Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day [Hardcover]

Serena Bass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2004

When chic Manhattanites absolutely must throw an amazing party, there's only one name programmed into their speed dials: Serena. With a client list that includes Sigourney Weaver, Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, and Iman, the woman knows how to host a gathering. It's no wonder New York magazine called her company, Serena Bass, Incorporated, "the best food in the city, hands down."

In Serena, Food and Stories, the fabulous Ms. Bass shares 100 choice recipes, from Guadalajara Hash for brunch, to Chicken Curry Tea Sandwiches, to a mouth-watering Italian buffet. Organized into menus for 11 occasions, large and small, the focus is on ways to make guests feel both well fed and welcome. Part entertaining cookbook, part dishy memoir, this fun read includes charming anecdotes about Serena's family, friends, husbands, and her one faithful companion, Ruby-her little Westie. Between Serena's infectious, highly social vibe and the to-die-for dishes, it'll definitely keep home cooks-and their hungry pals-turning the pages. AUTHOR BIO: London-born SERENA BASS is a high-profile caterer based in New York City. In addition to her successful catering business, she is the namesake behind Serena, the bar/lounge in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel, which she opened in 1999 and has since sold. This is her first book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Well-known caterer Bass’s first book is a rare mixture of good food, great stories and truly unique style; just the right combination to make it a big hit with cookbook fans. From instructions on cooking up an English breakfast complete with Fried Bread and Caramelized Tomatoes to directions for a cocktail party with Salmon Gravlax Tartare on Crisp Potato Slices and Rope Burn drinks, Bass provides the inspiration and directions for entertaining at home. Although there’s an English basis to her cooking (she suggests Sausage Rolls and Drop Scones for high tea), Bass’s easy-going style is familiarly American; she says her cooking is best described as "perfect ingredients, simply cooked, on pretty plates." The stories about her life are winning and sound surprisingly authentic. Describing a pasta dish cooked by her independent older sisters, she writes: "Early on in the month it was full of chicken, mid-month it was canned tuna, and toward the end of the month, clever things would be done with herbs." The advice she offers on both recipes and presentation is equally down-to-earth and sensible, but filled with an admirable joie de vivre. The only problem with the book is a designer’s decision to oddly highlight, in two different colors and typefaces, seemingly random words and phrases. It’s eye-catching in the worst of ways. But such a little flaw hardly keeps this delightful book from being the equal of M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child and Laurie Colwin at their best. Photos.
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About the Author

London-born SERENA BASS is a high-profile caterer based in New York City. In addition to her successful catering business, she is the namesake behind Serena, the bar/lounge in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel, which she opened in 1999 and has since sold. This is her first book.

DAVID LOFTUS is a widely published food and wine photographer. He is well known for his work with celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Tamasin Day-Lewis, and his books include Island Life: Inspirational Interiors (STC).

London-based photographer ANDRA NELKI specializes in editorial and promotional photography. Her work is in the collections of such museums as Tate Britain and the National Gallery of Wales.

Illustrator and photographer DAVID CROLAND is based in New York City. His work has appeared in many major periodicals including Vogue, The New York Times, and The New Yorker.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang; First Edition edition (October 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584793473
• ISBN-13: 978-1584793472
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #902,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS WHETHER YOU LIKE TO COOK OR EAT, March 6, 2005

By 

L. L. Gallop (New York, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day (Hardcover)

I'm a huge fan of eating but not cooking - and I loved this book (and am making my boyfriend, who does like cooking, do all the recipes for me...) The photographs are mouthwatering, the recipes the perfect blend of comfort and posh food, and Serena's own life stories entertaining and moving. Plus I love the large amounts of highly practical advice scattered throughout about how to entertain, serve and hostess effectively - lots of things I would never have thought of but which make fantastically good sense. Highly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, fun stories and great food, November 2, 2004

By 

Food Fan (Saint Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day (Hardcover)

This is a great book; a clever combination of entertaining stories and delicious recipes. She explains in detail how to make each dish in a way that is quite approachable to people who do not cook regularly. The photographs are fun and make the food look amazing. I know people who have had Serena Bass cater their weddings and functions in New York City, they all rave about her and her food. I brought a copy of the book and so many people who have seen it love it. It seems to be tough to find in the stores, Amazon is the way to go! Strongly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK, August 5, 2005

By 

Lynn and Keeley (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day (Hardcover)

My family and I love Serena, Food & Stories and have given copies to each member of our family and special friends. It combines extremely delicious and easy to follow recipes with lively illustrations, beautiful photographs, and totally engaging stories; it is so much more than a cookbook. The Raspberry Frangipane Pie with Almond Whipped Cream is fantastic. Serena Bass' warm hearted spirit and love of cooking set this book apart. My daughter and I whole heartedly reccomend this special cook book.