Peggy Knickerbocker lives in two of the greatest food cities in the world, Paris and San Francisco, and she loves to give dinner parties wherever she is. In Simple Soirées: Seasonal Menus for Sensational Dinner Parties, the food journalist, former caterer, and restaurateur shares her passion, her welcoming spirit, and her secrets for creating a memorable party, whether it's a romantic dinner for two, a birthday party for a special friend, or a cocktail fundraiser.
The book includes 100 of the author's favorite recipes, organized into seasonal menus such as Warm Figs Wrapped in Serrano Ham, Roasted Salmon with Peas and Mint, and Heirloom Tomato Salad for summer, or Steak au Poivre, Braised Fennel and Garlic, and Double-Ginger Gingerbread for fall. With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, the menus are always stylish and often feature an element of surprise. Knickerbocker also offers planning and preparation suggestions, as well as time-saving advice to make entertaining easy and fun. With beautiful photographs that capture the essence of the simple soirée, this delightful book will appeal to food lovers and party lovers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Excellent Cookbook:
I love this cookbook. I was looking for a new seasonal cookbook with relatively simple recipes. The Alice B. Toklas Chicken with the roasted sage potatoes was wonderful and easy, the sauce with the ruby port and orange zest was superb. The photographs made unfamiliar recipes to me like the Tartiflette look really intriguing and approachable. If you're looking for fresh inspiration, you'll find it here.
Super Entertaining Ideas:
I've been entertaining for over 20 years for family and friends and was looking for some new ideas. I tried some of the recipes in this book for my last Christmas party and they were a huge success. I can't wait to try some of the other seasonal ideas in this book.
This cookbook exists to make you look good:
Although I have never done an entire menu from this book, every recipe I've tried from here has been delicious, super-easy and perfect, and I've tried several for my dinner parties. The desserts, especially, are delicious, impressive and simple. I love how the menus are all arranged seasonally, taking advantage of appropriate ingredients and cooking methods. Stick to the season you're in, and you can't go wrong. The author's suggestions for making a party special are fun to read, too. Admittedly, I am... more info
i love this book:
Simple Soirees is my new favorite cookbook. In December I lugged it to New Zealand to bring as gift to our hostess. After she opened it; I snuck it off to my room to read at night. It distinguishes itself by being the first cookbook that I have read cover to cover. It read like a novel. We spent the rest of our stay making many of the dishes. Our favorite was the whole fish wrapped in herbs for Christmas Eve...it was extraordinary. My daughter and I have made several of the sweet things together like the... more info
