Dine Honolulu

Fast Track to Fine Dining: A Step-By-Step Guide to Planning a Dinner Party

Description

You're busy. You're tired. You want to entertain. You don't cook. This cookbook solves that problem, providing sixteen menus with wine pairings, prepare ahead instructions, presentation tips, grocery lists and detailed timelines. Just follow the step-by-step directions, and you too will host and enjoy terrific dinner parties.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-18
Summary: "Logical entertaining"

Well planned and logical entertaining. I gave this to my daughter, and have heard good things about the recipes. The recipes are not too difficult, and appeal to most diners. A good start to make having company less stressful.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-05-28
Summary: "The Handbook for Entertaining with Great Recipes"

This book revolutionizes entertaining and provides everything one wants and needs to know: delicious recipes, grocery lists, timelines for planning and executing a dinner party, handy tips, and more. Full-scale seasonal menus include fancy drinks, hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts. The menus can be followed exactly, or one can pick and choose individual recipes. The beauty and simplicity of some recipes are stunning, such as the "Eggplant, Mozzarella, and Tomato Stacks" (pp. 28-29) or "Basil Shrimp with Lemon" (p. 114). The handy tips such as how to prepare risotto ahead of time and finish it right before serving are invaluable (p.32). Whether or not you are a seasoned entertainer and skilled chef, the recipes, tips, and enticing photographs will make you want to entertain. This book can be mined for treasures--over and over again!

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-04-26
Summary: "this book makes you want to throw a dinner party"

If you're looking for inspiration, the photos in this book alone will do it. But there's more: I love the step by step approach. Check out the summer menu that includes the pasta shells with tomato and basil - I remember tasting a similar dish in Italy when I travelled there ages ago, but never quite knew how to get it right: from this book, I see that actually it's very simple - it's such a flavorful dish and my guests loved it! I didn't realize sorbet was so easy to make (the blackberry was a total hit). And the lemon chicken went so well as the main course.

I love the whole story about how the author tested her dinner party recipes on her neighbors so she knows they work, what a great way to connect with family and friends. I had fun doing the cooking and even more fun sharing the food in my home around the kitchen (where all the guests wind up hanging around anyway) and at the dining table.

You won't go wrong with this book - I can't wait to cook my way through the rest of it!

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-04-10
Summary: "The Must Have Book for Busy People Who Want To Entertain Graciously"

I have this book and just love it. I refer to it almost every week either for a family meal or for entertaining. The author has saved people like me hours by doing all the thinking for you and giving you not only grocery lists, but a detailed timeline for what you can do in advance and exactly when up to two weeks ahead. She organizes the book by season which is great. How many times are you looking for recipes that fit the season and take advantage of what is fresh and available at the time? Her recipes are just right for each time of year. The recipes are not overly complicated and do not require very rare and hard to find ingredients. All the entrees I have made are yummy, but my favorite is a salmon with a spicy olive and herb tapenade on top. Delicious and so easy. The desserts are to die for as well. It is so user friendly and the pictures are beautiful and show you how to present the meal. With a busy life, planning a dinner party can seem overwhelming, but this book truly comes to the rescue and makes it realistic to plan and execute a really delicious and gracious meal without driving yourself crazy. Thank you Linda Mutschler for giving me a way to entertain and enjoy time with friends without spending too much time in the kitchen. Preparation is key and you have provided the road map. Anyone who buys this book will be happy they did and find they turn to it over and over again.