Customer Reviews

Dinner for Eight: 40 Great Dinner Party Menus for Friends and Family

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There is so much to like in this cookbook! The concept of entire seasonal menus put together for you, with notes on each recipe about what can be done ahead and when, plus wine suggestions is brilliant, right? Everything is laid out for you, and the recipes are fun and adventuresome. Unfortunately, however, too many of Landis' recipes end up being much more time-consuming than she would have you believe. I cooked three of the full menus for guests, and each time found myself really stressed out--exactly contrary to the main premise of the book! I would add that I am a very experienced home cook; I can't imagine how this would go for a novice. In addition, there are more than a few things that sound good but aren't: take the deviled eggs with guacamole, for instance. The avocado turns grayish-green in this combination. You can imagine how unappetizing this looks. In sum, this is a book that I really wanted to like and which contains some individual "keeper" recipes. It is quite flawed, however, and ultimately disappoints.

Dinner parties are usually a lot of fun - for the guests. For the cook, however, entertaining can be a non-stop cook-a-thon with little time to socialize. New York Times recipe taster Denise Landis understand this. After all, she once ran into someone and didn't remember that the woman had been a guest in her home.

That's why Landis put together 40 menus, divided by seasons, for dinner parties of eight people. Filled with easy favorites like deviled eggs (made with guacamole) and baked apples (seasoned with Amaretto), "Dinner for Eight" will also tempt the more intrepid cook with dishes like Scotian Lobster Chowder and Lemon Ginger Crepes. Delectably inspiring. I only wish there were more photos.

There are no pictures in this book but the tips and the make ahead directions make it worth it. Then there's the wine suggestions...

The delivery was very fast and the product was like new and in perfect condition.