This book is designed for the beginner who desires to entertain in her home but lacks experience. It includes 13 complete menus for popular occasions, full-color photographs, delicious recipes, simple instructions, decorating ideas, step-by-step checklists, music and drink suggestions. Each chapter has a section on "Mistakes to Avoid", "Optional Shortcuts", "Party Etiquette" and "Tips to Ensure Success". Each reader is instructed and encouraged in her endeavor to have satisfying and successful entertaining events in her home.

From an intimate dinner for four to a festive feast for a dozen, Jessica Strand's collection of simple yet sensational recipes will inspire both experienced dinner hosts and first-time party planners.

Shares ideas, projects, and recipes culled from Martha Stewart Living magazine, covering everything from tabletop decorations and flatware to menus for special occasions and everyday meals.

As an award-winning chef and the owner of six busy restaurants across two continents, Nancy Silverton was so consumed by her life in the professional kitchen that for years she almost never cooked at home. With her intense focus on the business of cooking, Nancy had forgotten what made her love to cook in the first place: fabulous ingredients at the height of their season, simple food served family style, and friends and loved ones gathered around the dinner table. Then, on a restorative trip to Italy—with its ripe vegetables, magnificent landscapes, and long summer days—Nancy began to cook for friends and family again, and rediscovered the great pleasures (and great tastes!) of cooking and eating at home. Now, in Mozza at Home, Nancy shares her renewed passion and provides nineteen menus packed with easy-to-follow recipes that can be prepared in advance (with no fancy restaurant equipment needed!) and are perfect for entertaining. Organized by meal, each menu provides a main dish along with a complementary selection of appetizers and side dishes. Under Nancy’s guidance you can mix and match all the options depending on the size of your gathering. Make a few sides for a small dinner party with friends, or make them all for a delicious family feast! And don’t forget dessert—there’s an entire chapter dedicated to end-of-meal treats such as Devil’s Food Rings with Spiced White Mountain Frosting and Dario’s Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary and Pine Nuts that can be prepared hours before serving so that the host gets to relax during the event too. Whether it’s Marinated Olives and Fresh Pecorino and other appetizers that can be put out while you’re assembling the rest of the meal . . . salads, such as Endive Salad with Date Anchovy Dressing, composed of sturdy lettuces that won’t wilt . . . simple sides, such as Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas with Cumin Vinaigrette, that are just as delicious served at room temperature as they are warm . . . or show-stopping mains such as the Flattened Chicken Thighs with Charred Lemon Salsa Verde—there is something here for everyone and every occasion. With clever tips on how to organize your table and your time when serving many guests, Mozza at Home helps you throw the perfect dinner party—one that’s positively stress-free and delicious!

Inspired by her beloved blog, dinneralovestory.com, Jenny Rosenstrach’s Dinner: A Love Story is many wonderful things: a memoir, a love story, a practical how-to guide for strengthening family bonds by making the most of dinnertime, and a compendium of magnificent, palate-pleasing recipes. Fans of “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond, Jessica Seinfeld, Amanda Hesser, Real Simple, and former readers of Cookie magazine will revel in these delectable dishes, and in the unforgettable story of Jenny’s transformation from enthusiastic kitchen novice to family dinnertime doyenne.

115 recipes--wholesome new creations and celebrated favorites from the blog--from the husband and wife team behind Two Peas & Their Pod TWO PEAS & THEIR POD celebrates a family, friends, and community-oriented lifestyle that has huge and growing appeal. Maria the genuine, fun, relaxed mom next door who's got the secret sauce: that special knack for effortlessly creating tantalizing and wholesome (and budget-friendly) meals with ease. From a Loaded Nacho Bar bash for 200 guests to quick-and-easy healthy weeknight dinners like never-fail favorites like One-Skillet Sausage Pasta or Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps (always followed by a fab dessert!), Maria shares her best lifestyle tips and home cook smarts. An essential resource for parents looking to update their healthy, inexpensive, time-saving, kid friendly meal roster; aspiring home cooks who want to eat-in delicious food more than they eat out; as well as anyone looking to share their love of food and the giving spirit with their neighbors, TWO PEAS & THEIR POD will help readers bring home that (achievable!) slice of Americana, where families come together to enjoy fresh and nutritious meals and there's always a batch of still-warm cookies waiting on the counter.

In this cookbook--packed with 130 recipes, gorgeous photographs, and inspiring entertaining ideas--Chiarello shares his secrets for celebrating in style and having fun doing it.

Forget the perfectly pressed linen. Forget the name cards at every guest's place. Forget the full bar, the four-course meal, and all the fussy little details that supposedly make parties divine. Who has the house, the money, or the time to throw that kind of party, anyway? In Real Life Entertaining, Jennifer Rubell offers break-the-rules entertaining ideas and quick, easy, stylish recipes for last-minute drop-in dinners, sit-down meals, brunches, buffets, and one-pot meals. Conventional wisdom says it's rude to invite someone to dinner on the same day. Jennifer's real life wisdom says it's never rude to invite guests to your home. The worst that will happen is that they'll be busy and say no. Conventional wisdom says never serve the same meal that you offered guests the last time. Jennifer says if you've got a signature dish, flaunt it! Jennifer incorporates her relaxed, lively style into a variety of festive themes, from an evening of red wine and bruschetta, to a New York-style brunch, to a one-pot meal of the easiest -- and tastiest! -- meatballs you'll ever make. The recipes are simple and the ingredients lists are short, so you can whip up party-friendly fare such as Thai Chicken Wings, Sesame-Mint Pita Chips, and Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Citrus in mere minutes. With Jennifer's expert party tricks, plus full-color photographs throughout, Real Life Entertaining is the ultimate go-to party guide. Jennifer will show you how to get your guests to pitch in and how to make sure that you have as much fun as the people you've invited. Never again will you panic at the prospect of a party.