Martha Rose Shulman, renowned cookbook author and teacher of lighter but delicious cooking, shows you how to use fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs; leaner meats, and low fat alternatives to high-fat ingredients. You'll be able to make vibrant, flavorful main dishes from around the world such as Asparagus and Herb Lasagna, Chicken Breasts with Green Tomatillo Mole, Beet Salad with Orange Juice and Parsley, and Roasted Red Peppers with tuna and Anchovies. Try these deeply satisfying desserts, including Rhubard and Strawberry Crumble with Creme Anglais or Pear and Red Wine Sorber.
So do the seemingly impossible. Make everything from party dinners to intimate suppers to grand buffets. and make them light, healthy, and entertaining-all with Entertaining Light by Martha Rose Shulman.
Martha Rose Shulman is famous for her supper clubs, where she entertains up to 25 paying guests at a time in her apartment in Paris. But, as she points out, if she has even one guest for dinner (and he's not trying to sell her something), she's entertaining. An enthusiastic advocate for healthy eating, Shulman describes her attitude towards entertaining as "light on the pocketbook as well as the arteries."
With years of catering, teaching, and grand-scale entertaining behind her, Shulman is the perfect person to turn to when you have company coming. The key, as she explains in her introduction, is organization. Every recipe includes an Advanced Preparation note, in which she describes what part of it can be made ahead and when. And her instructions are so precise--down to the number of minutes to sauté the first ingredient before adding the second and how many minutes to do this before your guests arrive--that you'll always feel confident that you are prepared. The first section of the book is dedicated to hors d'oeuvres, and it begins with a list of "aperitifs," basically a terrific list of recommended wines for pouring while your guests are nibbling. To keep the party moving, Shulman suggests that all hors d'oeuvres should be able to be eaten with one hand. The almost 50 recipes that follow ensure that your guests will never need to put down their drinks. And with recipes such as Spicy Zucchini Purée on Red Pepper Pieces, Tuna or Salmon and Horseradish Tartare, and Crackers with Goat Cheese Spread and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, your guests won't know that they're watching their fat and calories.
Shulman follows generally accepted healthful guidelines, but notes that this is not a diet cookbook. Rather, she keeps fat to a minimum--with the emphasis on flavor--avoids rich meats, and serves a lot of fish and fresh vegetables. Her menus are well-rounded and there's no chance that anyone will leave hungry. Some of her menus are more elaborate, such as An Elegant April Sit-Down Dinner, which starts with a Pinot d'Alsace, then Dried Porcini Soup with Tarragon Bruschette, followed by Asparagus and Herb Lasagne, Savory Baked Tomatoes, and Simple Salad of Arugula and Lamb's Lettuce. For dessert, there's Rhubarb, Honey, and Blood Orange Sorbet and a bottle of Tokay Pinot Gris d'Alsace. For those of us easily intimidated, she has wonderful, friendly menus such as A Simple Menu for Friends, which starts with a Piperade au Basilic (a Provençal dish of peppers, onions, eggs, garlic, and basil) and Christine's Baked New Potatoes, followed by a Tossed Green Salad (with a wide array of vinaigrettes to choose from), and then Apricot Tart for dessert. Whatever your occasion, Shulman has a menu for you that will leave both you and your guests smiling. --Leora Y. Bloom
From Publishers Weekly
Sophisticated stuff--not just low-fat formulations--is the subject of Shulman's ( Mediterranean Light ) newest work. It's a masterpiece of food writing and recipe development, orchestrated from the author's Paris home. But, like so much else that is great, it is both fabulous and somewhat flawed. True to title, the volume is a wellspring of ideas for entertaining--but few are truly low-calorie, low-fat or anywhere near low-budget. That said, information about wines (mainly French), cocktails and aperitifs is solid, and Shulman's hors d'oeuvres and canapes are original and easily expandable (as are many other recipes). Some highlights include: spring rolls with vegetables, shrimp, herbs and ginger; mushroom "gravy" (a ragout to accompany turkey); tuna, broiled or grilled and larded with garlic; and bitter chocolate sorbet with mint. Recipes are handily organized into menus, and one of the most valuable sections discusses "impromptu entertaining" with ingredients at hand, including a guide on how to stock a pantry. Unfortunately, the author in her Paris environs issues forth ingredients not readily available in, let's say, Omaha--without mention of substitutions. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
For over 30 years I have been writing cookbooks devoted to eating well. A pioneer in vegetarian cooking, I began my career in 1973 at the age of 23. This was long before well-educated people from upper middle class backgrounds fantasized about becoming the next Food Network star or owning a successful restaurant. I was then a student at The University of Texas at Austin. I changed my major every semester, but my passion for cooking and for giving dinner parties was unwavering. I also had an interest in health, and combined the two in my approach to food, drawing upon many of the world's cuisines to create vegetarian dishes that were much better than the standard brown rice fare of the early 1970s. Culturally I was very much a product of my era, but as far as my cooking was concerned, I have always been way ahead of my time. Once I'd had my epiphany about my calling, I developed a series of vegetarian cooking classes that I taught through the University of Texas Extension, and I opened a private "supper club" in my home. Every Thursday for two years I prepared a sit-down 3-course dinner for 30 people. My cozy "home restaurant" allowed me all the fun and few of the headaches of running a public restaurant, and at the same time gave me a place to experiment and develop a repertoire of dishes to showcase. I also learned to cook for a crowd. Soon I had a vegetarian catering service; I catered everything from breakfasts in bed and dinners for two to wedding receptions and conferences for two hundred. I had also been, all along, a writer in search of a subject. I knew that I would write a cookbook, and when The Vegetarian Feast came out in 1979, my career had evolved from cook/caterer to food writer and cookbook author. The Vegetarian Feast won a 1979 Tastemaker Award (a precursor of the prestigious James Beard Awards) for Best Book, Health and Special Diets category, and remains in print. I was never doctrinaire about vegetarian cooking; I just felt that I'd had my quota of meat by the time I reached the age of 21. I admired all good cooks, especially Julia Child, with whom I corresponded. In my first letter to her, a fan letter dated September 2, 1976 in which I described my cooking classes and my supper club, my catering service and the book I was trying to get published, I told her I was "trying to shed a new light on vegetarianism, to present it as an unmysterious, classical, and memorable cuisine. The art of cooking with an emphasis on nutrition as well as flavor is my interest, and because I am a vegetarian my cuisine is a meatless one." Two years after the publication of The Vegetarian Feast I moved to Paris, where I continued to write cookbooks and articles, revived my Supper Club, and became a much better cook. During the twelve years I lived in France I traveled extensively in the Mediterranean to research its many cuisines. My book Mediterranean Light was published in 1989, just as the benefits of the Mediterranean diet were coming to light in the United States. The region continues to be my richest source of culinary inspiration. To date, I have 27 cookbooks to my name. My work has been of a piece; not all of my books are vegetarian, but they all have a healthy focus. Several of my books have been nominated for cookbook awards and three have won them. In addition to the 1979 Tastemaker Award for The Vegetarian Feast, I've received the following nominations and prizes for my work: *2001: International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), The Best Vegetarian Recipes, Nominee, Single Subject category *1995 James Beard Awards, Great Breads, Nominee, Bread and Pastry category *1994 Bertolli Olive Oil Award, Provençal Light, First Prize, Health and Special Diets category, Julia Child Awards *1991 International Association of Culinary Professionals, Entertaining Light, First Prize, Health and Diet category *1991 James Beard Awards, Entertaining Light, Nominee, Entertaining category *1989 Tastemaker, Mediterranean Light, Nominee, Health and Special Diets category *1988 Tastemaker, Supper Club chez Martha Rose, Nominee, Entertaining category
My cooking continues to evolve, as I hone and simplify my recipes to make them accessible to a wide range of cooks. I feel that I have played a role in improving the eating habits of many Americans, particularly since I began writing a daily recipe feature called Recipes for Health for the health section of The New York Times on the Web, in 2008. Its purpose is to empower people to cook healthy meals every day by giving them straightforward, delicious recipes. Each week's column is themed around a fresh ingredient from the market, a pantry item or a type of dish, with a new recipe posted every day. The reader response has been enthusiastic; my recipes regularly appear in the "10 Most Emailed" list on the health page. It has been extremely satisfying to know that I am reaching so many people and having an impact on their cooking.
I have LOTS of cookbooks. This is without a doubt - the best. Recipes range from very simple to a little more elaborate, but worth the effort. Nothing is really difficult. I have prepared many recipes and never have had a problem with any of them. If you are looking for one book to buy - this is it. Note: Try the tapenade: always impressive, and very simple to make. I take it to parties, and everyone loves it (I'm vegetarian, so I omit the anchovies - and it is still tasty). I made the poached pear and red wine sorbet last week - simple and impressive to serve.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Entertaining Light: Healthy Company Menus with Great Style (Paperback)
I love this book! I can't understand why more cooks don't know about it. It's the perfect cookbook for entertaining or just whipping up a gourmet-style meal out of nothing in your pantry. This is loaded with recipes, from dozens of great appetizers, to fabulous French-inspired meals, to unusual salads, to easy, unique desserts.
Some of my favorites:
- Tapenade (people rave about this when I make it!) - Vietnamese summer rolls (the best I've ever had) - Fish steaks with yogurt curry - Blood oranges with mint
There are so many dishes to choose from, and 9 out of 10 I've tried never disappoint. When I have company, I always reach for this book to wow people. It's my (and Shulman's) secret how easy they are to buy for and prepare, and our guests are always impressed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
