Customer Reviews

Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends

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

 

 

Having spent many happy hours shopping in Sur la Table over the years, Renee Behnke's credentials intrigued me into selecting this book. After reading "Memorable Recipes," I took her subtitle "to share with family and friends" to heart. I invited 2 of my closest friends to "cook" through some of the recipes! We started with Prosciutto Pinwheels, Pickled Shrimp with Capers and the Radish and Fennel Salad (it's spring and the radishes at our Farmer's market look like exquisite Easter eggs!) The pinwheels were the hands down winners. The recipe makes quite a lot which is perfect for a cocktail party but one of the other perks Renee gives the cook in each recipe is instruction to make each dish ahead. We didn't need all the pinwheels for our dinner party but the second half baked up perfectly the following night for a family hors d'oervres Sunday supper! We then prepared the Salmon with Wild Mushroom Sauce and again thanks to our savvy author opted for the Orzo with Sugar Snap Peas. Renee gives menu options based on seasonability of the ingredients! Our fall choices were Tiny Potatoes with Hot Bacon Dressing or Roasted Pepper and Corn Spoon Bread. My favorite farmer had sweet and crisp peas and my girlfriend declared the orzo her favorite dish of the entire evening! That is saying something when you read about dessert! We included our whole families for this meal and no one can go wrong with chocolate so the Sunken Chocolate Cupcakes were served warm from the oven with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The three of us had a "summit meeting" over coffee and cocktails and all agreed this is a cookbook worth having in anyone's kitchen! We were able to either prepare all or a large portion of each recipe in advance, taking the stress and last minute worries out of entertaining and were grateful for the menu options! The recipes were delicious and based on fresh, healthy and seasonal ingredients. It was a wonderfully fun and memorable evening spent with our family and friends and I know the Prosciutto Pinwheels will be a memorable recipe that my daughters will request in the future! Renee Behnke lives up to her promise that this book is indeed full of "Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends!"

I love cookbooks. I'm in the process of collecting more, so receiving Memorable Recipes was a very pleasant surprise. Even better, the book shows the evidence of an author who loves food and a food stylist who knows how to present it well (seriously, some of the pictures had a very artistic quality to them). The recipes are all items that could be easily prepared at home with a little planning and forethought. The authors have included a "how to" section in the back that includes directions for several techniques used in the various recipes in the event that the user is not familiar with the process.

Renee Behnke is the President Emeritus of Sur la Table. In her career she has had the pleasure of dining at some of the world's best restaurant and chatting with the best chefs. She has also had the joy of working for Sur la Table, a Seattle institution. Sur la Table is known for their quality ingredients and, more importantly, for the cooking classes that they offer within the store. This experience gives Ms. Behnke a unique vantage point to write a cookbook about how to cook lovely meals for family and friends.

One of the things I like about this cookbook is the fact that it contains items that are a little fancier than what most people bang out every night, but it's still accessible. There's a feeling that the authors wanted to give the reader thumbing through something to aspire to. This is a cookbook that can be used when throwing a dinner party and when making a nice weekday/weekend meal.

As an eager home chef, I'm looking forward to putting some of these recipes to the test, but with the Sur la Table name backing it, I'm expecting success. If you are looking to give this as a gift, it would make a nice housewarming or wedding gift.

Intelligent and thoughtful menus, fresh food in season, fabulous pictures and very nice commentary by Renee'. This cookbook will make you look smart.

These recipes will bring joy to your kitchen. The photos are beautiful, the print is easy to read, it's laid out well with ideas for wine as well as decorations. This would make a great wedding gift or present in general.

There are recipes for both appetizers, with cocktail/wine ideas, as well as dishes for a formal meal, garden parties, alfresco dining. There is also a menu for a Mardi Gras Feast which is the only one that mentions a specific holiday. The rest of the menus are for a Moroccan Soiree, Celebrating Italy, An Evening in Spain, etc.

The Zucchini Fritters were wonderful. I had just pulled a wonderful zucchini from the garden and made this for dinner. The recipe calls for fresh herbs which I did not have so I substituted dried and it turned out well. Also, the Party Sangria was wonderful. I have kept that recipe as a standard now.

The Cheesecake with Rhubarb Sauce, I added strawberries to the rhubarb blend and it was delicious. The cheesecake was a little more citrusy than I'm used to but with the rhubarb sauce it complimented it well.

Overall, a great cookbook, excellent photography, wonderful recipes. Definitely a keeper. I would also recommend Perfect Recipes for Having People Over if you're looking for good recipes for a crowd.

It is the contention of professional trained chef Renee Behnke that good dining is made even better when conducted in the company of friends and family. That is the underlying premise of "Memorable Recipes To Share With Family And Friends" in which she, with the assistance of Cynthia Nims, has compiled beautiful illustrated recipes for turning any meal into a grand dining occasion with company from appetizers, to soups and salads, to main dishes, side dishes and desserts. Of special note is her insights, instructions, advices, and commentary on how to create a truly memorable dinner party (including tips on planning the evening and even 'Wine Notes'). Another distinctive feature is an extensive section dedicated to menu ideas. With each one beginning with little anecdotes, the recipes range from Fettuccine with Lemon Cream and Spicy Tomato Topping; Endive and Radicchio Salad; Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic; and Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes; to Moroccan-Style Biscotti; Party Sangria; Classic Cornbread; and Paella with Chicken and Shellfish. Enhanced with chapters on cooking techniques and kitchen tools, "Memorable Recipes" is a beautifully produced and highly recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections for truly fine dining!

Memorable Recipes is an excellent book with outstanding recipes that are easy to follow and superbly photographed. Bravo Renee Behnke.