What to Serve?
So now my Christmas Champagne Bruch is coming up (just around the corner, I’d say), and I’m deciding what to serve. Where shall I look or inspiration?
My “tried and trues” of course! These are the books I always go to when planning a party. The recepies are remarkably consistent, even if (when?) I screw up. There are lots of great-tasting recepies that satill taste great when made ahead. And, most importantly, they are largely simple recipies. The last thing you need when planning a soiree is the stress of a difficult recipie!
Drum roll please….
- Willams-Sonoma Hors D’Oeuvres & Appetizers
- Cook’s Illustrated Italian Classics (especially the shrimp scampi recipie, ifyou’re into that sort of thing)
- Gale Gand’s Short + Sweet
- Martha Stewart’s Hors D’Oeuvres Handbook
I know what you may be thinking at this point: “All right, Princess. What’s up with the Martha Stewart reccomendation? I thought this wasn’t the typical Martha Stewart-type website!” It’s not, really! But I have to hand it to her with this one. I mean, she has some very simple and tasty items in there! (Beware, there are also some that you would have to sell your soul to make properly…)
I also wanted to give you some recommendations for everyday cooking. My absolute faves are:
- The above, of course
- Anything from Cook’s Illustrated, and most especially The Best 30-Minute Recipie. Their recipes are fantastic. I’ve never made one that didn’t turn out, even after forgetting to put in ingredients!
- Fondue, by Rich Rogers
- at the Japanese table by Lesley Downer (She also wrote some great books about geisha)
And for fun? Anything by Anthony Bourdain and Charlie Trotter. I will admit that I haven’t been brave enough to try the Les Halles recipes yet, but I will, and I’ll let you know how they come out. For me, reading the Bourdain books are positively inspiring. From Kitchen Confidential to The Nasty Bits, I have not been able to put them down.
