas cookbook here's one of Felicia's that
is irresistibly festive. The cake has no flour, as the texture is
derived from the combination of nuts and semolina.
The secret
of this unique preparation is the lining of the pan and the relatively
slow baking process, says Felicia.
Ingredients:
250g
Raw cashew nuts
250g Seedless raisins
250g Sultanas
250g Mixed glace fruit
250g Mixed candied peel
250g Glace cherries
250g Ginger preserve
250g Chow chow preserve
125g Currants
250g Strawberry jam
125ml Brandy
250g Semolina
500g Butter
500g Brown sugar
16 Egg yolks
7 Egg Whites
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 teaspoon Grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons Grated lemon rind 2 teaspoons Almond essence
2 teaspoons Honey
Method:
1. Line a 12 inch square or round cake tin with four to five
layers of newspaper or white paper, then two layers of well buttered
grease proof paper.
2. Chop cashew nuts, raisins, sultanas, mixed fruit and candied
peel.
3. Drain syrup from ginger preserve and chow chow preserve and chop
finely (Do not use syrup).
4. Combine the chopped fruit, nuts and jam in a large bowl. Pour
brandy over it and mix well. Leave overnight to allow the fruit
time to absorb the brandy.
5. Roast semolina in a dry pan over low heat for five minutes.
6. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add ground spices, grated nutmeg, lemon rind, essence of almond,
rose, vanilla and honey. Then add the roasted semolina and mix well.
Add the brandy soaked fruit and mix thoroughly.
9. Whip egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture.
10. Spread evenly into the prepared cake tin, levelling the top
with the back of a tablespoon. Bake in the centre of a preheated
oven. 150°C (300°F or gas mark 2), for one hour until the
surface has set.
11. Reduce oven heat to low, covering cake with buttered greaseproof
paper to prevent over browning and to retain moisture. Bake for
an additional 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Test by running a skewer diagonally
right through the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the
cake is done.
12. Remove from oven and leave in the tin to cool, then sprinkle
three to four tablespoons of brandy over the cake. Wrap it in greaseproof
paper and store in an airtight tin.
|
