Reviews (4)

Authorship
Wenzel's Menu Maker was written by George L. Wenzel, and William J. Wenzel, the authors son, helped extensively with the
Excellent Information Reference/Recipes
This is a very informative resource for serious or recreational cooks.It helps you to match foods with suggested menu ideas.It is written in a clear manner and makes exactly the amount it says it will, yet, the amount can be easily reduced.I purchased a very nice used book, and am pleased with the individual that I dealt with.

Excellent reference text
An excellent reference text for restaurant owners, menu planners, restaurant consultants, or those who just need a couple thousand new recipes.I have found it to be an indespensible resource.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Diet/Nutrition    3. Entertaining - General    4. Food service    5. General    6. Menus    7. Quantity cookery    8. Cooking / Entertaining    9. General cookery   

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cookery, American    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Entertaining - General    6. Home Economics (Specific Aspects)    7. Methods - Quantity    8. Fiction / Romance / Contemporary   

Reviews (16)

Quite a book, indeed!
If you've ever had the chance to travel in Italy, you know the wonderful world of the little, out-of-way family restaurant or Trattoria and the marvelous food serve there.This book is a virtual tour of such eateries!

Don't leave home without it
My benchmark for retaining a cookbook is that it adds one good recipe to my repertoire. So far, this has given my five.
Stop Looking! This is the Italian Cookbook You've Wanted!
Finally! After researching and collecting Italian cookbooks for several years, I bought this one and realized it's what I've been hoping to find all along.
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Subjects:  1. Cookery, Italian    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Italian cooking    6. Regional & Ethnic - Italian    7. Seasonal    8. Cooking / Italian   

Reviews (1)

Weekend with Friends - Williams-Sonoma
Great Book!I love Williams-Sonoma books and this new one is great - lots of fun recipes to make with your guests and a great variety for different meals, not just brunch and not just dinner ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General   

Reviews (4)

Just awful - nothing turned out!
I gave a small dinner party for neighbors and nothing turned out.Our best friends also became ill.

The whole menu
I've had this book for a number of years and everytime I have company or want to spoil my husband I pull out this MS classic. I have the whole meal planned, take the xeroxed pages shopping, and I have a great dinner. No guessing what side dish goes with what. I truly appreciate the planning that went into this edition and the recipes are excellent.

One of her best!
This is my favorite Martha Stewart book - and I have several. The menus are original but yet not over the top. I have actually tried and used the recipes - and have been asked for them - which to me is the ultimate compliment. The pictures are great - this is a book you will actually use - instead of just reading and putting back into your cookbook library. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Entertaining    4. Entertaining - General    5. Menus    6. Tablesetting    7. Cooking / Entertaining    8. General cookery   

Editorial Review

At a certain point you have to ask yourself, do you really need another couple of hundred recipes all carefully clustered around a food concept, or do you want a more manageable number of recipes that all work--guaranteed? Welcome to Read more

Reviews (10)

Buying more in the series
This is the one cookbook that has not gone on the shelf, but instead sits on the corner of the counter. So far I've made the beef burgundy, pan roasted chicken, smothered pork chops, lemon meringue pie, macaroni and cheese, nachos with salsa and guacamole, and more. I'd've done more in the past two weeks, but I do have a job to go to. These may not sound like extraordinary recipes - they're all in my Betty Crocker cookbook or Good Housekeeping cookbook - but this is the cookbook that tells you the how and why, what works and what doesn't work (based on their own testing, which is an interesting read in itself). One of the things I like most is that they make an honest effort and usually succeed at restricting themselves to ingredients found in nearly every supermarket. Serving sizes are extremely generous. I ate nachos for four days --- luckily, they were delicious. Quality Cooking Advice & Phenomenal Ribs!
As someone who consider's themselves an elite "home chef", I stopped using recipe books years ago and just built on the basics that I'd gleaned from reading what I considered the "essential" cookbooks.Then, one stormy Saturday afternoon when the husband was at work and the kids were away at Grandma's, I stumbled on America's Test Kitchen on PBS.Needless to say, I loved what I saw. Just As Good As the PBS Show!
I have been watching this series on PBS and the book is just a delightful.The receipes are pretty easy to follow, ingredients are available in most grocery or gourmet shops. Plus they have done all the testing and we get to prepare the perfect combinations! Highly recommend it,especially as a gift! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - General    4. Entertaining - General    5. General    6. Holiday - General   

Editorial Review

If you're one-stop shopping for great trimming, gift-giving, and cooking ideas, it's hard to do better than Read more

Reviews (4)

Punkinhead
Not what I expected. I have most of the other editions and it seems they took the best of the past 25 years and put it all in one book. I hope that 2006 edition is better!!!

Totally enjoyed the book!!
This was my first purchase of a Christmas With Southern Living book and I was quite happy with my purchase and am anticipating the 2006!!I took this to my parents one weekend when my sisters were there and they all wanted a copy.I used quite a few of the recipes from the book for my Thanksgiving Dinner and they went over well especially the Butter Coconut Pie--YUMMY.As I am not a seasoned CWSL book buyer I don't have others to compare it to (except for one from the 1990's my sister gave me which I felt was not half as nice as this one)but would give this ***** five stars.

25th Anniversary Edition Falls Far Short of Expectations
I am a decades-long lover of Southern Living publications. Whether we buy the magazines, the cookbooks, or the home products, many of us count on Southern Living for unsurpassed quality and creativity.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating - General    4. Entertaining - General    5. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    6. Seasonal   

Reviews (6)

creative and easy
I like the style of the book with clear information and tips. I also appreciated the great
Some flaws
This is an engaging book, with some interesting variations on a number of basic dishes. It is limited in its ambition, a niche book. I have enjoyed using it as inspiration for a number of meals. However, one recipe that was appealing was a total failure. Her Olive Oil Cake turned out to be a soggy mess, dumped in its entirety. I suspect the amount of flour called for, 1/2 cup, was wrong. If I were a better baker, I might have caught that, but then I believe in giving a recipe by a distinguished chef a fair try before changing it. This one will be changed. Nevertheless, I really enjoy this book.

Spreading Her Wings
I am a long time fan of Postino which Cat worked for a number of years.It is inspiring to see her style beyond the Micheal Chiarello's (of Tra Vigne fame / Napa Style) which she took on at Postino. She has created an inspiring cookbook with very good recipes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cookery, Greek    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Entertaining - General    6. General    7. Regional & Ethnic - Greek    8. Cooking / General    9. General cookery   

Reviews (8)

When You Want to "Consume Mass Quantities"
By Bill Marsano. "Pitcher Drinks: Cool Cocktails for a Crowd," by Sharon Tyler Herbst makes it clear that, frankly, there are few ways to have more fun than to slip into Margaritas-for-the-Mob Mode, which can mean mixing drinks in stock pots, buckets and if necessary washtubs (stirring with paddles is optional, but plenty of ice is mandatory). Herbst, an award-winning author of numerous books in the hospitality realm, is smart and reliable (the TV quiz "Jeopardy" uses her books as reference works). There are plenty of recipes, a good glossary of drink and bar terms, useful measuring equivalents, hangover cures for emergency use (she recommends not overdoing to begin with, which is always smart advice, so be sure to read her chapter on How to Light Up the Party Without Getting Lit), hints on what she blithely calls Garnishes and Fandangos, and more. In short, this book is all you'll need to get well started on the road to quality fun for quantities of friends. --Bill Marsano is a James Beard Award-winning writer on wines and spirits.
Awesome drink ideas for many occasions
I have tried the mojito, soo refreshing! The rum rush punch and hurricane are tropical and I went through three batchs in one hour at a football party!! I'm going to try so many more. Good book for people who like to mkae big batchs of drinks for friends!!

This book seriously rocks!
Maybe "Dracula Fan" needed some more blood in his bloody mary-something to nourish his rather small brain.Okay, I'm sorry to get personal, but his (or her) review just doesn't track.
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Bartending    2. Cocktails    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - General    6. Entertaining - General    7. Alcoholic beverages    8. Cooking / Entertaining   

Reviews (2)

Food the ultimate melting pot
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.
Beautiful book -Delicious recipes
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Home Management   

Reviews (5)

Get this book.
This is about the best wine book I've browsed through and possess.While other books out there speak to a true expert or the wine lover who feels above the crowd, Oz Clarke speaks to everyone.Expert and novice alike. The info is pretty complete for such a small book.He gives the essentialsbut leaves room for you to research further if you so choose.He takes themystery out of it and can get anyone to walk into a wine store and actuallyunderstand what the heck's going on.

Good overview for wine fanciers
Less encyclopedic than some of Hugh Johnson's or Frank Schoonmaker's books, this is still a good basic guide to wines of the world.It includes sections on choosing wine (the characteristics of different varieties and styles of wine), buying and storing wine, serving wine, vineyard and winery techniques, a glossary and a vintage guide. The essence of the book is the regional description of wines.The color photos of vine-yards are often smaller than I would like, but they do add something to the attraction of the book as do the wine label photos.Having lived for a number of years in Germany, I was disappointed to find some of my favorite wines missing from the book (i.e., Ockfener Bockstein from the Saar region)or Urziger Schwarzlay (hope I'm spelling that correctly) and Urziger Wurzgarten from the Mosel.However, some would be difficult to find in most American cities.He does a better job detailing French wines and does put in a good word for the Scheurebe grape (a crossing of varieties that produces some lovely German wines).He also brings the reader up to date on replantings in Napa Valley, California and other locales where vintners are still deciding on the best variety of grape for a specific site.I would enthusiastically recommend this book to someone learning about wines, but it would be supplemented by one or more of Hugh Johnson's books and books specifically on US wines and German wines.

A short cut into the wine world
This book achieves a lot in its small but well printed and organized volume.Almost in each wine region, Oz hits the right spot in relating the geography, climate, soil, vintages and grapes to the vividly discribed wine taste. It enablesbeginners start to enjoy the pleasure of selecting, tasting and drinking wine without paying much tuitions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. General    6. Wine And Wine-Making    7. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Editorial Review

A domestic dervish whose Read more

Reviews (5)

Good purchase
Exactly the book I was looking for - great photos, good hints, clear explanations. A pleasure for the eyes!

Nice, but nothing to get hugely excited about.
Roehm makes pretty things and to do that she relies upon items such as hellebores (a winter-blooming flower) which are quite hard for the average person to find.If her projects were less work or so dazzling that you didn't mind running all over East Overcoat to find the necessary components, then I'd be more enthusiastic about this book.As it stands, it's kind of a pricey picture book.I'd recommend Tracy Porter or Martha Stewart for a more hands-on experience.

VIVE LA DIFFERENCE!
WHAT A TERRIFIC BOOK! This is"la creme de la creme" and i find it very difficult when other reviewers compare her product with Martha Stewart's line!It is as if we compare Opera with Andrea Bocelli,this collection of notebooks are so refined and so classic at the same time thati rediscover them each time i need them. The winter notebook giveswonderful ideas of presents for the guests and the flower arrangments areone of a kind. The level of artistry is demonstrated in each pages andplaces Carolyne Roehm as one of the most elegant designer of all. I alsoappreciate the fact that Carolyne Roehm understands the need of elegance inthe day-to-day life and that it doesn't have to be expensive. I'm a youngOpera singer and in my field you receive a lot of flowers and with thisbook i was able to create wonderful bouquets and appreciate another form ofart. I admire her flair and her sense of style, for me Carolyne Roehm isnot only a designer but a real artist who search for the very best in everydetail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Cookery    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Entertaining - General    5. Flower Arranging    6. Flower arrangement    7. Gardening    8. General    9. House & Home    10. Seasonal    11. Gardening / Flowers / General    12. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    13. Home & House Maintenance   

Reviews (8)

Very comprehensive guide to throwing parties
This book is full of colorful pictures and tips and tricks that make it fun to flip through.It is well organized into sections, covering everything about throwing a party from decorating, to setting up a room, to themes, to delicious recipes!There is a section on cocktails, including recipes, explanations for wines, and cheese and food pairings.Denise also reviews the basics of different foods, seasonings, and basic kitchen equipment you might want to invest in.She also includes a food emergency section that gives tips on how to correct mistakes at the last minute (lumpy gravy or burned entree, ect.). Finally, at the end of the book is a section of party case studies for 9 parties.You could theoretically just choose to throw one of those parties and every detail from the theme to decorations to drinks to the menu would already be planned for you (examples include fancy evening dinner party, asian inspired dinner, spring garden party, and thanksgiving dinner!). Especially useful about this book was that the recipes could be adapted for up to 75 people and Denise also offers tips for saving money and time.
Wow!
I own at least 150 different cookbooks and this is by far the best!It's loaded with great information that you can't find in other books and the way it's presented is beautiful and looks so simple.I haven't had a chance to try the receipes yet but I'm sure they'll be great!I've never provided feedback on items that I've purchased in the past but I was so impressed with this book, I had to pass it on.

This book saved my life!
After struggling and wracking my brain for WEEKS about how to entertain my whole department at work without breaking the bank, along comes this great book.No more problems!Denise and her crack team (including co-author Cindie Flannigan) have created the ultimate How-To guide!Many of the dishes provoked arguments, and in one case a fist fight, over who got the last piece.Everybody went home full and happy - even the guy with the broken tooth!This book probably saved my life; definitely my job - I have that in writing.And I even learned about wine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Entertaining - Party Planning    7. Methods - Quantity    8. Parties    9. Quantity Food Production And Service    10. Quantity cookery    11. Cooking / Entertaining    12. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Entertaining    4. Entertaining - Party Planning    5. Holidays (non-religious)    6. Planning    7. Social Science    8. Social Science / Holidays (non-religious)    9. Special events   

Reviews (2)

Don't buy this book
I was totally disappointed with Fondue It! I expected a jumping off point closer to traditional fondue, but instead, the majority of the book deals with elaborate recipes -- spring rolls, grilled polenta -- that are better suited to kitchen preparation, not around the fondue pot, with full guest interaction. Also, the book was laid out in an amateurish, hard to follow way. It was really not what I, as an experienced cook but a beginner at home fondue, was looking for.

I can't wait to get it
I purchased this book for my cousin as a Christmas present this year. I looked at all of the recipes and decieded that I needed a fondue pot! My husband got me the fondue pot, now I must get this book. There is such a variety of things to make in this book from your basic cheese fondue to dishes I hadn't even thought of making in a fondue pot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, International    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining - General    5. Fondue    6. Methods - Garnishing    7. Methods - Special Appliances    8. Specific Ingredients - Dairy    9. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - General    4. Entertaining - General    5. Cooking / Entertaining   

Reviews (24)

Perfectly Charming
This book would be a lovely addition to any tea lover's bookshelf. I heartily recommend it for the charm and great information contained therein.

Awful
I don't recommend this book at all....It was a complete waste of money,No information a regular person wanting to put on a little teaparty or have tea-friends over could use.

A Wonderful Book
TEA WITH FRIENDS is a terrific resource for those who need specific ideas for year round tea parties.Each chapter suggests one theme party for each month of the year. Within each chapter is background information on the theme, a section entitled "Setting The Scene" in which the author gives suggestions on what service and accessories you could use, as well as ideas for centerpieces and music. She also includes a menu, a featured recipe and a craft project or activity relating to the theme,My favorite is November's Victorian Afternoon Tea. Knight gives insightful background information on how tea became a British obsession during the reign of Queen Alexandria Victoria and the causes behind rise in the popularity of black tea, (one of the menu offerings she suggests). In essence, she not only makes menu suggestions, but she provides the background you need to understand why she is making these suggestions. She also includes an example of what an invitation for your November tea might look like. In "Setting The Scene" she lists excellent suggestions for accenting the table with Victorian charm, as well as detailed instructions on how to make a Victorian centerpiece. There are also music suggestions that would be appropriate for this setting. Knight also includes a full menu with a featured recipe for Watercress and Stilton sandwiches. Finally she incorporates detailed instructions on how to make lavender sachets. Sidebars tell about various traditions of the Victorian royal family. In just a few short pages, you have the background, recipes, serving ideas and special touches for a monthly theme tea party anytime of year.Read more

Subjects:  1. Afternoon teas    2. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Entertaining - General    6. Entertaining - Tea Time    7. Holiday cookery    8. Holiday cooking    9. Tea    10. Etiquette & entertaining    11. General cookery   

Reviews (17)

The best cookbook ever!
I really appreciated the recipes in this cookbook.A mixture of old country with a new exciting twist.Highly recommend.Great for daily meals or entertaining.

Latin Chic: Entertaining with Style and Sass
Excellent cookbook!!Loaded with great recipes and presentation ideas. Also, this book has sources for hard to find ingredients, and music suggestions. A real great addition to anyone's cookbook library. It made our party a real success!!

Latin entertaining with elegance!
This book not only has delightful and delicious recipes, but the layout and pictures are gorgeous!I've purchased several for friends and family for the holidays, and they all loved it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, Latin American    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Entertaining - General    6. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    7. General    8. Latin America    9. Regional & Ethnic - South American & Latin American    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Tablesetting    13. Cooking / Entertaining   

Reviews (4)

Not as helpful as it should be
This book gave some useful information on cigars - particularly on the history of cigars, but overall, it did not answer half the questions I have.It does not even have a glossary.

An excellent guide - but needs updating
This is a fine cigar guide, but it is getting dated.I hope the author will provide an update soon.Still, it is a very useful reference guide for cigar lovers.

Excellent resource, but needs an update
A wonderful book!With an emphasis on Cubans, it gets into detail about the history of cigar production and everything about the leaf from field to final product, including how leaves from different parts of the tobacco plant affect the flavor of your cigar.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Entertaining    3. Industries And Trades (Economic Aspects)    4. Non-Classifiable    5. Reference    6. COOKING/WINE    7. Cigars   

Editorial Review

This is the book that launched an empire. Martha Stewart's Read more

Reviews (13)

This Is The Amazing Book That Started It All
This book is Martha Stewart's first major work that put her on the train to success. "Entertaining" is a classic book and over 20 years old. It is so much fun and is so very interesting to read now because Martha's career is so well known, and it is to a large extent based upon the great ideas that she placed in this book. Martha wrote this book in her prime and filled it with ideas, recipes and decorating tips. The reader will learn how to put on the party of a lifetime.
Inspiring and Beautiful
A beautiful book chock full of not only recipies but ideas and inspiration. With complete menu ideas, holidays, and everything from cocktail parties to a Hawaiian Luau, Thanksgiving Dinner to an indulgent dessert party, this is a massive collection that raised the standard in cookbooks, and it continues to inspire. A timeless classic no serious collection is complete without.

A look at early Martha - well worth it
It's interesting seeing what Martha was doing before Asian influences became popular in the 1990s. As a result, the food here leans more towards french and Italian-influenced cuisine.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Entertaining    4. Entertaining - General    5. Tablesetting    6. Cooking / Entertaining    7. Etiquette & entertaining    8. Food & Drink / Cookery