Throw a Great Party: Inspired by evenings in Paris with Jim Haynes [Paperback]

Mary Bartlett (Author), Catherine Monnet (Contributor), Antonia Hoogewerf (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2007

What do Chloë Sevigny, Molly Ivins, Allen Ginsberg, R. Crumb, Xaviera Hollander (the Happy Hooker), Yoko Ono, and Germaine Greer all have in common? They have all been guests at Jim Haynes’s studio in Paris. A dynamic and loveable American ex-pat, Jim Haynes welcomes anywhere fifty to a hundred people for food, fun, and conversation every Sunday in his home. These informal parties, now approaching their thirty-year mark, are the inspiration for Throw a Great Party and illustrate how to entertain a crowd at home without being overwhelmed. Do you want to give a party that’s fun and relaxed but also affordable? Throw a Great Party will show you how to give exciting parties that your friends will rave about. Inspired by Paris’ best underground dining experience, the Jim Haynes dinners, this book celebrates the whole concept of hospitality and entertaining. From start to finish, this practical easy-to-follow guide offers complete planning, budgeting, shopping, storage, cooking, and serving tips. The collection of tasty international recipes and menus, range from traditional to exotic and are proven crowd pleasers. Tested many times, these recipes will work in any size home kitchen. Throw a Great Party will convince you that entertaining can be a joyful exuberant experience.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

About the Authors

Thanks to the happy magic of Jim Haynes, the trio of authors, Mary Bartlett, Antonia Hoogewerf, and Catherine Monnet met in Paris, far from their countries of origin. Finding inspiration in between sautéeing onions and stewing Moroccan chicken, the Sunday night dinners were an idea that clearly deserved to be shared.

Mary Bartlett divides her time between Portland, Oregon and Paris. A culinary world traveler, she has the ability to make everyone feel at home. In Oregon, her large, extended family keeps her busy cooking everything from Oysters Rockefeller to organic baby food. In Paris, Mary is a regular cook at the Sunday night dinners. A long time supporter of local and sustainable cooking practices, Mary also writes a cooking blog challenging readers to partake of the joys of simple, healthful and, most importantly, delicious, home cooking while offering practical suggestions and unintimidating recipes suitable for all. Her professional experience as a restaurant cook, caterer, and cooking teacher has been vital in creating this practical entertainment guide.

Antonia Hoogewerf stepped in when one of Jim’s longtime cooks departed and became a regular chef for his dinners. First and foremost, “mère de famille” and home entertainer, Antonia also owned a ‘Chambres d’Hôte’ in the Loire Valley for several years, where managing large meals for crowds became second nature. Now living between Paris and Calcutta, with a dash of London thrown in, she travels, writes, orchestrates European walking tours, and cooks for fun. Antonia's primary culinary passion is for India and the many Indian dishes in this book are from her delightful repertoire.

Catherine Monnet arrived in Paris from Los Angeles as a young dancer in 1978, eager to explore her passions for ballet and philosophy. Through a friend, she found temporary lodging at Jim’s and, in return for his generosity, she offered to cook for him and his many friends. Voilà, the beginning of the now-legendary, Sunday night dinners! She is currently living and working in Shanghai with her husband, Yves, but Paris will always be home. While raising two sons, completing a doctorate in philosophy at the Sorbonne and still working hard in the ballet studio, Catherine has found time to cultivate that culinary interest that spurred her to help start these weekly soirées at Jim’s. She loves to throw large parties, experiment with new cuisine, and write about food and cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (October 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595437893
• ISBN-13: 978-0595437894
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,458,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration for those who dream of hosting terrific parties!, October 15, 2008

By 

Jessica Bartlett Buck - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Throw a Great Party: Inspired by evenings in Paris with Jim Haynes (Paperback)

First of all, Mary Bartlett's Throw a Great Party makes for a terrific read. The utter romance of an ongoing Salon party in a tiny artist's apartment in Paris is undeniable!

I had this book on my coffee table for a couple of weeks, imagining the incredible parties OTHER people plan, shop for and host. Then something happened: after reading through the book, I no longer had the feeling that having a terrific party was something that only arty A-listers in Paris do...

Bartlett's huge strength lies in demystifying the process of cooking for a crowd. In a calm and engaging fashion, she lays out the steps one needs to take and, Voila! YOU'VE managed to invite and cook for 50 people without losing your mind... And everyone loves the food!

I speak from experience: I have used Throw a Great Party as a sort of star map to party cooking and it hasn't steered me wrong yet. Kudos to the cook!

4.0 out of 5 stars all you ever wanted to know about dinner party throwing.. and probably more..., October 17, 2010

By 

theapostrophe - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Throw a Great Party: Inspired by evenings in Paris with Jim Haynes (Paperback)

When I bought this, I bought it purely for the 'oversize' recipes that I'd heard about (the book is full of recipes for 25-100 people). But all the other advice, the planning, shopping, decorating, getting into the mood for the party were all fabulous tips. I had my first party with the book as a 'companion' (slightly less than a guide) and it went down a treat. Great inspiration for those who love big dinner parties.