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Simple Soirees: Seasonal Menus for Sensational Dinner Parties [Hardcover]

Peggy Knickerbocker
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)


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Book Description

October 2005
Peggy Knickerbocker lives in two of the greatest food cities in the world, Paris and San Francisco, and she loves to give dinner parties wherever she is. In Simple Soirées: Seasonal Menus for Sensational Dinner Parties, the food journalist, former caterer, and restaurateur shares her passion, her welcoming spirit, and her secrets for creating a memorable party, whether it's a romantic dinner for two, a birthday party for a special friend, or a cocktail fundraiser.

The book includes 100 of the author's favorite recipes, organized into seasonal menus such as Warm Figs Wrapped in Serrano Ham, Roasted Salmon with Peas and Mint, and Heirloom Tomato Salad for summer, or Steak au Poivre, Braised Fennel and Garlic, and Double-Ginger Gingerbread for fall. With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, the menus are always stylish and often feature an element of surprise. Knickerbocker also offers planning and preparation suggestions, as well as time-saving advice to make entertaining easy and fun. With beautiful photographs that capture the essence of the simple soirée, this delightful book will appeal to food lovers and party lovers alike.


Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone who loves gathering friends around the table would be grateful to receive Peggy Knickerbocker’s new book. -- Fine Cooking, Holidays, December 2005

Peggy convinces us that gatherings can be as appealing and effortless for the hosts as they are for the guests. -- Saveur, December 2005

These delicious dinners are inspired by the beauty of real food... -- Alice Waters, Chef & Owner, Chez Panisse

About the Author

Peggy Knickerbocker is a freelance food and travel writer who lives in San Francisco and Paris. She is a longtime contributor to Saveur, and has also written for Gourmet, Food & Wine, House & Garden, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times. She is the author of Champagne: The Spirit of Celebration, Olive Oil: From Tree to Table (nominated for an IACP Award), and The Rose Pistola Cookbook.

Christopher Hirsheimer has photographed many cookbooks, including Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures (STC), Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, The New Irish Table, and Fried & True. Her work often appears in Saveur, which she co-founded.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang (October 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1584794607
  • ISBN-13: 978-1584794608
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 0.9 x 10.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #917,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
(9)
4.4 out of 5 stars
The photos and design are gorgeous so it's a good gift book, too. avid reader  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
If you're looking for fresh inspiration, you'll find it here. dak in California  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 41 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational ideas for year-round entertaining October 8, 2005
Format:Hardcover
Peggy Knickerbocker certainly knows how to plan the perfect seasonal menu. The breathtaking photographs caught my attention when I was looking for a new book with entertaining ideas. The menus are elegant and simple and show how to use fresh, seasonal ingredients when planning what to serve to friends for a dinner party. A simple Parisian dinner, a romantic dinner for two, and a Fall Harvest dinner were the first three menus that I used. You can even mix and match the different menus to create your own extraordinary evening at home. Even a roasted chicken and simple green beans become culinary delights with the recipes from Simple Soirees. I plan to use this book for ideas for my Thanksgiving dinner this year and for my annual holiday party. Thank you, Peggy, for this terrific book of entertaining inspiration!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars i love this book July 25, 2006
Format:Hardcover
Simple Soirees is my new favorite cookbook. In December I lugged it to New Zealand to bring as gift to our hostess. After she opened it; I snuck it off to my room to read at night. It distinguishes itself by being the first cookbook that I have read cover to cover. It read like a novel. We spent the rest of our stay making many of the dishes. Our favorite was the whole fish wrapped in herbs for Christmas Eve...it was extraordinary. My daughter and I have made several of the sweet things together like the heavenly fragrant geranium ice cream and the lavander and cardamom cookies. Everything we have made has turned out delicious.

I think Peggy Knickerbocker is a genuis. It is not only my favorite cookbook, but it is my favorite gift to give as well.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This cookbook exists to make you look good August 20, 2006
Format:Hardcover
Although I have never done an entire menu from this book, every recipe I've tried from here has been delicious, super-easy and perfect, and I've tried several for my dinner parties. The desserts, especially, are delicious, impressive and simple.

I love how the menus are all arranged seasonally, taking advantage of appropriate ingredients and cooking methods. Stick to the season you're in, and you can't go wrong. The author's suggestions for making a party special are fun to read, too. Admittedly, I am from San Francisco, and so is she, so she mentions foods and places that are near and dear to my heart. Her food sensibilities are right up my alley.

If you're a Saveur reader, a couple of these menus will look familiar, as they are from articles she's written for them (the Gnafrons and the Old Stoves Dinner).
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring & easy to use December 5, 2005
Format:Hardcover
I like to have people over for dinner but I'm never sure what makes a good menu. This book takes the worry out of entertaining. The tone is accessible and reassuring, the recipes are great and not hard to follow. Now I feel confident enough to mix and match some of the menus and I know everything will come out alright. The photos and design are gorgeous so it's a good gift book, too.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cookbook December 31, 2008
Format:Hardcover
I love this cookbook. I was looking for a new seasonal cookbook with relatively simple recipes. The Alice B. Toklas Chicken with the roasted sage potatoes was wonderful and easy, the sauce with the ruby port and orange zest was superb. The photographs made unfamiliar recipes to me like the Tartiflette look really intriguing and approachable. If you're looking for fresh inspiration, you'll find it here.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Super Entertaining Ideas April 16, 2007
Format:Hardcover
I've been entertaining for over 20 years for family and friends and was looking for some new ideas. I tried some of the recipes in this book for my last Christmas party and they were a huge success. I can't wait to try some of the other seasonal ideas in this book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Definately a worthwhile addition September 26, 2009
By Cheryl
Format:Hardcover
I am an avid cook and I own many cookbooks. This book is a favourite that I return to again and again. Everything I have made from this book works! That is not something you can always rely on. Recipes are simple, straightforword and sophisticated. Usually, I consider myself lucky if more than one or two recipes become repeats. Simple Soirees contains many repeats-Favourites include: Poulet au Vinaigre, Orange Carpaccio, Pears Poached in Red Wine, Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups, Steak au Poivre. There are still more ticked off to try (and I will!). I also really like the way the book is divided by seasonal menus. Although I have yet to put together an entire meal using these suggestions, they do add to the fun of planning a dinner party.
Highly recommended!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Not my cookbook October 18, 2009
By Michele
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
... I'm trying to edit my review as I feel I was overly harsh. But amazon will not let me update the 1 star, to 2 (or 3). I realize that while this cookbook is defintely not for me, it might be ok for another type of cook. I want to hear about the FOOD, not about (what seemed to me) to be pedantic stories.

I ordered this cookbook on a whim, and realized I had made a mistake. I found the author way to concerned with name dropping and using exotic ingredients. For me, Pamala Anderson's 'Great recipes for having people over' is elegant simplicity.
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