Entertaining on the Run

I've made several of the dishes from this book, although admittedly I have yet to follow the whole menu for any her planned parties. Most have received rave reviews from my dinner guests, and standouts include a chuntney-blue cheese fillet of beef, and a non-traditional Thanksgiving menu featured a stuff turkey breast dish that went over great last November. (The only recipe with which I found fault was a warm tomato dressing - it has an odd consistency and never really quite worked. But even so, the pasta, salmon and spinach rollup salad that went with the dressing has become one of my staple dinner party/elegant luncheon dishes.) Her recipes are thorough, and whilst they are pretty straight forward, frankly some are probably a bit more work than most novice cooks might be willing to put into a dinner party, as they take a fair amount of preparation. (The progressive dinner menu she offers has interesting recipes on its own, but even in my group of foodie friends, I think it would be hard to find enough people willing to make stocks from scratch, marinate things overnight and bake bread to pull it off.) Also, there are some excellent photos in the centre of the book, but no step-by-step photos; although the steps are pretty clearly stated, it would have been handy in a few instances. I think what makes this book worthwhile are her tips for how to coordinate everything, and to do many of the steps ahead of time, and to think through the menu. (She provides tips on what to do a month ahead, two weeks ahead, a day ahead and the day of the dinner party.) I don't know if all those steps work, as I usually only start to cook a dinner party a day or two ahead. I am not that much of a planner. So, despite her help, I'm just unlikely to start a month ahead for a romantic meal for two... but if you are the type who would, you should buy this book now.

Whether you love to entertain or are sometimes forced to cook for guests, you will love this book. Marlene makes it easy to serve fabulous meals while taking the time to enjoy your guests. If you have not had the pleasure of owning one of her books, pick this one up. If you have, I imagine you grabbed this book as soon as it hit the shelves. Using her books always makes me feel like I have an old friend guiding me in my kitchen!