Customer Reviews

Fast & Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers (Best of the Best) (Best of the Best Cookbook)

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

 

 

This book contains hundreds of good party and appetizer ideas. I love how it has pre-planned menus for baby showers, birthdays, superbowl, ect. Great recipe book for the price. The only thing I would add is color photos of some of the dishes.

Quail Ridge Press has once again published a cookbook that will be dear to those who like to make party foods and appetizers for their family or friends who gather 'round them.

"Best of the Best Fast & Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers" is 274 pages of recipes that are delicious, easy and quick to prepare and will have your guests asking for the recipe so they too can make it for their next party.

As they usually do, QRP has placed the title of this cookbook on the plastic comb spine so it will be easy to spot on the shelf. Being comb bound it is also easy to lay flat while cooking from -- a feature cooks love.

This cookbook is all about parties and there is an alphabetical listing of parties in the front, such as Bunko or Bridge Party, Father's Day Cookout, Mardi Gras Madness, Super Bowl Party, Wine-Tasting Party, just to name a few. Then there is another index of Monthly Parties with 2 menus for each month with listing of recipes and page numbers included. There is yet another index of Quick Fixes -- recipes that are super quick, as well as fast and fabulous.

Some of the chapters that catch my attention are:

"Wet Your Whistle"
includes shakes, floats, smoothies, slushes, teas, punches, coolers, wines, and wassails.....WOW!

"Crunchy Munchies" include recipes for crackers, chips, toasts, wafers, nuts, popcorn, and snack mixes.

"Some Like It Hot" include recipes for hot dips, chafing dishes, fondues, and hot bread bowls.

"Cheese, Please" includes recipes for cheese balls, squares, cubes, crisps, nachos, quesadillas and spreads. This is the section where I found a winner called "It's a Snowman Cheese Ball" and was a huge hit over the holidays when family gathered for Christmas dinner at my house. This held them over until I could get it all on the table and everyone was asking for the recipe (copied below for you).

This cookbook is filled with celebration recipes as well it should be since it was published to celebrate Quail Ridge Press's 30th anniversary (1978-2008). Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley have never let us down with their BoB cookbooks and they haven't this time either.

Congratulations to McKee, Moseley and Quail Ridge Press on their busy, but exciting 30 years of giving the cookbook reader what they want -- exciting, delicious, easy, quick, challenging, unusual, wonderful recipes in wonderful cookbooks.

I believe it's time to celebrate and have a party and I know where we can get some more recipes like the one below:

"It's A Snowman Cheese Ball"

2 cups shredded 4-cheese blend
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives or green onions
1 (2-ounce) package slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Peppercorns
1 baby carrot

Mix cheese, cream cheese, chives, almonds, and red pepper well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Divide mixture into 3 balls -- small, medium, and large. Roll in Parmesan cheese. Arrange on serving dish small to large, like a snowman lying down. Decorate with peppercorns for eyes, mouth, and buttons, and carrot for nose. A green onion skin strip around his neck makes a scarf. Surround with crackers or cut-up fresh vegetables. Serves 16-20.

Reviewed by Monita Olive for CookbooksEtCetera and Amazon on January 4, 2009

I purchased this book a couple of months ago and was very pleasantly surprised at the variety of recipes included. I have tried several of them and have had positive comments on all I have tried. I think this is well worth the price!!

Spiral bound to lay flat for easy reference, Best of the Best Fast & Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers is a cookbook jam-packed with recipes perfect for all types of parties and gatherings. Four hundred recipes comprising twenty-four full party menus form the core of this incredibly useful and easy-to-follow cookbook. Best of the Best Fast & Fabulous Party Foods and Appetizers is further enhanced with hundreds of hints and suggestions for enhancing its preparations, and special sections on Quick Fixes (food that can be prepared in minutes) and Fun Foods (taste treats with an amusing appearance especially sure to delight younger folk) allow for extra flexibility. Recipes range from Pecan Cheese Wafers to Porto Mushroom Fries, Gingered Shrimp Kabobs, Zucchini Stix Dippers, and much more. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to liven up their gatherings with unforgettably good snacks!

I purchased this book based on the 5-star review. It has a lot of recipes and entertaining ideas. For me, it was not the right book. Many of the recipes have A LOT of fatty ingredients. I am not fond of tons of butter, do not eat Velveeta and entertain to a higher level than cocktail wieners. I was looking for something more elegant... I returned the book.

When I was about 12, a Christmas Party Buffet had a "Cheese~Ball". Covered w/Pecans. Inside,Creamy Flavours of Pineapple,Green Bell Pepper and Heaven Only Knows what else. I Fell Hook,Line&Sinker for This Recipe. Found It Here. Nothing replaces a Truly Good Recipe.I have made such purchases before,just for Chicken Enchiladas. Will continue.Enjoy Mrs. McKee,Mrs. Moseley and Tupper England...

I grabbed this book Friday night because I had people coming over Saturday night. There are tons of recipes, well-organized into chapters depending on what type of food you're looking to serve (dips, cheese, savory pastries, several on desserts, etc). I made 4 recipes - zippy spinach dip (sans sausage & tomatoes), awesome artichoke dip (sans tomato), crescent-wrapped pepper jelly brie (sans cilantro), and chicken salad in biscuit cups (more substantial fare), and all were delicious, easy to prepare and turned out as expected. I'll be making these again, and more out of this reliable cookbook.

Love this cookbook! I rely on it for ideas on what to serve for both small and large gatherings. This book is filled with wonderfully delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes. As a bonus, it features a calendar of suggested menus for holiday parties customarily celebrated in each month. Right now I'm planning a Super Bowl party and will be using at least 5 of the suggested items under the Feb. Super Bowl Party listing. Great ideas, great cookbook!