Customer Reviews

Christopher Lowell, The Hassle-Free Host: Super-Simple Tablescapes and Recipes for Stunning Parties

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sorry, had to split the difference on the ratings for this book...my idea of a great recipe is simply NOT frozen macaroni and cheese with some red peppers and extra cheese mixed in ( the preservatives can still be tasted, added ingredients or not). Find a great cookbook instead, master some basic recipes and then turn to Christopher Lowell for ideas on table design and decoration (what he calls "tablescapes"..that is where he really shines.

I liked both the recipes and his "party notes" at the beginning of the book--a lot of useful information. The recipes are a good compromise between cooking gourmet and just bringing something from the Costco Deli Section style of entertaining.

The tablescapes--I can see going to all that effort for something very special, like a wedding (if you're doing that in lieu of a gift), but for normal get-togethers they're too much work. For sit-down dinners, I don't know about you, but I like to see the people I'm talking and eating with, not look through a virtual forest, or glassware, or whatever. For a buffet, they might be nice, if you took what he put on ONE table and spread it out over THREE tables--yes, that is how much stuff is on the table....

Even the table ideas I did like looked like they were all geared towards parties where you were being served by waitstaff. There was no room on his tables to pass anything around "family style", which is a concern if that is how most of your dinners are.

Bottom line: It really depends on the type of people you have at your parties/get togethers. If you have Martha-types, they will ooh and aahh and you might get something out of all that work on the tablescapes. If the people you entertain are more practical and down-to-earth, get this book for the recipes.

Not sure why I picked this up from the library, we don't really do a lot of entertaining, just family. I DID enjoy looking through this book which had some very interesting and pretty tablescapes. I was surprised about the recipes but some of them actually sound good. I plan on trying them, maybe not for guests, but just because I am always looking for quick recipes. Like another reader said, if you want the real deal, there are great cookbooks out there. Christopher is not a chef!

Like other reviewers, some of the tablescapes were a little over the top, but to me they could easily be toned down. My favorite tablescapes were:
Petal Pushers - clear trough of petals and flowers
Asian Zen - very unusual flowers
Veggie-table chic - but toned down
Tin-talizing Picnic - was very cute.
Grass Roots - very tall, grass-like arrangement

Ummm, I just picked most of his designs. Maybe I like it better than the 3 stars I thought I was going to give it.

This is a fantasitic, "how to" book on setting a colorful, creative and imaginative table. Not only do you see the end results of the tables, but then step by step instruction on how it was created. The focus is on creativity, and does not how lavish the china.

We bought as a gift having been given a copy...some great ideas..we've tried many..all really good.

Amazon did well too..shipped same day it was ordered online.

I love Christopher Lowell's books. They are sooo creative and have such practical ways to create glamorous rooms.

I got this for my mother for mother's day quite a few years ago. She really enjoyed it (who doesn't love Christopher Lowell?).. Anyway... It's a great little book, with lots of useful ideas that you can use when you entertain.

I'm a fabulous cook,taken many professional cooking courses,& know many professional chefs. ALL of us have short-cuts--tricks--fast ways of throwing together an awesome party for good friends and family gatherings. So many reviewers harp on the pea soup he proposes. I've made it with both fresh and frozen peas and my chef friend (BEST cook I've ever encountered) couldn't tell the difference. So if your wish is for a book with convoluted recipes, this ain't it. If you are unsure of yourself for entertaining ideas and a big stainless bowl of Jiffy Pop isn't cutting edge enough,Christopher is your MAN. I've used most of these ideas either directly or adapted for my own taste and style, and everyone is wowed. Why not just slap a tablecloth on and a grocery bouquet and pass the mashed potatoes? Taking a little time, and his creations don't take that much time, makes your guests feel special, and that's the whole reason you invited them in the first place, isn't it? Christopher shows loads of ideas that you can adapt, copy verbatim, or use as a springboard for your own imagination. Go on, you CAN do it! Great book with loads of great ideas for both novice and experienced entertainer.

Christopher Lowell's appeal is that he reduces great design to simple pieces that non-designers can understand. He's done this again with a very approachable book on entertaining. Instead of just showing glossy photos of incredible tablescapes, he breaks it down and speaks in everyday language, encouraging the reader to create the same look with everyday pieces.

As far as the recipes are concerned, he says in his book that if you feel you must impress the people you're inviting, you're inviting the wrong people. I know my way around a kitchen but I really enjoyed his easy ways to simplify entertainment cooking. He has a great idea for gourmet pizzas on phyllo as well as a simple but delicious macaroni and cheese.

If you're looking for 5-star gourmet recipes, buy a cookbook. This wonderful book is for everyday people who want to take a try at having FUN when they entertain.

You'll enjoy reading it and you'll truly feel that you CAN do it!

My guests would be stunned if I served a soup of frozen peas and cream or a chicken curry made with canned soup? Yukkk! There are some interesting decorating tips...glueing your plates and bowls together to create differing heights on the buffet. And, of course, we get the "wonderfully entertaining" pictures of MR. Lowell at the beginning of each chapter. SAVE YOUR MONEY!