Hosting Gatherings at Your Home
'Tis the season for heading indoors for evenings with friends and family. This list of books will have your events running more smoothly and your guests having more fun. No matter if your invites go out by post, Facebook, or text message we’ve got you covered.
Dinner for eight : 40 great dinner party menus for friends and family by Denise Landis
Longtime recipe tester Denise Landis--who has tested Nigella Lawson's books and more than a decade's worth of recipes at "The New York Times"--is an accomplished and experienced home entertainer. Landis knows what makes a good dinner party and how to compose a menu that will impress guests while leaving the cook free to enjoy her own party.
Featuring forty complete menus-appetizer, first course, main course, accompaniment and dessert--"Dinner for Eight" is organized by season, encourages mixing and matching, and guides any cook through a dinner party timeline of advance preparation and last-minute finishes.
Booze and vinyl : a spirited guide to great music & mixed drinks by André Darlington & Tenaya Darlington
From modern craft cocktails to old standbys, prepare to shake, stir, and just plain pour your way through some of the best wax ever pressed. Wickedly designed and featuring photography throughout, Booze & Vinyl is organized by mood, from Rock to Chill, Dance, and Seduce. Each entry has liner notes that underscore the album's musical highlights and accompanying cocktail recipes that complement the music's mood, imagery in the lyrics, or connect the drink to the artist.
Among the 70 featured albums are: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, Purple Rain, Sticky Fingers, Born To Run, License to Ill, Appetite for Destruction, Thriller, Like a Virgin, Low End Theory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Hotel California, Buena Vista Social Club, Back to Black, Pet Sounds, Vampire Weekend, and many more
You're so invited : panic less, play more, and get your party on by Cheryl Najafi ; photographs by Lisa Romerein.
From her rural Missouri beginnings decorating tables with cherry-tree branches to her current and much-anticipated dinners and parties that always include a "cherry on the top" surprise for her guests, Cheryl Najafi teaches others to break the rules of "proper" entertaining.
With her signature wit and creativity, Najafi inspires hosts to infuse their own personal style, humor and whimsy into any occasion. With You're So Invited, she shares her fresh approach to entertaining to get you planning your next--or maybe your first!--party without fretting or fussing, so you can relax and have as much fun as your guests!
Recipes for parties : menus, flowers, decor : everything for perfect entertaining by Michael Leva & Nancy Parker ; photography by Pieter Estersohn.
This inspiring cookbook offers fresh approaches to throwing the perfect get-together, whether it is a brunch, afternoon tea, or outdoor cocktail party. Fashion executive Michael Leva and textile designer Nancy Parker know what it takes to entertain with polish and flair in a short amount of time. These hosts are everyday cooks who have learned simple culinary tricks by trial and error, ensuring that anyone can give a fabulous party. Ten inspirational gatherings are presented in different locales. The festivities range from a family lunch in the country to a beach picnic and a Moroccan buffet on a New York rooftop.
Peter Callahan's party food : mini hors d'oeuvres, family-style settings, plated dishes, buffet spreads, bar carts by Peter Callahan ; photography by Con Paulos
Venerated caterer Peter Callahan compiles his 30 plus years of entertaining experience for serving visually stunning and palate-electrifying food in new ways. You're invited into his world of whimsy and wit as he shares brand-new signature hors d'oeuvres and expands his repertoire for the first time to offer ideas for tablescapes, buffets, seated dinners, and bars. Peter brilliantly breaks down his high-end serving style with simplifications and shortcuts, enabling you to throw the coolest of parties-regardless of your skill level, the size of the crowd, the venue, or the theme. Along with stories about and amazing re-creations of actual events, the 100 original party tricks and recipes in this book will help you set the scene for a beautiful, conversation-filled gathering-every time.
What to drink with what you eat : the definitive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea-- even water-- based on expert advice from Americas best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page ; photographs by Michael Sofronski
Prepared by a James Beard Award-winning author team, "What to Drink with What You Eat" provides the most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled--complete with practical advice from the best wine stewards and chefs in America. 70 full-color photos.
Party-perfect bites : delicious recipes for canapés, finger food and party snacks by Milli Taylor ; photography by Helen Cathcart
A mouthwatering collection of recipes for small bites and fingerfood - ideal for serving at parties or any social gathering, large or small. Ideas for fresh light bites for summer entertaining include Smoked Aubergine Purée with Feta Cheese and Pomegranate in Chicory Boats; Ceviche of Seabass with Avocado and Chipotle Dressing; and Grilled Peach, Mozzarella and Parma Ham Bites. Ideas for festive gatherings include Stilton with Red Wine Poached Pear on Walnut Toast; Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Watercress and Beet Rolls; Glazed Baked Chestnuts Wrapped in Bacon; and Persian Sausage Rolls with Pistachios. For those with a sweet tooth there are Rose and Raspberry Profiteroles, Cocoa Nib and Salted Caramel Brownies, and Mini Donut Balls on Coffee Shots.
Effortless entertaining cookbook : 80 recipes that will impress your guests without stress by Meredith Steele
Let Meredith Steele be your fairy godmother when it comes to a stress-free party! Her ingenious recipes will turn any cook into a celebrated chef who serves show-stopping meals hot and delicious with ease.Meredith's secrets are named but the results are consistent: meals that are easy to cook that have a large wow factor. Learn how to make great food with balanced flavors that come together easier than you can imagine! Recipes include a Shaved Asparagus Salad that tastes like it has a pantry full of ingredients, when really it only has a handful; Bourbon Vanilla Peaches that seem like they have been cooked for hours when really it's only minutes; and Easy Duck Confit that takes the guesswork out of this once difficult task and turns it into a technique you can use at any occasion with ease.
Martha Stewart's appetizers : 200 recipes for dips, spreads, snacks, small plates, and other delicious hors d'oeuvres, plus 30 cocktails by Martha Stewart
One of Martha Stewart's first hit books was Hors d'Oeuvres, published in 1992, which became an instant classic and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies to date. Elegant and delicious party food is a hallmark of Martha's graceful entertaining style, and now the team at Martha Stewart Living has refreshed and modernized appetizers, creating a compendium of easy yet stylish recipes that fit the way we cook and host today- Starters, Small Plates, Stylish Bites, Snacks, and Sips. Martha Stewart's Appetizers includes everything from lighter snacks to more substantial bites, and many of the recipes include multiple flavor variations. With more than 200 recipes and 100 color photographs, Martha Stewart's Appetizers will be the new authority on stunning yet simple appetizers for any occasion.
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