Special Occasions Books - Page 34

Victoria The New Napkin Folding: Fresh Ideas for a Well-Dressed Table

Joanne O'Sullivan, Terry Taylor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

More Than Just Folding... 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.

This book is very well laid out. Background information on table setting, napkin etiquette, simple instructions, and large color photos make this book an excellent choice...especially for a novice like me!
The book contains not only napkin folding techniques, it gives information on various napkin fabrics, basic sizes used for each meal, napkin etiquette, information on napkin care & storage, and stain removal tips. Also, there is a page containing proper table-setting etiquette.
The book contains forty napkin folds divided into three categories; Elegance, Charm, and Whimsy. Included in the types of folds are designs for holding items such as place cards, flatware, or food (the "Duchess Crown" is photographed holding a muffin). I have practiced most all the folds and I especially enjoyed making "Sunset Sails" as well as the heart-shaped "A Little Romance" folds. My "Bread Box" fold was a little wimpy as I practiced with napkins that aren't well starched.
Instructions for the napkin folding are given in simple, easy-to-follow steps and a picture of each step is included. A large color photo of the final outcome is included. Most of the folds are done in three or four simple steps. (A few contain up to five steps whereas the "Bread Box" and "Duchess Crown" each contin seven steps).
I found this book delightful in that it was easy for the novice to use and supplied that little extra something with its tips for table setting and napkin etiquette as well as storage/care of linens. I plan to share this book with my friends who like to host dinner parties.

Editorial Review:

When the finest china and polished silverware sparkle on a beautiful tablecloth, when a lovely floral centerpiece adds an extra note of grace, when shimmering candles create romance, no ordinary napkin will do. So transform those simple linen squares into something dazzling by following precisely photographed instructions and a few simple folds. A primer of the easiest possible techniques will get you started, and the projects-divided into chapters focusing on elegance, charm, and whimsy-range from the pretty Water Lily to the sweet and appealing Maiden's Cap, from a frilly deco-style fan to the dramatic, origami-like fleur-de-lis. These chic and decorative folded napkins are what every well-dressed table should wear!

Small Parties

Marguerite Henderson

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gibbs Smith, Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $5.97

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Close friends, a bottle of fine wine, and a palate-pleasing menu comprise the ultimate ambience for a perfect evening of entertainment. Small Parties presents a guideline for all types of entertaining, from simple buffet fare to elegant dinners with several courses, offering tips and hints on advance preparation-hours or even a day ahead. The menus found in Small Parties have a hint of elegant simplicity for a year of celebrations and can be made both by the ambitious home chef or the novice cook with limited kitchen space. Whether a romantic party for two or a holiday gathering for twelve, Small Parties offers menus for all types of smaller group gatherings as well as helpful tips on food presentation, garnishes, decor and much more!
Menus Include:
A Taste of the Mediterranean
Awards Night Gala
Birthday Bash for Eight Little Ones
Bourbon Street Blues Mardi Gras
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Girls' Night In
Mother's Day Lunch
Oh Baby, It's Cold Outside Fireside Dinner
Summer Concert, Picnic or Beach Party
Texas Hold 'Em Night
Weekend in the Mountains
Author Bio: Marguerite Henderson is a chef, caterer and restaurateur. Her previous books are titled Small Plates and Savor the Memories. She is a member of NAWBO (National Associations of Women Business Owners), IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) and WCR (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs). She lives in Salt Lake City.

Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Christmas Entertaining (Williams-Sonoma Entertaining)

Georgeanne Brennan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Christmas Entertaining

Christmas is a time for entertaining, and for the host that means hours spent planning, shopping, cooking, and decorating the house. With a good guidebook in hand, the work of holiday entertaining can be one of the joys of the season. In Williams-Sonoma Christmas Entertaining, you'll discover everything you need to know to welcome guests into your home with style and ease.

Organized around six festive holiday occasions, this book provides complete menus and decorating ideas, all designed to fit the way people like to entertain and spend time together today: a cozy Fireside Cocktail Party; an Italian Christmas Eve supper; a chic Christmas Eve in the City; a lavish, traditional New England Christmas; a sparkling Snow Country Breakfast; and a casual New Year's Day Open House.

There are some fifty easy-to-master recipes for everything from make-ahead finger food to appetizers, main courses, and desserts. The beautiful color photography and step-by-step tyle and drink ideas make it easy to create elegant centerpieces, signature beverages, and delightful welcoming touches that transform the table and the house. helpful reference sections provide guidelines on tableware, setting up a buffet, selecting wine, and more.

You can follow the detailed work plans included in each chapter to create a complete party, or mix and match recipes and ideas to assemble your menus. Either way, you'll find everything you need for hosting memorable holiday get-togethers with style and confidence.

The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian: Recipes from the New and Old Worlds, Simplified for the American Kitchen

Jeff Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Authentic Cooking 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Most Americans think of Chicken Parmessan, Alfredo sauce or Italian salad dressing when they hear Italian cooking. As an American soldier stationed in Italy I've never seen either of the above. They are all American inventions.

Italian cooking is very diversified. Venice is big on fish and seafood while the inland areas eat more meats. Jeff Smith's book is as close to authentic Italian cooking as one can get. The sheer number of recipes alone will give a person an insight of how Italian cuisine influenced modern American food.

The amazing thing is that there is at least one recipe that I wanted to try that I couldn't find all the ingridients for. It called for a Sicilian wine and being stationed near Venice I couldn't find it in any of the local wine stores. Great book. I will continue to use it for years after I come back to the US. It will remind me of the years that I spent here.

Editorial Review:

The popular television chef offers more than four hundred recipes, from gnocchi to polenta, in an anecdotal evocation of Italian cuisine. TV tie-in. 300,000 first printing. $250,000 ad/promo. BH&G & BOMC/HomeStyle Main. Tour.

A Baker's Field Guide to Holiday Candy & Confections: Sweet Treats All Year Long

Dede Wilson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

From marshmallow peeps for Easter to Christmas Ribbon Candy and hand-formed Chocolate Leaves for Thanksgiving 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

From marshmallow peeps for Easter to Christmas Ribbon Candy and hand-formed Chocolate Leaves for Thanksgiving, HOLIDAY CANDY & CONFECTIONS: SWEET TREATS ALL YEAR LONG is a guide which may have missed our December issue, but which holds importance and value far beyond a single season. Each recipe offers a full-page facing page photo of the completed item, and each recipe teaches basic tricks of the candy-making trade, from tempering and using dry ice on molds to choosing a special type of chocolate to produce a polished finish, or using a leaf-shaped cookie cutter on jelly to make leaves. If you've made candy before you're used to one-dimension cookbooks which either offer recipes alone or go into great detail on advanced techniques: this one offers a bit of both and is far above most in ease of use and polished results.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Editorial Review:

Want to treat your family and friends to homemade Ribbon Candy or New Orleans-Style Pralines this Christmas? How 'bout Giant Chocolate Kisses for Valentine's Day, or your very own marshmallow Easter Peepers? Learn how to make delicious candy to celebrate the holidays all year long. Many of the recipes are easy enough to make with children, and all of them are of course delicious! The handy "baker's field guide" format--with a lay-flat binding for easy use--provides a picture of each recipe and helpful notes to make it turn out just right. Icons point you to the recipes that are quick to make, those that keep well, ones that are good to make with kids, and ones that you can even mail. It's so much fun -- you'll be looking for any excuse to make them!

Jacques Pepin Celebrates

Jacques Pepin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A fabulous book for people who love to cook. Or for those who want to cook well and are afraid to try.

To Jacques Pépin, every meal is a celebration. And his delight in creating delicious offerings for family and friends is contagious. Moreover, as he shares here the secrets of the meals he has prepared over the years,
his careful instruction and his appreciation of ingredients and techniques that make a difference are so persuasive that you want to jump right in and join him at the stove.

Here you’ll find all the dishes that make up the celebratory menus Jacques demonstrates in his new twenty-
six-part television series—plus many more. Most of the recipes have been drawn from Jacques Pépin’s The Art of Cooking (now out of print), with many of them updated and refined for today’s home cook.
Although the book is organized in chapters from soups to sweets, many main-course recipes are offered with one or two accompaniments that are an integral part of the presentation—and Jacques carefully walks you through the preparations so everything comes out on time. Some are more ambitious, such as a splendid dinner of Chateaubriands with Madeira-Truffle Sauce, Mushroom Timbales, and Crêpe Shells with Corn Puree; others are simple family fare, like Tuna Steaks with Potato-and-Zucchini Salad. All are delicious, representing a range of exquisite and earthy flavors that you can, of course, mix and match at will to create
your own menus.

Two chapters are devoted to mastering the techniques of making bread and various pastry doughs, and are followed by recipes—both savory and sweet—that utilize these essential culinary skills. Once you’ve learned how to make a crusty baguette, you’ll be confidently whipping up a round of Black Pepper Bread with Walnuts, or Brioche Mousseline, or Cheese Bread. Master the relatively simple pâte à choux and you can make gougères, gnocchi, profiteroles, and a Paris-Brest cake, all with the same basic dough. The same goes for puff pastry, for which Jacques offers three versions: classic, quick, and instant.

Embedded throughout the text are Christopher Hirsheimer’s vivid step-by-step photographs of Jacques demonstrating specific essential techniques. With his splendid knifework to guide you, you’ll soon be boning out your own salmon and home-curing it, or creating a beautiful coral tree out of carrots and scallions. Jacques is an artist (his drawings embellish many of these pages), and he inspires you to make your own food visually enticing. Particularly inviting are the chapters devoted to sweet creations, which will bring out the artist in you.

Above all, the message here is that cooking is a joy and that your food is a gift to others. So don your apron, fill your kitchen with good smells, and make every occasion a celebration à la Jacques.

Edible Art: Tricks And Tools for Master Centerpieces

Narahenapitage Sumith Premalal De Costa

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

EDIBLE ART is especially recommended for the cookbook collections of dedicated gourmets! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Sculpture created from fruit and vegetables sounds too challenging for most home cooks; but not if you have a copy of EDIBLE ART: TRICKS & TOOLS FOR MASTER CENTERPIECES FORM CARVED VEGETABLES. Here are all the hints needed - given in a series of step-by-step color photos with pairs a large-sized photo of the finished product with smaller 1-4 step photos accompanied by text. The approach makes it a snap to produce works of art with a minimum of tools and no knowledge, making it a top pick for culinary libraries at all levels. EDIBLE ART is especially recommended for the cookbook collections of dedicated gourmets!

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Editorial Review:

Sculpture created from fruits and vegetables will challenge you, and amaze your guests. Simple techniques and tools make it possible to create absolutely stunning centerpieces that will be the talk of the party. Butterflies and rosebuds from colorful beets, carrots, and radishes are easily crafted. Elaborate melon lanterns and "flower" filled vases are crafted step-by-step in pictures, making it easy for you to follow the directions. Twenty-five splendid projects promise to delight dinner guests, and gratify their maker. An inexpensive hobby, food sculpture becomes a priceless addition to any table setting. This book will show you how to create imaginative centerpieces like a pro.

Small Bites, Big Nights: Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions and Lavish Parties

Govind Armstrong

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Whether he’s setting the scene at his acclaimed restaurant Table 8 in Los Angeles, entertaining the audience on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, or designing the menus for Hollywood hot-spots RokBar and L’Scorpion, chef Govind Armstrong knows how to create spectacular menus for occasions of all sizes. As Govind says, small plates encourage people to be more adventurous, to share food, and to enjoy the mélange of flavors and textures. In his first cookbook, Small Bites, Big Nights, he shows you how to put together a menu of small, sophisticated, sexy dishes and pair them with the perfect cocktail. The result? Guests get to enjoy a feast of flavors, and as the host, you’ll be able to relax and have fun, instead of spending the whole night in the kitchen.

Wow a crowd with hors d’oeuvres like Arugula, Dates, and Parmesan (a salad that’s finger food; Rare Tuna Crostini with White Bean Puree and Tapenade; or Seared Kobe Beef on Mini Yorkshire Pudding. To drink: Black Martinis. Barbecue sizzling treats like Grilled Endive with Serrano Ham; New Zealand Scampi with Heirloom Tomatoes and Summer Truffle Vinaigrette; or Grilled Chicken Thighs with Wood-Roasted Gazpacho and Avocado Salsa.

Make dinner for 8 unforgettable with Tender Bean Salad and Prosciutto; a deceptively simple Foie Gras–Stuffed Quail; and luscious Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis.

Warm up a cool night with bite-size comfort foods: Mini Onion Soup; Braised Chicken Oysters Piccata; and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse.

Easy Entertaining for Beginners: You Can Throw a Fabulous Party, from Holiday Fiesta to a Romantic Evening for Two

Patricia Mendez

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Great Help for the Not-So-Newlywed! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I finally broke down and bought a book to help me with my cocktail parties. I wanted to do just a little more than offer Cosco food platters at my get-togethers. Patricia's book has opened my eyes to to the true meaing of entertaining. My husband and I hosted our first "real" party and it was so easy to plan and prepare for and it was way more fun than anything we've done in the past. I'm on my way to true entertaining and can't wait for our next party. The recipies in this book were super easy and delicious that everyone thought I had it catered. I can't wait to give this as a gift for my girlfriend's upcoming bridal shower. Thanks for writing this book!

Editorial Review:

You don't have to be professional chef or nervous wreck to host great casual at-home entertaining. You will have all of your questions answered, from what to serve to what to do. Even if you have never entertained in your life, you can have a terrific time putting together a superb celebration. Included are 13 delicious complete menus with easy-to-follow recipes, full color photographs, ideas for music, activities and drinks. Checklists ease readers step-by-step through every phase of planning, preparation, and presentation. You will gain confidence and have a terrific time putting together successful celebrations. Occasions include: My First Cocktail Party, Family Fiesta, Dinner with Close Friends, Guys Night Out, My First Thanksgiving and more!

In Search of Pipe Dreams

Rick Newcombe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Enjoyable reading 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Great reading. A pipe adventure book where the author details his expeditions throughout Europe with the pipemakers themselves. A little too much emphasis on how the author's pipe must be modified to enjoy, but we each must enjoy our pipes however we feel. Too bad the pictures aren't in color to see the detail of these high end pipes.

Editorial Review:

Stories of pipe-smoking's greatest craftspeople intertwine with advice and commentary in these essays on the art of pipe smoking. While exploring pipe craftsmanship worldwide, these writings combine tales of the author's visits to Europe's most prestigious pipe-makers with a look at pipe-smoking's history and the hobby's most famous practitioners, including Albert Einstein, Norman Rockwell, and Mark Twain. Interviews with Old World craftspeople provide insight into the delicate and personal craft of pipe-making, and a treatise on pipe-smoking's relaxing benefits intermingles with advice on how to smoke, buy, break in, clean, and use a pipe to cope with the frantic pace of the 21st century.