Cooking For Crowds For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, at first, I wasn't particularly thrilled with this book. Maybe it's because I've been cooking for a crowd for awhile and hoped it would have more to offer. It's very basic. However, I am coming to appreciate its "basic-ness" and believe it's a good place to start if someone takes on a large crowd cooking challenge. Just having the information for how to estimate amounts of a particular food item is very nice; makes the math (at least for me!) much easier. I think the recipes are somewhat mundane, but again, since I've already come up with recipes that have worked successfully, maybe I'm not being fair. I think I came to respect the book and myself when I checked a recipe I've used against a similar one in the book and discovered they were close enough to make me feel as though I were anything but a dummy!

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Over 100 recipes, plus time-saving planning tips and sanity-saving suggestionsServe terrific food confidently and calmly, and wow your crowd!Panicky about cooking for a casual church dinner, a posh graduation party, or a holiday feast for 50? With terrific recipes plus tips for everything from planning menus to preparation and presentation, you can serve a hungry crowd without getting all steamed up about it. You'll quickly grasp the basics you need to know to cook like an experienced pro.Discover how to* Serve great dishes, from appetizers through desserts* Determine food quantities when cooking for groups * Handle food safely* Add ambience with easy decorations

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Seagram's New Official Bartender's Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)The Seagram's book is an OK book. It reminds me a lot of the Mr. Boston book. Unlike one of the reviewer's below I could not find "Caesar" in the book-maybe there is a newer addition than the 1995 version I have (although this seems to be the one that Amazon is selling). I also could not find some of the popular drinks like "Bellini" or "Caipirinha." I like the Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide much better. Pulpfoto's review below says "The Ultimate A-Z Bar Guide has a weird index where you need to know the main liquor involved before you can look up the drink!! What if you dont know?" The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide is A to Z like a dictionary so you look in the main body of the book. If you're looking for "Bushwhacker" look under the Bs, if you're looking for a "Knickerbocker Cocktail" look under the Ks. It seems pretty straight forward to me. I think the four indexes are terrific and I have not seen another book like this where you can look up by 1-drinks by alcohol type, 2- drinks by primary non-alcoholic ingredient, 3-drinks by classic categories or 4-drinks by special category.

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Perfect Party Food: All the Recipes and Tips You'll Ever Need for Stress-Free Entertaining from the Diva of Do-Ahead Review

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(More customer reviews)It's not necessary to read Phillips' party-planner introduction, but you may find it steadying, even reassuring with its calm, well-organized timeline, lists and tips. The book's easy-on-the-eyes graphic design allows for quick browsing and the color-coded highlights and eye-catching symbols continue on through the recipes. An appendix includes mail-order sources and "stress-free" menus for all occasions.
Recipes provide 10 to 12 servings, and all have at least some elements (even if it's only salad dressing or sauce) to prepare in advance. Phillips provides a table for multiplying recipes for larger parties, a list of essential tools and pantry items and an entertaining primer for rescuing disasters, from lumpy sauce to too many guests. She even gives her email for last minute disaster aversion.
Brief intros to each dish suggest variations and describe the dish's character. Step-by-step instructions pause at "do-ahead" points, and give instructions for how, and how long, to store, be it a few hours, days, or even months.

From drinks (Mulled Wine, Margaritas) through appetizers (Marinated Shrimp, Pigs in a Blanket) salads (Marinated Orange, Chicken Waldorf), sides (Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta, Wild Mushroom Rice), poultry (Tarragon Sesame, Oven Fried, French Farmhouse), seafood (Pesto-Crusted Fillets, New England Clam Pie, Seafood Gumbo), meat (Braised Beef in Cabernet Sauvignon, Swedish Meatballs, Pulled Pork Barbecue), to dessert (Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake, Chocolate Truffles), Phillips emphasizes accessibility, be it sit-down elegant or grazing casual.
A versatile sauce chapter, from Cilantro Pesto to Quick Berry, offers a choice of serving suggestions and Phillips ("The Perfect Mix") also includes chapters for breakfast and lunch. Thoroughly unintimidating and full of useful advice beyond food preparation, this is a practical, comforting guide to making entertaining a pleasure.
- Portsmouth Herald

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Bartender's Black Book, 7th Edition: 2,700 New and Classic Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a bartender and there is always one customer who comes along and orders a drink you dont know how to make. Behind the bar we keep several drink books, but this is the only one that actually gets used. Easy to read recipies, non-coded names for liquors, short, sweet, and to the point. Spiral binded so the book will not close while you are mixing. Contains the most variety of drinks I've seen from Vodka Collins for beginners (which most books don't have) through Long Islands all the way to a Mongolian Mother for the more adverse. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to shake, stir, or blend.

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Around the Table: Easy Menus for Cozy Entertaining at Home (Non) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was expecting a sophisticated collection of easy recipes, more in the vein of the Barefoot Contessa books, but this is merely a rehash of 70's suburban-housewife buffet food. Do we really need a recipe for franks and beans? And scrambled eggs with Velveeta? Also surprised that the apparently talented photographer took on this book...some of the food looks truly unappetizing, for instance the creamed spinach on page 121. Very disappointing book.

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Easy and Stylish Menus for Cozy Entertaining at Home - in full color

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Simple Stunning Parties at Home: Recipes, Ideas, and Inspirations for Creative Entertaining Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is one of my favorites in Bussen's Simple Stunning series. I have almost all of them but this parties book is the best! The recipes are easy and the ones I've tried are delicious and each party idea is original and so creative. And the book itself is just beautiful to have on your shelf or coffee table. Highly recommend it!

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Small Parties: More than 100 Recipes for Intimate Gatherings Review

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(More customer reviews)I LOVE this book! I had a small party last night and made dishes exclusively from "Small Parties". It was a huge hit! I made the baby potatoes w/crab meat stuffing appetizer, tortellini in asparagus gorgonzola cream sauce, chicken under a brick w/garlic caper sauce and the wild mushroom, sage and red wine risotto with the coconut-dusted white chocolate strawberries and berry napoleans for dessert. Everything was delicious! Biggest accomplishment- even the kids enjoyed each dish, especially the coconut dusted strawberries eating all of them. I'd never cooked with a brick before (chicken under a brick w/garlic caper sauce), it worked beautifully! I throw parties often and I'll use this book again and again.

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