I'm taking the plunge into Lolita style. By Easter, I'd like to have at least one "formal" and one "casual" coordinate. I'm not going to live la vie quaintrelle. I don't have the time, money, or patience, though I'm fascinated by the aspects of the lifestyle, especially the cuisine, which seems to be mostly sweets (at least, I have yet to see a Lolita blog showcasing pasta or steak recipes).

While watching Ramsay's F Word on BBC-America, I saw a lovely recipe for a summer berry and champagne soup with floating vanilla meringue island and I wish I paid better attention to the whole thing. But now, I'm thinking, you can't eat sweets all the time! You'd blow up like Violet Beauregarde. La Carmina may have had a few recipes, but the Lolita community online seems to find her distasteful (though I read her cookbook and loved it).

So, what does one eat before the sweets at a Lolita tea/picnic/what-have-you, when lifestylers want to be dainty and cute and the non-lifers just want something filling?