At Home Cafй: Gatherings for Family and Friends
Author: Helen Puckett DeFranc
With the publication of her first At Home Café cookbook, Helen Puckett DeFrance took her message of family bonding through cooking into homes all across America. Their tried and-true recipes, an inspired mix of old and new traditions, highlighted the pleasures of casual, at-home get-togethers with family and friends. Now DeFrance is back with an all new At Home Café cookbook, and once again casual entertaining takes center stage. Building on how the first book involved the whole family in the kitchen, this new volume features entertaining with friends and neighbors, including Neighbor Notes on complementary dishes that guests can bring. A wealth of menus is offered for spontaneous occasions as well, from the unstructured fun of a neighborhood picnic (featuring Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders and Po-Boy Sandwiches) to the relaxing weekend pleasure of a Southern jazz brunch (with Crab and Artichoke Casserole, Cheddar Cheese Puffs with Apple Smoked Bacon, and Creamy Dreamy Berry Treats). A countdown for every menu makes planning a breeze. The author is a veteran cooking school teacher with a knack for keeping things simple. Whether it is a hearty soup served around the fireplace on a cold winter's night; a make ahead casserole for those evenings when there's no time to cook; or a low-key tree-trimming get-together during the high-stress holidays, a whole lot of comfort is served up in these delectable dishes designed to create special memories with loved ones.
Book review: Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations or Marketing of Agricultural Products
Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day
Author: Martha Stewart
The year was 1982, and Martha Stewart published her first book, Entertaining. This immediate best-seller, based on Martha's experience as a professional caterer, introduced readers to a new style of entertaining and a new style of cookbook - one that was gloriously photographed and filled with a wealth of information on the art of hospitality. In the years following, Martha wrote eight more books on food and entertaining, continuing to inspire a growing legion of fans with beautiful food, simply but elegantly presented. This book is the culmination of those years of publishing. More than 1,600 recipes and variations - all the recipes from Entertaining, Quick Cook, Pies & Tarts, Hors d'Oeuvres, Quick Cook Menus, Gardening, Weddings, Christmas, and Menus for Entertaining - are gathered together in a single volume. Thoroughly revised and updated, The Martha Stewart Cookbook includes a new introduction by Martha, new step-by-step illustrations, new menus, and sidebars and tips on subjects as varied as freezing pastry, selecting the best fruit, and setting the table.
Publishers Weekly
Stewart assembles her previous nine collections in one volume. New material is included in sidebars (``I have been making pastry crusts since I was a little girl'') and some recipe headings (``Guests cannot believe that someone has actually stuffed a snow pea!''). Abundant among the more than 1600 recipes is the sort of labor-intensive company fare that Stewart is known for, like the nine recipes (plus more suggested variations) in ``Hors d'Oeuvres'' for seeded and filled cherry tomatoes, or Pumpkin Pot Pies, in which the meat from herb-roasted Cornish hens is combined with vegetables and a Cognac sauce and cooked inside hollowed-out, three-pound pumpkins that are capped with puff pastry crusts. There are, however, simple dishes such as grilled Chicken Paillard and Pencil Asparagus with Lemon; others draw on ethnic and regional cuisines, such as Saffron Couscous and Soba Noodles with Cucumbers. Line drawings illustrate some difficult techniques; ``Entertaining a Crowd'' offers recipes for pasta parties, tempura ftes and clambakes. (Nov.)
Library Journal
In case you haven't been counting, Stewart's nine previous cookbooks (Entertaining, Weddings, Quick Cook, etc.) contain more than 1400 recipes-and here they all are, with new, step-by-step illustrations, tip boxes, and menu suggestions. Recipes are organized by course or food group, with a separate (and surprisingly short) chapter on Entertaining a Crowd. Part of the huge appeal Stewart's books have always had comes from the beautiful photographs of beautiful food; without color shots of her unique presentations for inspiration, this falls into a rather different category. But fans will welcome the compendium as a resource and a reference; most collections will want multiple copies.
BookList
Never mind that Stewart has written nine cookbooks, that this latest one is simply a conglomeration of 1,400 recipes from previous ones, or that she borrows ideas and dishes from the best chefs. Her name will guarantee steady requests. Recipes are traditional ethnic foods, comfort foods, and newfangled "fused" meals.
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