Customer Reviews

Small Plates, Perfect Wines: Creating Little Dishes with Big Flavors

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

 

 

This book is not full size, it's 8.5 x 8.5. But it's still full of great little dishes with big flavors (hence the sub title). In addition to all the great recipes there are complete menus starting on page 131. There is a Spring Celebration, Backyard Cookout, Fresh from the Summer Garden, Autumn Harvest, Holiday Dinner Party, Finger Food only, and Desserts Only. All the menus have step by step timetables to keep you on track with preparing and hosting your small plate party. The icing on the cake is the list of wines that every dish accompanies. It's quite awesome.

You could host a complete party with just this book. This one is certainly more affordable without compromising flavor than Wine Food & Friends. Perhaps a combination of both books and you'd have a meal as well as appetizers, if that is something that interests you.

I did the Pork Saltimbocca with Pan Sauce as one of the other reviewers and it was delicious as they said. I combined it with a Mark West Pinot Noir and it then became outstanding. Definitely worth having. I would also suggest the The Sunset Grill: 125 Tasty Recipes for Casual Get-Togethers and Easy Weeknight Cookouts if you're interested in having outdoor parties and that book too had many small plate dishes.

I love this cookbook. The recipes are amazing! Among my favorite recipes are the Pork Saltimbocca With Pan Sauce, the Seared Tuna with Hazelnuts and Pink Peppercorns on Couscous, the Molasses-Almond Shrimp on Spicy Cabbage Salad and the Balsamic-Glazed Potatoes and Onions. Everything I've made from Small Plates, Perfect Wines so far has been very delicious! I had a dinner party recently and cooked only from this cookbook. The party was a great success. Along with each recipe are wine parings. I'd highly recommend this cookbook over others in the same category. It's a winner.

I was looking for a sort of double duty cookbook. One with good suggestions for easy appetizers and the proper wine to go with it. This book fit the bill pretty well. There are some easy to follow recipes that most people will enjoy and with ingredients that are easy to find. The book also takes the guess work out of chosing a wine to go with the food. Nice addition to my cookbook collection.

No matter if your culinary skills rank from 1 to 10....you will find many wonderful delectable treats that can be prepared by anyone. No ingredients too fancy or impossible to find. Enjoy!

Really love this concept of this book and the simple recipes. The wine pairings are wonderful, a great hostess gift for those that love to entertain.