Entertaining Books

A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes

David Tanis

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Artisan Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $18.91

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Gastronomy -> Essays
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Seasonal
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Forget about getting back to the land, David Tanis just wants you to get back to the kitchen

For six months a year, David Tanis is the head chef at Chez Panisse, the Berkeley, California, restaurant where he has worked alongside Alice Waters since the 1980s in creating a revolution in sustainable American cuisine. The other six months, Tanis lives in Paris in a seventeenth-century apartment, where he hosts intimate dinners for friends and paying guests, and prepares the food in a small kitchen equipped with nothing more than an old stove, a little counter space, and a handful of wellused pots and pans.

This is the book for anyone who wants to gather and feed friends around a table and nurture their conversation. It’s not about showing off with complicated techniques and obscure ingredients. Worlds away from the showy Food Network personalities, Tanis believes that the most satisfying meals—for both the cook and the guest—are invariably the simplest.

Home cooks can easily re-create any of his 24 seasonal, market-driven menus, from spring’s Supper of the Lamb (Warm Asparagus Vinaigrette; Shoulder of Spring Lamb with Flageolet Beans and Olive Relish; Rum Baba with Cardamom) to winter’s North African Comfort Food (Carrot and Coriander Salad; Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin and Chickpeas). Best of all, Tanis is an engaging guide with a genuine gift for words, whose soulful approach to food will make any kitchen, big or small, a warm and compelling place to spend time.

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs

Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $20.37

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Cooking by Ingredient -> Herbs, Spices & Condiments
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Gastronomy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Gastronomy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent reference 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I like a cookbook with guides one to flavor combinations, rather than provides strict recipes. This one meets that criteria. It is not for a beginning cook, though, as I think it takes some experience to know what will work for you.

Editorial Review:

Great cooking goes beyond following a recipe--it's knowing how to season ingredients to coax the greatest possible flavor from them. Drawing on dozens of leading chefs' combined experience in top restaurants across the country, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg present the definitive guide to creating "deliciousness" in any dish. Thousands of ingredient entries, organized alphabetically and cross-referenced, provide a treasure trove of spectacular flavor combinations. Readers will learn to work more intuitively and effectively with ingredients; experiment with temperature and texture; excite the nose and palate with herbs, spices, and other seasonings; and balance the sensual, emotional, and spiritual elements of an extraordinary meal.
Seasoned with tips, anecdotes, and signature dishes from America's most imaginative chefs, THE FLAVOR BIBLEis an essential reference for every kitchen.

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence

Amy Sedaris

Amazon Price: $10.87 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grand Central Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $9.12

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 213 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Are you lacking direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks? A dinner party for white-collar workers? A festive gathering for the grieving? Don't despair. Take a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. No matter the style or size of the gathering--from the straightforward to the bizarre--I LIKE YOU provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with Amy's blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair. You don't even need to be a host or hostess to benefit--Amy offers tips for guests, too! Readers will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics (Broiled Frozen Chicken Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful children's party (a half-hour time limit, games included), plus an appendix chock-full of arts and crafts ideas (a mini pantihose plant-hanger), and much, much more!

Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game with Gameboard and Cards

Joyce Lock

Amazon Price: $18.95 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $10.64

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Foodie Fight Wins Hands Down 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I recently attend a weekend cooking school where we played both Foodie Fight and the Trival Pursuit Game dedicated to food. Foodie Fight was much more fun, more interesting questions, better catagories and just the right difficulty. The school was attended by "foodies" and some new to cooking and all enjoyed the game. It's a winner!

Game review 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Had a lot of laughs over the game after Christmas dinner (gift to my daughter - a foodie)

fun game that stumped even consumate foodies! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Saw this at xmas time and thought it would be a fun gift for a family member. I was worried that the questions would not be challenging enough being that the person is a consumate foodie, as is another family member who would be present during the holiday. We played the game and even they couldn't answer all the questions!
Game is designed really well, good variety of questions even for the novice foodie and I like how you can play a short game or a long game.
Good fun!

Editorial Review:

What food is called nervous pudding in diner slang? (Jell-O) Satisfy your craving for tasty trivia with the game that lets foodies strut their culinary stuff. With over 1,000 questions on topics ranging from culinary science and celebrity chefs to food history and exotic cuisine, each player is bound to get a full serving of food knowledge. 168 trivia cards, 6 game boards and 108 game pieces. Printed in China.

Dip Into Something Different: A Collection of Recipes from Our Fondue Pot to Yours

Melting Pot Restaurants Inc

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Melting Pot Restaurants Inc

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Appliances
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General AAS

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

It's about time 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

For years I've been trying to find fondue recipes that are half as good as anything I have had at the Melting Pot, and finally they release this book. It has just about every recipe they use at the restaraunt: salad dressings, cheeses, chocolates, broths, and I think it even has drinks. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. I have not tried to make anything yet, but based on the quantity of recipes and simple directions, I am certain to remain pleased with this purchase. I highly recommend this for anyone who fondues often or for first timers. If you've never fondued, this cookbook will make it much less intimidating and be sure to give you great tasting food.

If you love Melting Pot, you will LOVE this cookbook 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was very surprised to see in this cookbook how many recipes they shared directly from the menu. In fact, I am not quite sure if they left anything out of the book that isn't on the menu. They have everything from cheese, meat, dessert, marinating, sauces. This is by far, my favorite cookbook!

Editorial Review:

Create a perfect night out by gathering friends and family around a pot of warm melted cheese, chocolate or a cooking style eager to add flavor to your favorite dipper. The Melting Pot dares you to Dip Into Something Different® with this collection of recipes from our fondue to yours.

Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ideas and Recipes for Easy Parties That Are Really Fun

Ina Garten

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ina Garten - Model: B377 Amazon Marketplace: 69 new & used starting at $12.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• Sold individually
• See Product Description below for a complete description of this item.

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Party Planning

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 92 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Exceptionally good recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was my first introduction to Ina Garten and I loved this book so much, I ended up buying 2 more. Every single recipe in this book came out looking great and tasting even better. Her recipes are extremely easy to follow and are very detailed. This is great for any kind of cook, from beginner to advanced. Two thumbs up!

Barefoot Contessa Parties 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a quality product, the best cookbook I've read in years! Each recipe is clear, precise, and appetizing. Yes, I will buy others written by Ina Garten.

Awesome recipes! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My friend invited me to a dinner party where she served the filet of beef, the gorgonzola sauce/gracy, the spinach gratin and the garlic potatoes...it was delicious! So I had to order a copy of this book for myself and the recipes are just out of this world. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves food.

Editorial Review:

After more than twenty years of running Barefoot Contessa, the acclaimed specialty food store, Ina Garten published her first collection of recipes. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was an overnight sensation, but it's the kind of success that can only be g

The Best 30-Minute Recipe

Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: America's Test Kitchen Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $13.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Holidays

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

300 Fast and Flavorful Recipes from America’s Most Trusted Test Kitchen

Tired of quick recipes that aren’t really quick or don’t taste very good? While some cookbooks promise 30-minute meals, America’s Test Kitchen delivers. The Best 30-Minute Recipe is packed with more than 300 great-tasting recipes, along with time-saving techniques that will help you become more efficient in the kitchen. You’ll also find honest evaluations of ingredients important to quick cooking, such as chicken broth, preshredded cheese, instant rice, and more. And because the type of equipment you use is important to the success of any recipe—made in 30 minutes or not—we tell you which brands are worth buying.

The Best 30-Minute Recipe features a surprisingly wide range of recipes. You get not only the very best versions of naturally quick dishes like salads and stir-fries, but also quick and easy recipes for typically long-cooking dishes that you’d never even think of making on a weeknight—including meatloaf, lasagna, beef pot pie, and a pad thai so easy that you may never call for takeout again. With efficiency and good taste, The Best 30-Minute Recipe is the time-pressed cook’s guide to getting dinner on the table, night after night.

Christmas with Paula Deen: Recipes and Stories from My Favorite Holiday

Paula Deen

Amazon Price: $15.64 List Price: $23.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon & Schuster Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $4.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Memoirs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"I've gone through all my books and put together this collection of my most treasured recipes and memories for the holiday season to share with you...You'll find a few new dishes, a sprinkling of new holiday stories, and some family pictures you might not have seen before."

There's no holiday Paula Deen loves better than Christmas, when she opens her home to family and friends, and traditions old and new make the days merry and bright. Filled with Paula's trademark Southern charm and happy reminiscences of Yuletide seasons past, Christmas with Paula Deen is a collection of beloved holiday recipes and stories interspersed with cherished family photographs. Included are Paula's most requested homemade gifts of food; a collection of cookies sure to become your family's favorites; easy dishes for a Christmas breakfast or brunch that will let you enjoy the food and your guests; impressive fare for Christmas dinner and holiday entertaining and, of course, spectacular cakes, puddings, pies, and other sweet things.

"So Merry Christmas, y'all, and best dishes and best wishes from me and my family to yours."

Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run

Alton Brown

Amazon Price: $11.00 List Price: $27.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Stewart, Tabori & Chang Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $7.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> U.S. Regional -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

He’s on the road again. This time, Alton Brown and his motorcycle-mounted crew are off on a thousand-mile, south-to-north journey that follows America’s first “superhighway”—the Mississippi. Starting at the great river’s delta on the Gulf of Mexico and ending up near its headwaters in Minnesota, Alton and buddies travel the heartland’s byways to scout out the very best of roadside food—and to get to know the people who spend their lives preparing and serving it.

A companion to the six-part Food Network series airing in fall 2007, Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run is a travel diary, photo journal, and, of course, cookbook. Alton’s itinerary includes big-city eateries and small-town chat ’n’ chews, as well as markets, inns, ice cream parlors, museums, barbecue joints—and even an alligator farm.

Louisiana-style Grilled Alligator Tail (served simply, with lemon and butter) is one of the book’s forty original road-food recipes. Others include Pecan-Coconut Pie from an Arkansan roadside restaurant; BBQ Pork Ribs in Mississippi that Brown eats over pancakes; Vegetable Borscht from St. Paul’s Russian Tea House; and Fried Catfish from a riverside burg in Illinois. When it comes to America’s foodways and folkways, there’s no better tour guide than Alton Brown.

Christmas with Southern Living 2008: Great Recipes - Easy Entertaining - Festive Decorations - Gift Ideas (Christmas With Southern Living)

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Oxmoor House Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $13.10

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Christmas & Hanukkah
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> Seasonal
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Seasonal

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

Editorial Review:

The Christmas experts at Southern Living magazine continue the holiday tradition with this all-new 28th edition of Christmas with Southern Living, the cooking, entertaining, and decorating classic that's steeped in gracious Southern style.

One-hundred forty brand-new recipes—the most ever in this book series—include ultimate show-stopping desserts, innovative chocolate and vanilla treats, incredibly easy side dishes, and a Quick & Easy Christmas Dinner that features a freezer-to-oven turkey recipe with a two-ingredient glaze.

Entertaining friends and family is a breeze with the "Simple Christmas" chapter, featuring a collection of two dozen quick recipe options that require little effort yet yield luscious results.

In addition, you'll also discover fresh decorating ideas that begin at the front door and take you all through the house. Whether you fancy a traditional look, whimsical style, or casual elegance, dozens of festive wreaths, garlands, and door and mantel decorations will stir your creativity.

Big, colorful photographs inspire your holiday table settings with designs that are "see and do" simple. From a centerpiece that holds individual take-home bouquets to twig balls stuffed with glittery tinsel garland, you'll be amazed at how quickly your table transforms from everyday to holiday.

Whether you need help planning the perfect holiday menu, baking special treats for giving, or trimming your home with welcoming, seasonal flair, this filled-to-overflowing book from the Christmas cooking and entertaining editors at Southern Living magazine has everything on your wish list for the most wonderful time of the year.