Menu Options For Royal Wedding Watchers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- By now you've probably heard that there's a royal wedding afoot. Prince William, Prince Charles' eldest son, will be marrying Kate Middleton in London on Friday, 29th April, at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. Eastern time). Not since Charles' and Diana's wedding in 1981 has there been such a high-profile royal wedding, and the television coverage will reflect this. Coverage on Friday morning begins on KDKA-TV at 4 a.m. Eastern time.

For all the latest details and news, visit CBSNews.com's Royal Wedding section!

If you plan not to miss the wedding service, which will be conducted at Westminster Abbey by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and televised live around the world, then a very early Friday morning viewing party will be in order.

Caffeine will be necessary. Might I suggest you put on a kettle? There are fine English teas widely available in grocery stores throughout Pittsburgh. Try Twining's Tea, available in classic varieties such as Earl Grey or Darjeeling; or try Brooke's PG Tips, another English tea. If you cannot abide tea, but still want something hot, try sipping a cup of Cadbury's Original Drinking Chocolate.To go with your tea, you'll need a scone with lemon curd or jam, or maybe a good tea biscuit. That's a cookie for us Americans. McVities--the company which is providing Prince William's chocolate cookie Groom's Cake--sells "Digestives," which are ready-made and locally available, as are Burton's Digestives, and Lyon's Rich Tea Biscuits.

Scones are not too difficult to make, and they can be baked ahead of time. If you don't have scones and jam, try some Marmite yeast extract. Aussies and other Commonwealth subjects know its close relation as Vegemite. One spreads it thinly on toast. Or make tea sandwiches instead. These are thinly sliced, white-bread sandwiches with the crust discarded, and are usually lightly filled with a mayonnaise- or cream-and-vegetable filling. Like scones, they can be prepared in advance and chilled until ready to serve. See for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_sandwich and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_(meal)

Menu for breakfast live royal viewing party:

• English tea (e.g. Twining's Early Grey)
• Scones, topped with jam or cream
• Toast (Marmite optional)
• Tea sandwiches
• Cheese plate of Cheddar, Stilton (blue cheese), Huntsman, or the like
• Optional alcoholic drinks: mimosas; flutes of Chambord-topped champagne

If you can't pry yourself out of bed by 4 a.m. for the extensive pre-wedding television coverage--or by 6 a.m. (Eastern time) for the wedding ceremony itself--you can always record the ceremony via DVR and time-shift the events for viewing in future--say for Friday evening.

If so, you might opt for an evening service of a full English breakfast of eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon and sausage. Or perhaps you'd prefer to serve a dinner of shepherd's pie or bangers and mash. That's sausages and mashed potatoes for us former colonists. On the other hand, there's naught more festive than friends gathered round for drinks and simple hors d'oeuvres. The aforementioned tea sandwiches and cheese plate should stand you in good stead in that case. Suggested alcoholic drinks might include the classic gin and tonic, mimosas, a Pimm's cup, or flutes of Chambord-topped champagne. For a more down-to-earth but still English beverage, try a pint or two of beer or ale.

Menu for dinner time-delayed royal viewing party:

Option 1: Evening English breakfast

• Poached or Fried Eggs
• Fried or Grilled Tomatoes
• Fried Mushrooms
• Buttered Toast
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Tea

Option 2: Traditional Dinner

• Shepherd's Pie or
• Bangers and Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes)
• Beer or Ale

Option 3: Drinks and Hors d'oeuvres

• Tea Sandwiches
• Cheese plate
• Kippers (herring)
• Optional drinks: gin and tonic; mimosas; Pimm's cup; flutes of Chambord-topped champagne; beer, ale

Raise a toast to the royal couple, tuck in and enjoy. For more information on the web, see http://royalwedding.aol.com/