Great Parties: The Best of Martha Stewart Living (Paperback)

~ Martha Stewart Living Magazine (Author) "OPPOSITE: At the Parlange home in Louisiana, fragrant magnolia blossoms in jars and vases await placement on the lunch table; nineteenth-century glass fly catchers filled..." (more)
Key Phrases: chile paste, heat grill, Citrus Dipping Sauce, Miss Lucy, Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While this book is very much in the style of Martha Stewart, the parties that it depicts were planned and executed by other folks. There's a Louisiana lunch at a stately home outside Baton Rouge, complete with maquechoux oysters and pecan-crusted catfish; a garden harvest party, with mountains of vegetarian delights served in an East Hampton garden; a Vietnamese-Thai feast in a garden by the Sacramento River, with the signature flavors of Southeast Asian cooking--lime, ginger, lemongrass, chile paste--gracing spring rolls, chicken, and fish; a soul-food brunch given by an interior designer in Harlem that includes collard greens, gumbo, and sweet potato tarts. Details such as how to make lovely, lotus-like napkin folds are illustrated in "Good Things" sidebars. From the down-home barbecue in a horse arena in Marfa, Texas, to the Polynesian fantasy picnic on the beach in Maui, the key to a great party, says Martha, is caring--"about people, originality, the most attractive settings, and lovely, finely honed, time-honored traditions." And let's not forget food.

Product Description

An inspiring source of ideas for creating a variety of celebrations, from fun and festive to elegant and refined, Great Parties features fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions to help readers throw a party that is as special as it is memorable. Full-color photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (November 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060980099X
• ISBN-13: 978-0609800997
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #425,943 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #34 in	Books > Home & Garden > Expert Advice > Martha Stewart
  #94 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Tablesetting
  #94 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Party Planning

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get's the juices flowing!, August 20, 2001

By	secrethalo (United States) - See all my reviews

Now I know that we can't all go to Texas to have an authentic Tex-Mex fiesta, but the ideas are great none the less. Who care's if no one comes dressed the part? This book is all about themes. Themes that you can manipulate and call your own. Each party is beautifully photographed and the recipes are delicious. They even offer her infamous "Good Things" as a sidebar for many of the parties. Don't let the perfection overwhelm you. This book delievers.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Recipes and Clever Ideas, March 26, 1998

By A Customer

As we all know, Martha can be a bit anal when it comes to many things, I have to admit I really like her cookbooks. The recipes are easy to follow and most of the time, tasty. The entertaining ideas are good, however, I've never been able to follow one completely as I simply don't have the time to do it all. Perhaps if I were a wealthy at-home wife I could...but in that case..wouldn't I have someone do it _for_ me?

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Love Theme Parties!, December 31, 2004

By	A Smart Consumer (Southeastern United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great parties: Recipes, menus, and ideas for perfect gatherings : the best of Martha Stewart living (Hardcover)

Theme parties are great! Getting your guests to "dress the part" isn't at all difficult! If you want people to dress up, just inform them that it is a "themed costume party". Your guests will try to out-do each other with their creative costumes. It really makes things a lot of fun and makes decorating in a theme really worth the effort! My friends and I have one about once a month.

I think Martha is great, but no one should follow any entertaining "to the letter". These books are for just for ideas and Martha's ideas are some of the best, hence her empire.

Regarding the woman with the "waterfront property" whose party was a "fiasco", no one with a third home in Switzerland knows how to throw a party. Hence, the story is a total fraud by someone who harbors some sort of grudge. Did the shiitake gravy turn out badly for you in front of the husband's boss? She didn't realize that anyone with that much wealth would hire a professional party planner who would do all the work for them. I should know, I have a good friend is actually is a professional party planner. Whomever the "reader" with a grudge is, she's made a common nouveau riche (or no riche at all) mistake of misundersanding the role played by those in the upper classes. Marha isn't upper class (contrary to popular opinion). She's upper-middle class, the highest class who still cook at home for themselves during the holidays and for parties. Upper and lower don't mean "better" and "worse" - as class measures they're just indicators of lifestyle. Upper Middles have the most fun :)