Posts Tagged “entertaining”

Willow & Stone Sparkling Rosé from Kingsland – drinks review

Willow & Stone Sparkling Rosé from Kingsland – drinks review

Willow & Stone Sparkling Rosé British wine is selling at £4.99 and has 8.5% alcohol, so a light-in-every-way alternative to more robust traditional wines. It has a blush peach colour in the glass and is an unchallenging beverage that would be perfect for summer picnics. Reminds me of a Victoria sponge Kingsland’s research showed a…

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Party-Perfect Bites by Milli Taylor – review

Party-Perfect Bites by Milli Taylor – review

Delicious recipes for canapés, finger food and party snacks It’s that time of year again. We entertain in grand fashion. There are crowds of folks to feed and we don’t, speaking for myself, have a clue what to do. A nice plate of ham sandwiches will likely impress and perhaps a plate of cheese sandwiches…

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Sprinkles by Jackie Alpers – review

Sprinkles by Jackie Alpers – review

Baking is, thank goodness, enjoying something of a revival. We are reconnecting with some old-fashioned culinary values – the kitchen filled with tempting aromas, a cake on a glass stand, some home-made chocolate treats. But much of the appeal of the candy is the fact that it is also eye-candy. They look beautiful. Perhaps these…

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Tiny Food Party by Jenny Park – review

Tiny Food Party by Jenny Park – review

This is an amusing book that offers tiny food. You will likely not have heard of that term, but think bite-sized portions of a whole variety of dishes, including some that you didn’t ever think could be reduced to one or two mouthfuls. Tiny Food Party offers suggestions for tiny food, but the party can…

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Whoopie Pies by Viola Goren – review

Whoopie Pies by Viola Goren – review

Food, like clothes, has fashions and trends. We have had cupcakes and macaroons and now it’s the era of the Whoopie Pie! The name is amusing and nobody is sure where exactly that name originates, although it’s said to mimic the exclamation of joy as lunch boxes containing the aforementioned cakes were opened. They are…

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Eating In by Sue Lawrence – review

Eating In by Sue Lawrence – review

Sue Lawrence came to prominence in 1991 when she won Masterchef – those were the days when I actually watched it and the programme was more about the judged than the judges. She has made numerous TV appearances since then and has received awards for her writing. Eating In is a very personal cookbook. You…

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The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion by Duane Swierczynski – review

The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion by Duane Swierczynski – review

Well the title The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion encouraged me to think that this was going to be a rather serious tome, probably penned in the 1930s by the aging bartender in some swep-up hostelry in Venice. The subtitle held out a bit more hope that this was going to be a rollicking good…

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My Family Feast – cookbook review

My Family Feast – cookbook review

Feasts are at the very centre of our best and most dearly-held memories. Christmas or Hanukah or other important festivals with all those traditions: the same dishes on the table, the best foods of the season, Grandmother’s crockery, and tales of past feasts. My Family Feast – A world of family recipes and traditions invites…

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200 Mini Cakes and Bakes – cookbook review

200 Mini Cakes and Bakes – cookbook review

There cannot be many who would not enjoy a luscious slice of cake. Cupcakes are popular even as replacements for wedding cakes, and macaroons seem to have taken the world by storm. We all love something sweet to help down a cup of tea or coffee, or to finish a meal. Baking is enjoying something…

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The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo – review

The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo – review

This book is fun. Sandwiches are not by nature a serious food group. We make them for picnics and parties. The bread keeps our fingers free from exotic fillings or last night’s left-overs, and quite honestly everyone loves sandwiches. What would a traditional posh afternoon tea be without its spread of crustless cucumber sandwiches? This…

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On a Stick by Matt Armendariz – review

On a Stick by Matt Armendariz – review

It’s a book to bring a smile. Food served on skewers: mouthwatering titbits stuck with delicate picks or substantial chunks on batons. Everything here is poked and presented in stylish fashion, from bits one nibbles in polite company to deep-fried and delectable munchies that one would prefer not to share. Food is so often the…

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Desserts by Rachel Lane and Ting Morris – review

Desserts by Rachel Lane and Ting Morris – review

It’s got to be one of my favourite books of the moment. Desserts is quality in both content and presentation. The large format allows for the most gorgeous photography by Brent Parker Jones who has used his skills to great effect. The authors, Rachel Lane and Ting Morris, are both successful food writers and they…

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Style Me Vintage by Betty Blythe – review

Style Me Vintage by Betty Blythe – review

The author of this marvellously ‘vintage’ volume is actually Lulu Gwynne rather than Betty Blythe as one assumes from the cover. Betty was a sexy actress in Hollywood when it was new and when films were considered brash. She was born Elizabeth Blythe Slaughter but changed her name (probably a good idea) to the shorter…

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Sky High – Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman – review

Sky High – Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman – review

Surely everyone would like a slice of cake. Many of us whenever we are allowed, and most of us at every opportunity. It’s naughty comfort food, a treat, a memory of childhood, and difficult to refuse on any grounds. Alisa Huntsman, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and her uncle Peter Wynne, author…

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Great Party Dips by Peggy Fallon – review

Great Party Dips by Peggy Fallon – review

Isn’t there something comforting about a dip? They are uniquely versatile, either being the focus of a solitary evening alone (you, the TV, a dip and dippers) or being classy dishes on a special buffet table (for dozens of well-dressed guests with differing tastes), and all events in between. There are few foods that can…

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Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl – review

Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl – review

The Miss Dahl mentioned is none other than Sophie Dahl who, I must confess, I had never heard of (I don’t move in the right circles). But you find me here writing a review of a book that has been both well written and which I have found to be thoroughly entertaining. Sophie started her…

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500 Cakes by Susannah Blake – review

500 Cakes by Susannah Blake – review

Just the title has got your attention! There are picky eaters all over the world but who among them would pass up a slice of cake? It’s an “anytime” food that can be tailored to any taste and any occasion. Cake for celebration, cake for commiseration, casual cake and chic cake – you’ll find them…

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Party Time by Jane Price – review

Party Time by Jane Price – review

This is a classy large-format volume by Jane Price. It’s one of the Kitchen Classics series from Murdoch Books and if this isn’t a classic yet it soon will be. The photography by Jared Fowler is first-rate and helps to give the book a sumptuous feel. We all want or need to throw a party…

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Miniature Feasts by Michael Harwood – review

Miniature Feasts by Michael Harwood – review

Celebrated private chef Michael Harwood has years of experience catering to the smart party set from LA to San Moritz. “Standing up is the new sitting down” is a phrase that sums up the style of entertaining that is presented in this gorgeous book. The photography by Steve McCallum shows Michael’s food in amazing close-up….

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Kids Parties by Lisa Atwood – review

Kids Parties by Lisa Atwood – review

This is such a lovely dolly-mixture-coloured volume that I am considering adopting a few kids just to have the excuse to throw a party for them! The photography by Thayer Allyson Gowdy is charming and remarkable when one considers the difficulty of taking a good picture of children doing anything other than sleeping! The Author,…

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