The initial chapter - The Pantry - offers up the basics needed for entertaining (dishes, glassware, serving pieces, etc.) with an emphasis from the author on purchasing plain white dishware and clear glassware. I will ignore this advice as I prefer vintage pieces and find white a bit blah (even if it does "go with everything"). He also lists 5 ways to create a pantry using a free-standing cupboard, cubes, open shelves, a rolling cart or even a large rolling stainless tool chest. A list of necessities is included and basically requires service for 12 - and if that's not too much to take in, each piece is then broken down with the "ideal" size (e.g. salad plates are suggested to be 8-9" ).
At Your Service extolls the multiple uses for each item, for example a candle votive can be used not just for candles but also to serve food, drinks and for decorating (I am assuming AFTER you scrape off the melted wax), this is carried forward with alternate uses for egg cups, wine glasses, cake stands, platters and glassware. In Personalizing the Table, there are tips for embellishing or personalizing napkin rings, linens, plates and serving pieces.
After all that torrent of information, we finally arrive at the recipes. There are 8 menus with 54 recipes spread between two chapters. Up first is Simple Get Togethers, along with the recipes there are even more decorating tips and hints - all based on the "theme" of the menu. Family Fusion is the first menu with a roast chicken and veggies for the entree (and side) with a galette for dessert. Lazy Brunch offers a salad with proscuitto, soup, strata and coffee cake. Don't Tell Them It's Takeout has no recipes - just decor ideas for serving food purchased via TAKE out! (apparently the author thinks most people can not figure out for themselves how to present take out food on pretty dishes). A Summer Barbeque menu consists of beef tenderloin, corn salad, bread salad, sangria and shortcake.
The second chapter of recipes - "Entertaining for a Crowd", has even more ideas plus timetables for prep work. The first menu presented is "Girl Talk" featuring a lobster and avocado salad, quiche, shrimp salad sandwiches, plus dessert and punch, while "Cocktail Party" is mostly appetizers (salsa, cheese bites, olives) plus Popsicles & ice cream, shrimp with salsa and spike lemonade. Another menu titled "Coffee House Desserts" gives us tiramisu, cakes, cookies, latte and an interesting chocolate cupcake with peanut butter filling. The final menu "Holiday Open House" offers turkey pot pie, chocolate tart, pumpkin trifle and punch.
The last chapter focuses on shortcuts and tips with information on stocking the bar, party planning guidelines, linen care & storage, plus how to's on cleaning glassware, caring for silver and stainless flatware and a few candle tips.
Giada's Kitchen, published in 2008. The book was a Valentine's gift to the former owner in 2010 per an inscription on the inside cover. Many of the recipes are family favorites tweaked for today's health conscious eaters.
We start with First Course and Appetizers, with stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta, crostata (unshaped tarts), mozzarella with homey and figs, plus a few drinks ~ a martini and Bellini. Soups, Panini and Snacks offers a Tuscan White Bean soup, calamari stew, minestrone, lobster rolls, paninis made with chocolate & brie, fritatas, plus coffee drinks and smoothies. Salads and Vegetables utilizes a myriad of ingredients in salads from cantaloupes to faro to eggplant and asparagus and also featured are recipes for fennel slaw, baked artichoke or an artichoke gratinata. Of course there is a chapter on Pasta with many yummy dishes ~ whole wheat spaghetti with lemon basil & salmon or an eggplant timbale come to mind, plus there are dishes with asparagus, shrimp, sausage, clams or mussels, chard, squash and prawns mixed with different varieties of pasta.
In the Meat, Poultry and Fish section, there are strews, roasts, saltimbocca, lamb burgers, turkey osso buco, plus other dishes made with beef, chicken, veal, pork chops or loins, shrimp and salmon. Desserts is filled with many yummy goodies ~ granita, panna cotta, mousse, coffee and pound cakes, cookies, cakes biscotti and Zeppole (doughnuts). The last chapter is Kid Friendly recipes (eating and making) with fish sticks, mini calzones, pinwheels, a few pasta dishes, pizza pot pies, cupcakes and of course Italian ices.
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