Customer Reviews

Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is so beautifully designed and photographed that it honestly could do double duty as a coffee table book. Having said that, and at the risk of sounding snobbish, the only thing separating this cookbook from your local community junior league cookbook is that this book has much better photography and does not come spiral bound. So, buy it for its looks or for the good cause it supports, but chances are you already have most of these recipes lurking in your cookbook collection.

I purchased this (rather expensive) book expecting to find it filled with exclusive recipes for fancy dishes served by the Park Avenue elite, but instead I found it to contain very approachable, common recipes, many of which I was already familiar with. That is not to say that the recipes aren't good: they are. The lemon & dijon chicken, the Paris iced tea, "Mexican" chocolate cake with a boiled chocolate icing and the "Aunt Janet's" beef recipe all turned out beautifully.

Bottom line: this book is filled with recipes by and for home cooks, whether your home's address happens to be on Park avenue or not.

I didn't expect to be impressed, but I really did enjoy it! It's for a good cause too.

In the silver serving bowl on the cover of "Park Avenue Potluck", there's a....could that really be a casserole?

For that matter, when was the last time you saw "Park Avenue" and "potluck" in the same sentence?

Yes, the days of black tie dinners that begin with Rigaud candles in the hall and champagne in the living room are over. "Ladies who lunch" have pretty much died off. Fashion shows have lost their urgency. And thank you notes are starting to look a lot like e-mails.

Oh, one thing hasn't changed: the ultimate audience. "I design every menu according to what the men will eat," a hostess says. She's a smart one. The C-level husband labors all day to keep his family in a zillion dollar co-op and a country "cottage" --- if "New York's savviest hostesses" are going to make their men go to dinner parties, better believe they'll focus on their care and feeding.

So what we have here is a book of recipes that a Manhattan hostess could actually cook --- has, in fact, actually cooked. Like a local club cookbook. If you happen to live in a neighborhood where everyone's rich, accomplished and fit.

So (and this may be meaningful) only the drinks are exotic. Like "Pond Water" --- sugar, vodka, limoncello, lime juice and thyme. Not something you drink every day.

The soups here are simple and toothsome and, mostly, appallingly healthful. There are no fewer than 15 casseroles, including a mac-and-cheese punched up with dry mustard. Chicken with Potato Chips: there's a blue-collar concept. Nice recipe for cider-marinated pork loin from a Rockefeller. A pot roast recipe I don't know, but very much want to try. Applesauce with dark rum. And far too rich desserts.

Florence Fabricant, a world-class food writer, did this book as a labor of love --- it benefits Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a private cancer facility, it's the world's largest. As a cause, it's one of the most prestigious in New York. Good to see a fundraising tool that not only tempts the palate but suggests "New York's savviest hostesses" aren't all insufferable snootballs.

My wife has cooked many of the recipes in the book and they have been incredible meals. Great thing is she says they are mostly easy recipes. Many favorites of these wonderful Park Avenue Ladies.
Ladies you will enjoy these classic recipes. Gents, what a wonderful present. Its a great looking book and you'll get to enjoy many wonderful meals when your wife trys these recipes.
All to support Sloan Ketttering, a gift of life for those battling cancer.

This book has some fantastic recipes....have not yet tried one that wasn't a winner--I recommend it highly!

So far, I've made the Sweet and Sour Meatloaf, Muffie's Mustard Lemon Chicken, and a great summer squash zucchini cassarole---all with great results.

In addition to the wonderfully easy recipes, the cookbook is well photographed and illustrated. It would make a very good addition to your own collection of cookbooks as well as a well received gift.

I give this one 5 stars!

I should have paid closer attention to the previous reviews. This book really doesn't contain anything special and had I been able to thumb through it in advance I likely would not have made the purchase.

I bought the book mostly to look at once in awhile when I needed a break from feeding everyone mac 'n cheese and frozen pizza (hey - I'm a working mom, cut me some slack). I was quite surprised when the Strawberry Souffle and Dutch Baby recipes both worked out amazingly well with very little fuss. I'm eager to try more dishes - much like Barefoot Contessa, these seem to be rich and delicious, yet easy to make and with a "wow" factor because they look and taste swanky. Works for me!

The reason this book may appear to be "common" and "easy" by some reviewers is that many of these recipes were created by WASPs (Old Guard families). WASPs like simple, yet attractive food. If you want nouvelle cuisine of the nouveau riche look elsewhere.

I am not a big cook, but found the recipes here to be interesting, reasonably simple and, most importantly, delicious. The book is beautifully done and full of lovely photos. To top it all off: it helps support cancer patients! I gave this to everyone for Christmas and the response was terrific.