At Home Entertaining: The Art of Hosting a Party with Style and Panache

"At Home Entertaining is a comprehensive guide to hosting parties with style, panache, confidence, and ease. A menu cookbook and party planner, it offers forty-six complete party plans and more than 250 recipes. Included are parties for two, laid-back gatherings for six, guilt-free parties for eight, or really fussy festivities for a crowd.

Each of the parties outlined in this book comes complete with an easy-to-follow party plan that addresses every aspect of hosting a fun-filled event. Included with each party are such topics as party backdrop, party mood, over-the-top suggestions, shortcuts, place settings, and a party organizing countdown.

Separate topical chapters such as What Every Host Should Know," "Shaping Your Party," and "How to Partee at Your Party" give the reader insider tips on how to be a relaxed and self-assured host. With names like "Fondue for Four on the Floor," "Tapas Time," "Almost a Pig Roast," "Sparkling Spa Teen Sleepover," "Monthly Supper Club," "Sunset Picnic Supper," and "Howling at the Moon Buffet," each party is unique, fun, and intriguing.

At Home Entertaining offers the same kind of practical information for the busy cook that are characteristic of the author's popular cookbook, At Home in the Kitchen: The Art of Preparing the Foods You Love to Eat, with tips on ingredient substitutions, cooking methods, and food presentation. Web site support, available at http: //www.Jorj.com, enhances the book and encourages readers to entertain at home and to share their experiences with family, coworkers, and friends."