A story of amore: for his own romantic rehearsal dinner, a Macon chef combines the flavors of Italy with favorite Mississippi dishes.

On a warm April evening in Macon, Mississippi, under the glow of la bella luna, the love story of Chef Wiley Morris and Karen King was elevated to international proportions with a fantastical celebration befitting the couple's love for each other--and the groom's passion for elegant food. As the story goes, Wiley, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, was actually torn between two loves--rich Italian cuisine and the hearty flavors of downhome Mississippi. So for this special night, he decided to make it a bi-continental affair. The story would be called "Mississippi Gets a Taste of Tuscany."

So what if the two distinctive cuisines seemed to be less than a match made in heaven? This was Wiley's and Karen's night. The groom knew just where to begin; he operates a catering business called Party Waitin' to Happen along with his mother, Ibby Morris, a talented entertainer in her own right. They would find a way to make it work. Capiche?

Once the theme was decided upon, "the party developed a heartbeat of its own," Ibby says. The first order of business was to find the perfect venue. The family found it in Belle Oaks, an antebellum home in downtown Macon. Serendipitously, the home contains a number of the Rococo-style furnishings that are traditionally found in Tuscany.

As guests arrived, they walked down a brick driveway to find an al fresco dining paradise. On one side of the lawn, a tent teemed with Mississippi-style hors d'oeuvres prepared by Wiley himself, with help from a team including sous chef Jessie Bryant. The Mississippi taste-teasers included the chef's signature quail etouffee, Gulf crab cakes with remoulade sauce, a special "Mississippi Six" dip made with green chile peppers and dried beef, blackened catfish canapes with cilantro sauce, hot turnip green dip served with miniature cornbread muffins, a wheel of hoop cheese with saltines and Jezebel sauce, and that Southern summer favorite, fresh watermelon. Little elegant touches like antique silver serving pieces and calligraphed name cards gave the casual menu a more formal flair to fit the festive occasion, but the family also added unexpected items like flower-filled vases made from oranges and tomatoes.

Across the lawn, in an area perfumed by beds of blooming roses, a host of appetizers inspired by Italy held court. Here, traditional and more contemporary antipasti platters included prosciutto-wrapped melon wedges, bruschettine toast, almond-bacon crostini, pizzette (authentic miniature pizzas), an Italian torte made with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, and imported cheeses served with bunches of red grapes on a heavy grapevine-motif silver footed tray.

The buffet dinner course was served on the wide veranda; guests dined in a large white tent illuminated by simple candlelit wire chandeliers. Tall floral arrangements reflected the Tuscan style, featuring vividly colored blossoms including sunflowers, hydrangeas, cabbage roses, boronia, and lilies with accents of asparagus fern inside painted terracotta urns. The handstriped table toppers on each dining table were equally vibrant. The hearty meal began with a "Simply Southern" salad that was actually quite elaborate, consisting of mixed field greens, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, fried okra, and goat cheese, all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Dinner included veal osso buco served with toasted pine nut gremolata, risotto alla Milanese, sauteed haricots verts with shiitake mushrooms, and "Paralee's" warm yeast rolls with piped chive butter pats.

After the meal, guests were welcomed inside the home's dining room for an elaborate dessert spread that again melded Mississippi with Tuscany with dishes like crostata di frutta mista (mixed fruit tart), triple chocolate tiramisu, almond torte, blackberry and "cafe au lair" tartlets, "Miss America Meringues" (another specialty dish of the groomslash-chef), and a chocolate trifle.

Throughout the evening, guests got another taste of Mississippi as they enjoyed the music of local blues musician Willie Earle King.

After their festa di matrimonio the following day, the couple spent a 10-day honeymoon in--where else?--Italy, where Wiley even had time to pick up a few more culinary ideas in the historic cities of Rome, Milan, Siena, Florence, and Venice.

Now that's what we call a happy ending.

Enjoy a few of Wiley Morris's molto bene recipes:

WILEY'S MISSISSIPPI
QUAIL ETOUFFEE

8 ounces butter
1 cup flour
8 quail
3 yellow onions, diced
3 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
4 tomatoes, diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups stock or water
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet, then add flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. You want your roux about the consistency of thick gravy. When cooking a roux, always remember that it is "slow and low." That means a low temperature and a long cooking time. It takes at least an hour to get a good brown roux. But don't forget to stir it occasionally; you don't want to burn the roux or you will have to start over! Whatever roux you have left over, you can freeze.

Grill and pick quail, reserving the bones for stock, and set aside the meat. You make quail stock the same way you would chicken stock. (Commercial chicken stock can be substituted.)

Saute onions, bell peppers, and celery in olive oil until translucent, about S minutes. Add garlic, and saute for another minute. Add tomatoes, scallions, quail meat, and Cajun seasoning, and saute another couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Reduce wine by three-fourths. Add stock, and bring to a simmer. Add roux a little at a time until you get the right consistency (a little thicker than gravy). Season with Tabasco, salt, and pepper.

MISSISSIPPI SIX DIP

1 round loaf bread (savory, not sweet)
1 (8-ounce) package shredded
 cheddar cheese
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,
 softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 (4-ounce) jar dried beef, chopped
1 small can chopped green chile peppers
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Cut off top of bread. Scoop out bread from the loaf, leaving a shell. Reserve the top and removed bread.

Mix together remaining ingredients; place in the hollowed bread. Replace top on the filled bread bowl. Wrap bread with foil, and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 90 minutes. Serve with bread or corn chips.

"CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S TURNIPS" DIP

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped
 turnip greens
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (6-ounce) roll garlic cheese
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Saute onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Set aside. Cook turnip greens according to package directions. Drain well. Combine drained turnip greens and lemon rind in a food processor, and process until smooth. In the top of a double boiler, combine sauteed vegetables, pureed turnip greens, soup, cheese, worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Stir until mixture is well-blended. Serve hot with miniature cornbread muffins.

Holiday Potpourri 1998
First Presbyterian Day School
Jackson

CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared
 according to package directions
3/2 cup amaretto liqueur
2 cups Fudge Sauce (recipe below)
1/2 to 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups whipped and sweetened
 heavy cream

Bake cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Cool. Prick the top of the cooled cake, and pour amaretto over cake. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Prepare Fudge Sauce.

Cut cake into 1-inch cubes. Place one layer of cake in the bottom of a glass dish. Pour 1/4 of Fudge Sauce over cake. Top with 1/4 of almonds, then 1/4 of whipped cream. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with whipped cream and sliced almonds.

FUDGE SAUCE:

1 (4-ounce) bar German chocolate
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt chocolates with butter in a saucepan over very low heat (or in the top of a double boiler). Stir in confectioner's sugar, alternating with evaporated milk and blending well. Stir constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat until it becomes thick. Stir in vanilla.

Catering by Wiley Morris and Ibby Morris of Party Waitin' to Happen, 662/236-0092; www.partywth.com.