Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining [Hardcover]

Lisa Vanderpump (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 8, 2011

Lisa Vanderpump has become the breakout star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Her unique mix of sparkling glamour and down-to-earth style has appealed to thousands of fans. On the show, viewers can see her hosting dinner parties and running her popular Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca with what can best be termed “easy elegance.” Now Lisa shares her tips and tricks for creating the perfect gathering: whether you’re hosting a cozy winter dinner for six, throwing a poolside BBQ, or just hanging out with your closest friends, Lisa has just the menu and entertaining hints that will make it both simple AND divine.

Lisa offers simple décor ideas and more than 50 recipes in mix-and-match menus for any kind of “Day”, including:

 

• Cozy Days: Wintry days, rainy days, snuggle-in days

• Sexy Days: Intimate Dinners for 2020 by the fireside or by candlelight

• Days to Impress: Formal dinners fit for friends, heads of state..or when the boss comes to dine.

• Holidays: Celebrations, English Christmas, New Year’s, Anniversaries

• Sunny Days: Picnics, Pool Parties, and Barbecues

• Lazy Days: Informal Get-togethers, lunches, having the girlfriends over

• Darling Days: Tea parties, baby showers and kids’ parties

• Frantic Days: 10-minute meals to whip up from pantry staples 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen/King Features
“Lisa knows a thing or three about the art of entertaining and she shares that knowledge in a splashy, smart new book…Cooking, she claims, should never be a chore since preparing food is a gift you give to people you love. She adds that fixing a cozy and romantic dinner is one of the sexiest things you can do. To help, she includes more than 75 easy-to-prepare recipes. This book is sassy, accessible, and informative. Beautifully illustrated, Simply Divine is as lively as Lisa Vanderpump herself, and presents a multitude of ways to personalize your gatherings with easy, elegant, and cost-smart entertaining. Her recipe for English Sticky Toffee Pudding is almost in itself worth the price of this dandy book.”

About the Author

 Lisa Vanderpump is the witty and charming Brit on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She was born and raised in London, and lived in the South of France for a number of years before moving to California. She owns two restaurants: Villa Blanca, which has been called “the sexiest restaurant” in Beverly Hills and Sur in West Hollywood. She is known for her passion for style and entertaining, and writes a monthly column in Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine. Married to her husband Ken for almost 30 years, she has two grown children. The most famous member of her family is her pup Gigolo (Giggy), who has his own agent at Creative Arts Agency.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762444517
• ISBN-13: 978-0762444519
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.8 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > Shows

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but somewhat disappointing November 9, 2011

By Anne

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a lovely collection of stories of Lisa's life, recipes, and tips on entertaining. It has a little bit of everything. I am a big fan of Lisa's style and was disappointed at the lack of pictures depicting her tips in her book in areas such as flower arranging, plating and staging of food etc. I think she sets beautiful tablescapes and gorgeous floral arranagements, but the photos in the book were what I would consider to be glamour shots of Lisa looking beautiful (of course :)), She was the focal point vs helping me garner ideas on how to create table settings or entertain in the Vanderpump style. Some pictures are included of her recipes. I would recommend this book to any Lisa fan, but I am not sure how helpful the book would be to someone not familar with Lisa and her featured style on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills if one is solely looking for an informative book on entertaining. However, her life stories and advice are charming.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the most beautiful book. December 29, 2011

By ElaineWantsToLive

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lisa Vanderpump is my absolute favorite housewife on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I love her elegance, her Brit, her sense of fair play and her whole character. She is so classy and so beautiful. The book is a feast for the eyes and the recipes sound wonderful but I have not had a chance to try them yet. I am still eating left-overs from Christmas. However, this is not a cook book you will want to get splashed on in the kitchen. I will copy the recipe page and cook from it. I love her tid-bits on her life and the stories are interesting, certainly a far cry from most of our lives, but what fun! Any Lisa fan will certainly be in love with this book.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars November 8th Book Signing *Simply Divine* November 8, 2011

By Daniel

Format:Hardcover

I had the lovely pleasure of meeting Lisa "Vanderfabulous" at her book signing. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her daughter and Gigi accompanied her. They were all very warm and nice despite me arriving 8 mins before it was over. The book is well written and nicely done. It's filled with TONS of beautiful pictures. If you are a true fan, then you will NOT be disappointed! It's done in true Vanderpump style with amazing notes and recipes.