Real-Life Entertaining [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Donata Maggipinto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1998

An impromptu supper for six close friends. Thanksgiving for the extended family. A weekday afterwork dinner for colleagues. If orchestrating events like these seems at odds with your hectic lifestyle, if the challenge of getting food on the table and presenting it with style makes you want to reach for the takeout menu, take heart--help is at hand.

Enter Donata Maggipinto, Williams-Sonoma's food and entertaining mastermind and a nationally recognized authority on festive fare, stunning settings, and the art of having fun. Donata knows that no matter how fast-paced our lives are, we all want to share our homes and our tables with family and friends. But no one wants to spend the evening in the kitchen spinning feats of culinary virtuosity when they could be spending time with their guests. With wit and wisdom, Real-Life Entertaining proves that it is possible to create memorable affairs with minimal stress.

Donata offers enticing menus and recipes to suit every entertaining occasion, from Casual Suppers to Big Deal Meals to Parties. All are simple to prepare yet offer the stylish touches that make a meal special. Style Notes offer advice on every aspect of entertaining, from setting the outdoor table to serving a cheese course and creating simple floral arrangements. Especially useful for those with more taste than time are sections on stocking the party pantry and Ways with Take Away, ideas for transforming prepared foods into party fare.

Packed with glorious color photographs and ideas for creating events that reflect your personal style, Real-Life Entertaining will help even the busiest people make entertaining a fun part of their lives.

Real-Life Entertaining is a cookbook and style guide for the way we live today. Real-life entertaining does not require a lot of time, a battery of full-time help, or exceptional talent; all you need is an enthusiastic attitude and a desire to share your home and hospitality with others. It's all about having fun!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

OK, so your life is complicated. Whose isn't? Donata Maggipinto thinks that most people would entertain more often if they knew how to do it simply. Real-Life Entertaining shows how to put forth the effort required to make guests comfortable and happy without the usual pressure-cooker effect on the hosts. Her four seasonal menus in the "Casual Suppers" section are truly casual yet stylish (for example, the easy-to-prepare pumpkin chowder is presented in small hollowed-out pumpkins), and the four "Big-Deal Meals," while relying on slightly more sophisticated ingredients and presentation, are still doable by intermediate cooks. Each section has additional recipes beyond the four menus, special style notes, and primer pages. Maggipinto's style is friendly--it's OK to serve food you bought as take-out, let the guests help with the dishes, and even serve on TV trays if there's something very special on the tube. There are plenty of Martha Stewart-style suggestions for those who are looking for "extra credit," but for the majority of us, who just want things to be "good enough," this book helps.

From the Inside Flap

An impromptu supper for six close friends. Thanksgiving for the extended family. A weekday afterwork dinner for colleagues. If orchestrating events like these seems at odds with your hectic lifestyle, if the challenge of getting food on the table and presenting it with style makes you want to reach for the takeout menu, take heart--help is at hand.

Enter Donata Maggipinto, Williams-Sonoma's food and entertaining mastermind and a nationally recognized authority on festive fare, stunning settings, and the art of having fun. Donata knows that no matter how fast-paced our lives are, we all want to share our homes and our tables with family and friends. But no one wants to spend the evening in the kitchen spinning feats of culinary virtuosity when they could be spending time with their guests. With wit and wisdom, Real-Life Entertaining proves that it is possible to create memorable affairs with minimal stress.

Donata offers enticing menus and recipes to suit every entertaining occasion, from Casual Suppers to Big Deal Meals to Parties. All are simple to prepare yet offer the stylish touches that make a meal special. Style Notes offer advice on every aspect of entertaining, from setting the outdoor table to serving a cheese course and creating simple floral arrangements. Especially useful for those with more taste than time are sections on stocking the party pantry and Ways with Take Away, ideas for transforming prepared foods into party fare.

Packed with glorious color photographs and ideas for creating events that reflect your personal style, Real-Life Entertaining will help even the busiest people make entertaining a fun part of their lives.

Real-Life Entertaining is a cookbook and style guide for the way we live today. Real-life entertaining does not require a lot of time, a battery of full-time help, or exceptional talent; all you need is an enthusiastic attitude and a desire to share your home and hospitality with others. It's all about having fun!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609601113
• ISBN-13: 978-0609601112
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,760,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real-Life Entertaining is a stylish idea guide., October 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Real-Life Entertaining (Hardcover)

When I want to cook, there are many cookbooks from which to choose. When I want to entertain, I will go directly to Real Life-Entertaining. This book is not only full of simple recipes and menu ideas but also style notes that share easy ideas for making our homes and tables beautiful for our guests. Best of all, the author understands that my life is a busy one! She proves that I don't have to spend all day decorating to host a memorable occassion in my home. I like the party favor cellophane bags with chocolates tied with a ribbon trim and the idea of TASSELS on the backs of my dining room chairs! This book is my new entertaining bible.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, November 1, 2001

By 

Elizabeth (Redwood City, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real-Life Entertaining (Hardcover)

I received this as a gift and have made over a dozen of the recipes. The grilled swordfish with lemon aioli is to die for! There are some great suggestions for how to plan, prepare and organize dinner parties. Starting with an empty dishwasher is one of them - it's so simple yet it makes a world of difference. The recipes are relatively simple and have been consistently very good. Out of the 20 or so cookbooks I have - this is my favorite.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Style simply done for our fast paced living, February 27, 2002

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Real-Life Entertaining (Hardcover)

This book is well done. It helps the one who truly wants to provide a memorable experience dining with all the tools and thoughts. From table setting to recipes to their presentation to total function planning, this work is chock full of ideas and thought starters which easily serve as do-it guides if one wants Donata to do all the thinking.

The recipes are not forboding or complex, but yet are very sophisticated, rich and easy to find ingredients and prep techniques. Some that especially attract my tastebuds are: Roasted Game Hens Stuffed under the sking with Herbed Ricotta; Duck Breasts with Cherry-Cabernet Sauce; Crown Roast of Pork with "Triple a" Stuffing; Beet and Champagne Risotto.

This is extremely well-organized which makes it simple and easy to use. Divided into major sections of Casual Suppers, Big-Deal Meals, Parties (with five listed) and Ways with Take-Aways. What is also an attractive feature throughout is Primers on various topics such as "D-I-Y Bar" Caviar, etc., Style Notes where thoughts on plates, centerpieces, etc. are shared.

Those looking for entertaining aid will find true, stylish relief from this delightfully done resource.