The Gourmet Potluck: Show-Stopping Recipes for the Buffet Table

I bought this cookbook on a whim while at the checkout isle at a department store as I knew I would have upcoming events to cook for. I made 'Cold Baked Chicken Breasts with Jalapeno Plum Sauce for myself and several others. Rave, rave reviews. It didn't hurt that I happened to score 2 1/2 pounds of fresh plums, in season, which brings me to the next best thing about this book -- it is organized seasonally, so one can take advantage of flavor, convenience, and economy when searching for the right dish. An overlooked gem.

This cookbook has become a staple of mine for entertaining, as well as for special family meals. The spinach dish shown on the cover is excellent and surprisingly easy to make, as are all of the recipes I have tried. Because the dishes are meant to be ones that you take to gatherings, they are meant to be somewhat showy, so the presentation for each one that I have tried is nice. In addition, most of the recipes can be assembled a day or two in advance, and the cookbook gives instructions for that, which makes entertaining much easier.

Delicious recipes, step by step instructions, with full color photographs of the finished product so that you know what it should look like, and how to present it. Very good for someone who is learning how to cook and entertain.