Customer Reviews

Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Inspired menus for cooking with family and friends

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Thank you for a wonderful book that gives us outside of North America an opportunity to create awesome menus and by extension meals with what we have. I live in Jamaica and was inspired by each menu. It is summer but I follwed the Easter Brunch menu slavishly. I enjoyed the Wine Lovers Evening and was delighted to find a things to do with all the wine corks I have been saving.

I believe a strength of this book is the instructions which feel more like suggestions which you just fall into and you do and they make the entire evening a success. There may well be other books that do this but I would say that this book is moving to the head of my class of my over 60 cook books.

This really isn't so much a cookbook as it is a book for people who love to entertain. The book has party/entertaining ideas divided by season. Each season has 4 entertaining "ideas", each of which is amazing.

The recipes are terrific but more importantly, the book includes table settings and ideas for party favors and gifts for your guests. It's a beautifully photographed and thoughtfully written book with a wealth of great ideas about how to entertain. It has something for both the novice and seasoned party giver. Buy it, read it, and throw a dinner party--that's my advice! Then you can bask in the glow of your guests' admiration.

The recipes are delicious and easy to make- the photos are beautiful and the book inspires you to entertain simply and elegantly. One of my favorite cookbooks.

Great book for those who love to entertain and cook for others. Their themes are unique but easy to pull off, and I love how they also have crafts ideas on party favors, flower arrangements, decorating ideas, etc. in addition to the recipes. Probably my most favorite entertaining book so far.

This is a fantastic entertaining book with entire meal ideas for multiple events. The book even includes ideas on decorating, table settings, invitations, party gifts, etc.

I'm working my way through all of the events and have tried five so far. The food has been absolutely delicious, although some of the recipes are more complex than what I'm used to. Thankfully, the book advises what tasks can be done the day before, the morning of, and then right before guests come over so you can budget your time accordingly.

I've found that some of the recipes can be simplified by using more basic ingredients (ready-to-cook lima beans instead of fava beans in the shell, etc.) Also, several of the recipes use a lot of butter, whole cream, etc., so you could cut back on these ingredients or make substitutions if you want something healthier.

I would recommend this book for those who love to entertain!

I first picked up this volume as an engagement gift to a young couple, but then bought one for myself - this book speaks both to the novice and to the hostess with the mostest. In signature Williams Sonoma style, from rock-solid recipes that work, to imaginative table decorating and mood-setting for themed events throughout the year, and capped off by absolutely beautiful photography, it is a great book to pick up when you need a quick inspiration to make an upcoming party a special event. The book has a set of menus that are matched to the seasons and holidays in the course of the year, and there is a nice balance between formal and casual entertaining. The ingredients are mostly easy to obtain, as are the tools and ingredients for the very inventive table decorating ideas which makes this really an accessible guide that does not require an extensive tool- or ingredient hunt before you can begin to entertain like a pro. Of course elements from each set of suggestions can be easily adapted, mixed and matched. Appealing to the novice is solid introductory material on table setting, tips and techniques, but there are also many smart little hints that even the most experienced host will gladly add to the skill repertoire.

I own many of the Williams-Sonoma (themed & seasonal) cookbooks, including two other books by this author on "Entertaining", and I think this is one of my favorites of the three entertaining Chuck Williams books because the ideas in this book hold up very well even years later, as they are timeless.

In fact, if given a choice, I would choose this 2004 Entertaining book by Chuck Williams over the more recent one called EASY ENTERTAINING.
The reason I say this is because, as stated above, the ideas in this 2004 book are timeless and will not go out of style in the near future. Also, the photos are absolutely inspiring, as are the ideas on table-settings, flower arranging, and theme planning.

A novice cook may find some of the recipes in this 2004 Entertaining book a bit overwhelming, but I would suggest that for the novice, they choose some of the more elaborate recipes from this 2004 Williams Sonoma Entertaining cookbook, and then possibly substitute them with other less elaborate recipes of their choice (eg: there are 100's of easy Williams Sonoma cookbooks available for the novice cook, as I own many that I find extremely valuable).

I would still keep the actual ideas intact from this 2004 coobook, though, (eg: the flower arranging, & color combos) since those ideas could be incorporated, even in a novice's entertaining repertoire.

For the more experienced cook, the recipes will inspire,though.

I also liked the courses that Chuck Williams chose for some of the themes in this cookbook. Yes, some are intricate for sure, but if a person wants to show off their cooking talents, then the recipes in this 2004 book will inspire & satisfy.

This is a great book, giving us just what the title suggests. Inside are complete, step-by-step, menus (not just recipes) for most major holidays during the year. We have repeated several of these meals and they always bring forth rave reviews. There is the sophistication one would expect from W-S; but with meals that seem like comfort food at the table. Follow the recipes and your family and friends will think you just got back from cooking school. A great way to bring back the traditions of having friends over for dinner.

I love shopping at Williams-Sonoma for kitchen equipment, specialized ingredients, and to get new ideas. There are many good recipes in this book covering the different seasons in the year. If you are looking for Easter Brunch, a Seaside Supper or High Tea, you will find something you can use.

My complaint about this book is more than 50% of the pages are nothing but pictures. I guess if you are looking for a coffee table book, this is the book for you. If on the other hand you are looking for recipes, well there are some, but a majority of the book is nothing but pictures.

I was hesitant to purchase this book, even with the great reviews. But when I recieved this book and read it, all of my fears were put to rest. This book has everything you need to know on how to entertain all types of guests, even your family, in a classy, elegant... and not too expensive, way. There are quite a number of recipes throughout, ranging from holidays, to brunches, teas, cocktail parties, and even the quiet evening for two. It has ideas on how to set a table from soup spoons to floral pieces, and also has instructions on how to set the entire room for the evening. There are wine and food pairing suggestions, info. on the types of glasses you may need, etc., etc. What a wonderful book, especially for someone like me who finds things like entertaining and decorating very scary.

I would recommend this book for any event, to anyone in a heart beat.
Enjoy.