Festive Picnics: Recipes, Crafts and Decorations for Outdoor Occasions [Paperback]

Jennifer Barry (Author), Jennifer Barry Design (Author), Joyce Oudkerk-Pool (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2004

Garnished by an Aspen grove, seasoned with the aroma of salt water, or washed down with a fresh mountain breeze—a meal tastes even better when enjoyed in the great outdoors. Picnics can be formal affairs with fine china or impromptu spreads with bread, cheese, and wine; either way, they make occasions such as the Fourth of July, Mother's Day, or an anniversary all the more memorable. Packed with more than 40 recipes for salads, barbecues, desserts, drinks, and more, FESTIVE PICNICS is brimming with both picnic standbys as well as special-event fare. Traditional picnic eats such as Old-Fashioned Coleslaw and Black and White Chocolate Brownies will have your guests basking in life's simple pleasures. And the more gourmet recipes like Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup, Hummus and Pickled Onion Sandwich Wraps, and Banana Cake with Blueberry Sauce will have your guests debating which is most outstanding—the food or the surroundings.Yet as appealing as the recipes are, it may be the craft ideas that make you set a date. FESTIVE PICNICS includes craft and decorating ideas perfect for an outing with friends or a beach day with the kids. Picnic Sand Pails, Picnic Party Fans, and Rice Paper Candle Holders are just a few of the crafts that will add ambience to your beautiful spread. Also included are a handy picnic packing list plus menu suggestions for holidays and themes such as Father's Day, a beach party, a bike/hike outing, and more. A guide to gourmet picnic eats plus craft ideas for making outdoor meals festive and fun.Features 8 recipes for picnic barbecues and 6 thirst-quenching recipes for cool picnic drinks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

* A guide to gourmet picnic eats plus craft ideas for making outdoor meals festive and fun.

* Includes a handy picnic packing list plus menu suggestions for holidays and themes such as Father’s Day, a beach party, a bike/hike outing, and more.

* Features 8 recipes for picnic barbecues and 6 thirst-quenching recipes for cool picnic drinks.

About the Author

PAMELA SHELDON JOHNS is a cookbook author who leads food and wine workshops in Italy and teaches cooking classes in the United States. She makes her home in Tuscany, Italy.
JENNIFER BARRY is the creator and designer of FESTIVE PICNICS, HOLIDAY HEARTS, the ITALIAN ARTISAN cookbook series, SONOMA, NAPA VALLEY, and several other books. She has won numerous awards, including James Beard and Julia Child cookbook awards and the Literary Market Place Publishing Designer of the Year award. She resides with her family in Fairfax, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (February 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580085601
• ISBN-13: 978-1580085601
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since 1992, Pamela Sheldon Johns has coordinated food and wine workshops in Italy.
A regular visitor to Italy since 1983, Pamela now lives full-time in Tuscany and coordinates wine and food workshops in various regions: Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Cinque Terre, Campania, Sicily, Veneto, Abruzzo, and Piemonte. Info about the workshops can be found at www.FoodArtisans.com

Pamela owns Poggio Etrusco, a 15-acre farm near Montepulciano. She certified organic in 2003 and produces "Pace da Poggio Etrusco," an excellent extra-virgin olive oil. The farm has apartments and rooms for rent and Pamela's breakfast includes her homemade organic jams. Info about Poggio Etrusco rentals, cooking classes, and olive oil can be found at www.Poggio-Etrusco.com

Pamela's culinary workshops and organic farm have been featured in Food & Wine magazine (top ten cooking schools in Italy), Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Canadian Geographic, and many other reviews.

Pamela returns to the US once a year for a cooking tour. Contact her to receive the newsletter with updates, [e-mail]

Follow Pamela on Twitter: PamelaInTuscany
on Facebook: Poggio Etrusco

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classy Ideas for Outdoor Dining, February 17, 2005

By 

Jennifer A. Wickes "Food Writer" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Festive Picnics: Recipes, Crafts and Decorations for Outdoor Occasions (Paperback)

With summer at hand, what a wonderful way to celebrate the season than to have a picnic or barbecue. With Festive Picnics, you get more than just recipes, but also decorating ideas with theme events!

Pamela Sheldon Johns is the author of over 25 books, a former cooking school director and is currently a lecturer of food and wine in her Tuscan villa. With this experience, you can expect a classy book with delicious recipes.

Absolutely, beautifully photographed, this cookbook not only provides gourmet recipes for barbecues and picnics, but also decorating and entertaining ideas. This is a wonderful addition to her book, as so many books only provide the recipes, and here she shows you how to present them. All recipes and decorating ideas are easy to prepare and classy.

Some of the delicious recipes you can try are: Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup, Hummus and Pickled Onion Sandwich Wraps, and Banana Cake with Blueberry Sauce. Then, Johns explains to use a beach pail for your beach party instead of a picnic basket! The idea is unique and a lot of fun for kids. Other craft ideas within this book are: Picnic Party Fans and Rice Paper Candle Holders.

If you are looking for an excellent book for outdoor entertaining, pick up a copy of Festive Picnics. It is a great addition to anyone's collection.

2.0 out of 5 stars Fancy Smancy, September 12, 2009

By 

Tammy R. Nelson (Appleton, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Festive Picnics: Recipes, Crafts and Decorations for Outdoor Occasions (Paperback)

Beautiful book but not what I was looking for. The recipes were more for throwing a fancy smancy outdoor bridal luncheon than a fun, everyday, family picnic. I was throwing a 30th anniv picnic for my parents with 40 people. The recipes, while they looked delicious, would not have appealed to the broad attendee list and would have been far too much fuss for me to make for that large of a crowd.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone, September 21, 2004

By 

Caroline in the city "CB" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Festive Picnics: Recipes, Crafts and Decorations for Outdoor Occasions (Paperback)

This is a great way to spice up your average picnic. It includes not just the food, but the right decorations and accessories....and the picnics are international, hot and cold, with grill/without and so on! Fun to try them all.