Customer Reviews

Cocktail Parties, Straight Up! Easy Hors D'oeuvres, Delicious Drinks, and Inspired Ideas for Entertaining with Style

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With this book in hand, all you need to worry about is sending out the invites and getting to the grocery store! The Purcell Sisters have distilled everything you need to know to throw a perfectly delicious-and fun-soiree without the usual stress. Their Rule of 5 is simply genius. Follow it, and you'll actually enjoy the party with your guests instead of slaving the night away in the kitchen. What I love most about this book, though, is that it gave me the guts to throw a party that includes friends from all the different pockets of my life. The conversation kick-starters and doable (but not cheesy) themes will help even the most hesitant minglers work the room like a pro.

This is a wonderful book! My husband and I have thrown a number of parties and I now realize just where we have went wrong. The themes are creative, the helpful suggestions and tips are priceless for success. I can hardly wait to throw and new and improved party.

I found this book to be full of attitude without being insulting, the ideas are clever, the recipes won't fail you - and you don't have to have formal culinary education or a kitchen full of gadgets to create fabulous menus. I have already tried out several on friends with raves. There are many great ideas and now I'm giving the book to friends and family who will shine as hosts in the new year. Go to their website www.purcellsisters.com and sign up for the newsletter.

From someone who would rather GO to a party than THROW a party, this book rocks. The many helpful tips keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying the party. Lots of "plan ahead/make ahead" ideas that result in great food and drink and wonderful themes and "entertainment." Moreover, it reads as though your best friend was there helping you plan all the way through. PARTY ON!

This is the perfect book if you do not have time (or the desire) to read a variety of books on entertaining, mixology and cooking. The Purcell sisters give you all the information you need to throw a great party in an accessible, easy-to-follow format. The recipes are straightforward and delicious, and the entertaining tips are a revelation. You can't "look inside this book" on Amazon, but there's an excerpt on the authors' website that will give you a taste of the very friendly, very funny flavor of the writing. It's at [...].

This is a great book for the neophyte or less confident host(ess) who wants to throw great parties without having a panic attack. It reads like your best friend wrote it-- and gives you straight forward information (like how much food to make/have), great ideas (for how to be sure guests mingle and have a great time)and recipes for killer-good food and cool drinks...You don't have to Martha to throw a really fun, lively party.

I have been awaiting entertainment help like this forever! The tips shared by the Purcell Sisters are priceless - modern, easy, and fun! Just reading the book makes me want to throw a party.

Everything is arranged in a way that is easy to follow. From styles of parties, appropriate food to match the theme, and drinks that are sure to captivate the guests (and imagine this: they even give you recipes to make pitchers of these drinks, NO THOUGHT PROCESS WHATSOEVER!).. they offer suggestions on how to get your guests mingling, even the shy ones - and how to create a fun or sexy atmosphere, depending on what you're looking for.

This book is the best! I'm so glad i found it.

I guess I didn't pay enough attention before I made this purchase. I read the positive reviews and since I like to entertain I ordered it. I found it very disappointing. It's an odd size paperback with smallish print. There are no photos, just some tiny abstract purple hors d'oeuvres, which cover most every half page.

I can't for the life of me understand why everyone is so enamored with this book. I wasn't interested in the ridiculous "gently themed" party ideas, (which uses props like ping pong balls and pink and blue marbles) but hopefully to find some great new appetizer or hors d'oeuvres. I was hoping for some clever quick shortcuts, or savvy entertaining tips. If I gave a cocktail party using these suggestions/recipes my friends would laugh me off the loft!

The suggestion that "Guests love hors d'oeuvres that they can "customize" to their own taste" leads to a recipe where you boil new potatoes and cut an X in the top. The idea is for guests to pinch the potato open so they can top it with crème fraiche or sea salt. That's it? In the Wine-Tasting Party menu they list Wine Crackers. Turns out you are to simply place bowls of oyster crackers throughout the room.

Honestly, I tried to find something new I would use to entertain my guests but I just didn't. If using Styrofoam coolers placed in your bathtub is the method you want to use for cooling champagne then this book is for you!!

This book had a ton of great (and easy) recipes and tips on how to make entertaining easy for the host. We always have people over to our house and I'm always looking for new recipes that won't keep me in the kitchen. Also, it has lots of basic information on things like how much ice to buy, how to convert a single drink recipe into a pitcher and so on. The party ideas were kind of themey for my group but you can easily pick and choose what to use. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves entertaining.

Great tips in this book and quite a fun read! Some of the recipes were a little too involved for me, but still something to try when you are not rushed for time. A ton of ideas for working on things ahead of time so the day of the party will be stress free, but most involved freezing the food on cookie sheets until the party. I have a side-by-side fridge and cannot fit a cookie sheet. Such a shame because some of their ideas were quite appetizing!