Good Things for Easy Entertaining: The Best of Martha Stewart Living Review

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(More customer reviews)I have this book on a 30-day preview and it's on a mental future purchases list. I've been pleased and excited by it. Every "good thing" from those on the endpapers to the sidebars are wonderfully do-able ideas. I'm planning to use a few (the finish-your-own-lemonade setup and flower/blossom on a napkin are two) for an upcoming birthday dinner. This book is an excellent introduction to entertaining in a new, yet only-Martha way. I also highly recommend Good Things, Arranging Flowers, Comfort Food, and Desserts, all four of them in The Best of Martha Stewart Living series as companions to this book.

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In this latest volume in the Good Things With Martha Stewart Living series, you will find dozens of ideas, projects, and recipes to help you entertain more easily and often.Delicious drinks and hors d'oeuvres, simple lighting projects, beautiful centerpieces, clever place cards, creative table coverings, and luscious desserts round out this inspired collection.

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Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends Review

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(More customer reviews)Having spent many happy hours shopping in Sur la Table over the years, Renee Behnke's credentials intrigued me into selecting this book. After reading "Memorable Recipes," I took her subtitle "to share with family and friends" to heart. I invited 2 of my closest friends to "cook" through some of the recipes! We started with Prosciutto Pinwheels, Pickled Shrimp with Capers and the Radish and Fennel Salad (it's spring and the radishes at our Farmer's market look like exquisite Easter eggs!) The pinwheels were the hands down winners. The recipe makes quite a lot which is perfect for a cocktail party but one of the other perks Renee gives the cook in each recipe is instruction to make each dish ahead. We didn't need all the pinwheels for our dinner party but the second half baked up perfectly the following night for a family hors d'oervres Sunday supper! We then prepared the Salmon with Wild Mushroom Sauce and again thanks to our savvy author opted for the Orzo with Sugar Snap Peas. Renee gives menu options based on seasonability of the ingredients! Our fall choices were Tiny Potatoes with Hot Bacon Dressing or Roasted Pepper and Corn Spoon Bread. My favorite farmer had sweet and crisp peas and my girlfriend declared the orzo her favorite dish of the entire evening! That is saying something when you read about dessert! We included our whole families for this meal and no one can go wrong with chocolate so the Sunken Chocolate Cupcakes were served warm from the oven with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The three of us had a "summit meeting" over coffee and cocktails and all agreed this is a cookbook worth having in anyone's kitchen! We were able to either prepare all or a large portion of each recipe in advance, taking the stress and last minute worries out of entertaining and were grateful for the menu options! The recipes were delicious and based on fresh, healthy and seasonal ingredients. It was a wonderfully fun and memorable evening spent with our family and friends and I know the Prosciutto Pinwheels will be a memorable recipe that my daughters will request in the future! Renee Behnke lives up to her promise that this book is indeed full of "Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends!"

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Dinner Parties: Simple Recipes for Easy Entertaining Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was "just okay". It was chockful of simple food items that I would not serve to guests that I am trying to impress at a dinner party. Boiled red potatoes with parsley....I don't think so....Not interesting enough for me, nothing in this book catches the eye....if you want extreme simple this is the book for you. Another dud....

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Fabulous food and good times are on the menu with this collection of delicious, no-fuss recipes from home entertaining expert Jessica Strand. From an intimate dinner for four to a festive feast for a dozen, this collection of simple, yet sensational, recipes will inspire both experienced dinner hosts and first-time party planners. Orchestrating a cozy double-date is an affair to remember with elegant cocktails, Dry Rub Pork Ribs, Asian Coleslaw, and a special treat -- Homemade Sundaes (one per couple for an extra dose of romance) -- and when a full-scale gala for twelve is what's in order, Moroccan-style Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Pesto is a show-stopper. Filled with enticing color photographs to whet the appetite as well as "menu managers" suggesting timelines for when to prepare and serve each delectable dish, Dinner Parties guarantees effortless entertaining at home.

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Desperation Entertaining Review

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(More customer reviews)I pull this book out every time I face an entertaining challenge, and I always find at least one recipe that's perfect for the occasion. The guacamole-with-peas and black bean "hummus" dips wowed my New Year's Day guests and they were really tickled when I revealed the secret ingredients. (They said, "You must really trust the "Deperation" ladies!" I do!)
Witty commentary and helpful shopping, presentation, and decorating tips make this a fun book to browse through.
Some warnings and comments: Unlike the original "Desperation Dinners," this book focuses on multi-stage do-it-ahead recipes. Those wanting lots of menus that can be on the table in an hour or less will be disappointed.One long chapter is devoted only to grilled main dishes; another to slow cooker meats and soups. If you don't grill or slow cook, half of the main dishes won't work for you.
Certain food themes are repeated ad naseum - there are 9 creamy dips, 6 chicken salads, 5 chilis, 4 kinds of slaw, and 8 breakfast casseroles. The beverage and side dish chapters are slim, but the dessert chapter is much larger here than in "Desperation Dinners." Both authors are North Carolinans, and the book is heavy on Southern favorites. Although they make some concessions to low-fat dairy ingredients, this is not the book to turn to for low-fat, low-carb, or low-calorie ideas.

Because these dishes rely on partially-prepared ingredients such as "already-cooked" bacon, and because the authors favor shrimp and fine cuts of meat, most recipes are expensive. If your grocery store is rural or small, you'll struggle to locate some ingredients.
Check this out if you're looking for easy entertainment-specific recipes, throw-together dips, do-it-ahead plans, and lots of interesting advice for the host or hostess. Most dishes serve 8-12.

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The $50 Dinner Party: 26 Dinner Parties that Won't Break Your Bank, Your Back, Or Your Schedule Review

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(More customer reviews)Have you ever been at work on a Wednesday and decided just to invite some people over for dinner on Friday? This is the book to pull out in just those situations.
My inital concern was that this was going to be a pasta-only kind of thing. I mean the $50 limit can be a little intimidating. But no, there's everything in here for both carnivores and vegetarians. I made the dijon-sherry flank steak last night and it was tremendous!
I love the fact that Sally obviously lives in the real world! Don't have time to marinate for 2 or 3 hours? She says fine, throw in in the fridge overnight and pull it out when you get home. Her menus are logical and easy to use. She even gives options of how to make adjustments whether you want to cook inside or out or even change a side dish.
This is a great book for people (like me) who have trouble deciding what goes with what. It takes the guess work out of it. I really recommend it. Invite some people over. Have them bring wine!

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Around the Table: Easy Menus for Cozy Entertaining at Home Review

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(More customer reviews)I was expecting a sophisticated collection of easy recipes, more in the vein of the Barefoot Contessa books, but this is merely a rehash of 70's suburban-housewife buffet food. Do we really need a recipe for franks and beans? And scrambled eggs with Velveeta? Also surprised that the apparently talented photographer took on this book...some of the food looks truly unappetizing, for instance the creamed spinach on page 121. Very disappointing book.

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In this book Ellen Wright offers 24 seasonal menus, accompanied by gorgeous color photographs, for easy but still stylish entertaining for family and friends.

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