David Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties For Food Lovers - Hardcover

There are 16 theme parties and they encircle the world: Spanish tapas, Italian pizza, Japanese tempura, Tunisian couscous, Texas BBQ, French bouillabaisse, Mexican tacos, American hot dogs, Indian tandoor chicken, Argentinian steak, Italian bollito miisto, Cajun gumbo, French cassoulet, Greek kebabs and lamb, Cuban roast pig, and English cucumber sandwiches. In each and every chapter (they all have clever titles such as "Love Me Tandoor," and "A Totally Frank Party") there's some central must-have item-- whether the Spanish jamon, the Texas barbecued brisket, the fresh Indian spices, the best steak, etc., and Rosengarten tells you where to shop. This section of the chapter is called The Ingredient. It is preceded by an introduction to the chapter concept called The Plan, followed by potables suggestions under the heading Beverage Time, and finally into the nuts and bolts with The Recipes.

Basically, Rosengarten removes any and all strain from entertaining with food (including the strain of reading--the size of the type makes this book readable from across the kitchen). He declares we are in the Third Epoch of entertaining where it's all about What is Good (if in doubt, he'll tell you). In the First Epoch (1950-1975) it was all about What Sounded Good regardless of truth in tasting. In the Second (1975-2000), What Looked Good was based on trendy restaurant presentation. One is left to wonder about a world of food and entertaining prior to 1950. --Schuyler Ingle

These are no ordinary dinner parties, and this is no ordinary book of recipes. In David Rosengarten’s able hands, you’ll design an enchanting thematic evening your guests will rave about for months. Mesmerize them with Tunisia for Twelve, an exotic North African couscous-and-lamb extravaganza. Bewitch them with Love Me Tandoor, a spicy Indian banquet. Reel them in with an authentic, Louisiana-style Zydeco Thanksgiving, featuring mail-order turducken–a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken–as the scandalously succulent centerpiece.

Host a Barcelona-style tapas party at your own casa–pitchers of cool gazpacho, sizzled chorizo sausage, and shrimp with garlic sauce, all served in terra-cotta dishware. Or lay out a red-checkered tablecloth, crank up the volume on a Dean Martin album, and serve chunky antipasto salad along with a selection of classic and contemporary grilled pizzas.

Evocative but easy-to-pull-off presentation ideas–table-setting tips, music suggestions, and decorative flourishes–show how to strike just the right mood without breaking the bank. A few old Havana cigar boxes to hold silverware, a table draped with palm leaves, and a Celia Cruz CD, for instance, will evoke the perfect ambiance for your Cuban roast pig gala. Top photographer Quentin Bacon captures the glorious food and festive mood of David Rosengarten’s bravura presentations with style and dramatic flair.

For the host who wants all the trappings of a picture-perfect celebration, David Rosengarten Entertains offers contacts within each chapter for mail-order suppliers of the best food and wine, decorations, and much more. You’ll have at your fingertips the resources for every last detail–whether it’s a mouthwatering slab of brisket for your Texas BBQ or a miniature Parthenon for your Greek bacchanal.

So what are you waiting for? Choose a date, invite some guests, and conjure up a fabulous dinner party–with David Rosengarten as your sparkling host, you can’t go wrong.