Entertaining on The Run (Hardcover)

~ Marlene Sorosky (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sorosky ( Cookery for Entertaining ) observes, "There is no question about it, in today's frenetic world, with little time and money to spare, we need to find more casual and relaxed ways to entertain without running ourselves ragged." And so her book takes shortcuts, endorses healthier food (e.g., "less fat") and also considers the prospect of team-cooked festivities ("the burden on the host is reduced"). She organizes her book by genre and theme, such as the grill ("Round Moon Japanese Box Supper," "Grilled Paella Party") and morning fare ("Brunch on the Mediterranean," "Breakfast for Weekend Guests"), offers general advice and outlines many well-planned, imaginative recipes. (Included are "extra points" sidebars that propose more elaborate preparations--e.g., "make a circus wagon" for a child's circus-theme birthday party--than the bare minimum.) The author's range, efficiency and inventiveness combine to persuade and entertain before her readers have set out their mixing bowls; it will be difficult even for the hard-pressed to resist her call to throw a party. Photos not seen by PW. BOMC HomeStyle main selection .
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Only the very rich or the very talented cook, it seems, can face entertaining without trepidation. Though there is no substitute for hands-on work in the kitchen, food writer and newspaper columnist Sorosky tries to streamline almost anyone's efforts at party giving. Her innovations include having a game plan or schedule, which lists what has to be done and when; extra points, those touches that make entertaining special (e.g., creative invitations and place cards and table settings); and some mighty inventive menus. Her more than 180 recipes mix cuisines for serendipitous results. For diet watchers, she includes nutritional analyses plus suggestions for further calorie trimming. Barbara Jacobs

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1st edition (May 23, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688120776
• ISBN-13: 978-0688120771
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,098 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #97 in

  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Tablesetting

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True to the Title, September 25, 1998

By A Customer

Whether you love to entertain or are sometimes forced to cook for guests, you will love this book. Marlene makes it easy to serve fabulous meals while taking the time to enjoy your guests. If you have not had the pleasure of owning one of her books, pick this one up. If you have, I imagine you grabbed this book as soon as it hit the shelves. Using her books always makes me feel like I have an old friend guiding me in my kitchen!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good for ambitious dinner parties, September 18, 2001

By A Customer

I've made several of the dishes from this book, although admittedly I have yet to follow the whole menu for any her planned parties. Most have received rave reviews from my dinner guests, and standouts include a chuntney-blue cheese fillet of beef, and a non-traditional Thanksgiving menu featured a stuff turkey breast dish that went over great last November. (The only recipe with which I found fault was a warm tomato dressing - it has an odd consistency and never really quite worked. But even so, the pasta, salmon and spinach rollup salad that went with the dressing has become one of my staple dinner party/elegant luncheon dishes.)
Her recipes are thorough, and whilst they are pretty straight forward, frankly some are probably a bit more work than most novice cooks might be willing to put into a dinner party, as they take a fair amount of preparation. (The progressive dinner menu she offers has interesting recipes on its own, but even in my group of foodie friends, I think it would be hard to find enough people willing to make stocks from scratch, marinate things overnight and bake bread to pull it off.) Also, there are some excellent photos in the centre of the book, but no step-by-step photos; although the steps are pretty clearly stated, it would have been handy in a few instances. I think what makes this book worthwhile are her tips for how to coordinate everything, and to do many of the steps ahead of time, and to think through the menu. (She provides tips on what to do a month ahead, two weeks ahead, a day ahead and the day of the dinner party.) I don't know if all those steps work, as I usually only start to cook a dinner party a day or two ahead. I am not that much of a planner. So, despite her help, I'm just unlikely to start a month ahead for a romantic meal for two... but if you are the type who would, you should buy this book now.