Cooking for Company: All the Recipes You Need for Simple, Elegant Entertaining at Home

"I have two small sons, I work (more than) full time and so does my husband. The simply delicious recipes and tons of tips in this bookhave allowed me to handle that --and give a few great parties, too. Author Aloni is an experienced caterer and you can tell in her chatty stories and party guidelines that she really knows what she's doing. I have her other book and it is great,too.

After hearing the charming Nicole Aloni on NPR I immediately purchased this cookbook book. (I even was late to an appointment because I didn't want to leave the car until the interview was finished). I became especially intrigued with her 5 criteria for including any recipe in her book (such as "delicious and easy yet look like they took all day", and "traditional enough to appeal to your grandmother's palate, yet sophisticated enough to impress your new fashion designer daughter-in-law").After trying several recipes, I can say without a doubt that this is my most treasured new cookbook, and I have already given several copies as gifts.My absolute favorite so far is her recipe for Carole's Perfect Brownies. I was skeptical because over the decades I have tried many MANY brownie recipes. This one is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST EVER - using 3 kinds of chocolate. I have FINALLY found the ultimate chocolate dessert!I actually shouldn't say I have a favorite recipe in the book come to think of it, because the Lemon Tart and the Risotto Dolce Scented with Cardamom and Orange aresensational. The very easy Chocolate-Orange Cake was absolutely delicious - and very unusual.The New Wave Spinach and Pomegranate Salad sounds great as do all of the unique salad combinations that Nicole lists as one of her many "extras".I can't wait to try the mole poblano-Style chili with Beans and the Arugula Pesto Roast Lamb.ORDER THIS BOOK NOW and then go to Nicole's website to check out her classes around the country. I can't wait until she comes to Los Angeles! THANK YOU NICOLE!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is so much more than a collection of wonderful new recipes (Hot Scampi Dip, Coconut Crab Dip, Pork Tenderloin w/ Fig Sauce, just to name a few)...the author offers wine recommendations for almost every item, as well as explicit instructions on how far in advance an item can be prepped. Can entertaining get any easier than this?? The roasting charts cover virtually every cut of meat and every vegetable imaginable, making the book a veritable gold mine of information. And the section at the end entitled "Year Round Entertaining Menus", well, all I can say is that Nicole seems to have written this section for all of the cooking enthusiasts who never feel entirely confident that their party menu reflects an adequate balance of tastes, textures, and flavors. With this book in hand, I'm ready to entertain year-round!

This has been the best addition to my cookbooks... I have spiced up some of my basics and learned tips that have been flawless. I have fewer entertaining "jitters!"Thank you Nicole!

This is an enlightening peek into the mental and physical processes of gourmet cooking and presentation as well as professional entertaining. It is instructive and humorous. A great read for anyone who aspires to take entertainment to a higher level. Pick and choose among hundreds of ideas and variations to find the ones that appeal to you.