Mastering Hors D'Oervres

If I were looking for a present for a new cook -- say, newlyweds -- this would be a superb choice. This entry in the Williams Sonoma lineup contains all the "expected" recipes; there's very little here that will surprise an experienced cook. That's a strength, in a way; when you need a good, basic recipe for stuffed clams or tapenade, it seems like all the books you grab have some foo-foo "alternate" version. And you're just hankering for mom's deviled eggs. But where this cookbook really shines is its instruction. It doesn't take anything for granted; the author uses this an a primer for entertaining, not just how to throw together a bunch of ingredients. The photos go into exhaustive detail -- overkill, if you're just looking for that basic deviled eggs recipe, but sure to be appreciated by someone who does not feel deft in the kitchen. Turnover dough, for example, has 8 photos. Stuffed vegetables with herbed cheese filling (you're invited to use cherry tomatoes, endive, or steamed baby potatoes) has 20. There's no question about how to make these dishes! The book has good organization: basic recipes, key techniques (such as shucking oysters and blanching veggies), dips & spreads, cold hors d'oeuvres, hot hors d'oeuvres. Most recipes go into how-to detail, then another couple of pages list some variations. White bean dip is followed by pinto bean dip, hummus, fava bean dip, black bean dip, cannellini bean & roasted red pepper dip, and edamame dip. Each of the variations is a specific recipe, too, not just "you could use pinto beans here but add more garlic if you do"). The recipes are good, dependable versions of the Expected Things using ingredients easily obtained at any grocery store. That's plenty fine with me, as I can't imagine anyone would object to someone bringing prosciuttto-wrapped figs & melon to the office buffet, or contributing guacamole to a holiday potluck, or starting a BBQ with chicken sate (chicken skewers with peanut dipping sauce). There's only about 50 recipes here -- but that's fine. It's a really nice cookbook. Sometimes, the "usual suspects" are just what you want.