Rating: 
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: Of the hundreds of cookbooks at my disposal, this is the one I repeatedly go to for food that looks fabulous and tastes fabulous. Beautiful photos of every recipe with foolproof instructions. An indispensable addition to the library of anyone who wants to entertain in style.
Rating: 
Summary: With this book I am a creative genius.....
Review: Pick this book up. Good for the amateur, good for the pro. Has a wide range of selection (from dips to wraps to skewers) and is beautiful to look at. I tried the 'Sun-Dried Tomato and Cannellini Bean Dip'(pg. 34) and the 'Spicy Satay Sticks'(pg. 76) and they both were excellent. In addition, there is a section in the back of the book that describes all the cooking 'techniques' used in the recipe section - extremely helpful because it can help the aspiring chef.To let you know, I'm a music producer and basically invite people over to my studio/loft in Soho all the time for business. In addition to having an interesting selection of wines & ports, I like to have something tasty to nibble on while discussing current/future projects...and let me tell you something - this book has made me look like a creative genius! Will be used on New Years Eve......
Rating:
Summary: A guide to create a great impression
Review: This book guide you, step by step, to create a great symphony of tastes, colours and textures, in an easy and creative way. The authors offer you alternatives for ingredients (regular or high priced), tips to save time, and guidance to organise the best cocktail party ever. It is so good that my wife has started her own small business thanks to this book.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious appetizers!
Review: This book was a real lifesaver when we recently had our first "grown-up" party. Almost all the appetizers I made came either from this book or Hugh Carpenter's "Hot Appetizers" (another winner). People kept asking who the caterer was (ME!) and are still talking about how wonderful the food was! (and I'm not even a very experienced cook) Besides the great pictures, I think the most helpful feature in the book is that each recipe is accompanied by "plan ahead" notes that tell you which parts of the recipe can be made days, weeks, or even months before the actual party. Very helpful when trying to coordinate a successful event. When we decided to have another party, this was the first book I reached for - it is indispensible!
Rating:
Summary: Delicious appetizers!
Review: This book was a real lifesaver when we recently had our first "grown-up" party. Almost all the appetizers I made came either from this book or Hugh Carpenter's "Hot Appetizers" (another winner). People kept asking who the caterer was (ME!) and are still talking about how wonderful the food was! (and I'm not even a very experienced cook) Besides the great pictures, I think the most helpful feature in the book is that each recipe is accompanied by "plan ahead" notes that tell you which parts of the recipe can be made days, weeks, or even months before the actual party. Very helpful when trying to coordinate a successful event. When we decided to have another party, this was the first book I reached for - it is indispensible!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice reference, unreliable recipes
Review: This is a very attractive cookbook. It is nicely arranged, and has a broad variety of recipes. However, the recipes seem to have been very poorly edited. The measures, given in both weight and volume, do not always agree (often differing by a factor of two or more), and the ingredient lists sometimes include ingredients that are never used in the recipe.
The best feature of this cookbook is the make-ahead tips: each recipe has clear instructions on how far in advance it can be made, with storage and reheating instructions.
Use this book to plan your party and for tips on how to make your hors d'oeuvres in advance. But use a more reliable reference for the recipes.
Rating:
Summary: Very good recipes, but somewhat unreliable
Review: This is an absolutely gorgeous book that you will fall in love with the moment you open it. The recipes are fantastic - none of the tired, same-old, same-old: everything is creative and intriguing. Moreover, there are photos for each recipe, and make-ahead tips are provided to make your life easier. Just looking through this book will inspire you to host a cocktail party as soon as possible! I made five of the recipes for New Year's Eve, and they were all very easy to make - even the ones requiring sauces could be put together rather quickly, sauce and all. And they were all tasty, with the possible exception of the Fennel Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers, which were no great shakes. However, some were almost "too" tasty: the Cumin Scented Kofte Brochettes had *way* too much salt, and too much lemon peel. And the Barbecued Tandoori Shrimp Sticks seemed to have a little too much ginger. It's fairly safe to serve these recipes to your guests without testing them first, but be aware that the seasonings sometimes seem to overwhelm the meat, cheese, or vegetable component, so you might want to go easy. The other problem I noticed was something that other reviewers have remarked on: this book isn't edited as carefully as one would like. The Spinach, Smoked Trout and Herbed Cream Roulade lists not smoked trout as an ingredient, but smoked salmon. Also, in the techniques section, there is a "Cooks' Note" for the Lemon Hollandaise telling you what to do if your hollandaise separates. However, partially through the instructions, the paragraph just ends: "Whisk in the separated" and that's it. One last thing I noticed is not fundamental, but still annoying: the fennel marinated feta + olive skewers look absolutely nothing like their photo. It's obvious that the food stylists didn't use the black pepper or the chopped mint, and much more oil and lemon juice, so that the feta cubes would be more attractive. However, it's very frustrating when your own cooking looks nothing like the beautiful cubes of yellow feta you've been expecting. They ended up being darker than the picture and not very appealing. In general, I would recommend this cookbook: you won't be disappointed with the quality of the book itself or the recipes, but do be aware that you might have to approach some of the recipes with caution.
Rating:
Summary: Nice reference, unreliable recipes
Review: This is an incredibly beautiful book. Not only will you enjoy looking at the fabulous pictures, but you will also be inspired as you browse through it planning a party. Be forewarned, however, that almost all of the recipes in this book are geared towards very formal settings. If you're looking for quick, satisfying and tasty appetizers to whip out when friends stop by, this is not the book to turn to. Nevertheless, it is very thorough in discussing the various kinds of hors d'oeuvres and the elements of each. This makes it great for home cooks looking for a little education, and if you ever give a formal party, this would be the perfect book to use.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive look at formal hors d'oeuvres
Review: This is an incredibly beautiful book. Not only will you enjoy looking at the fabulous pictures, but you will also be inspired as you browse through it planning a party. Be forewarned, however, that almost all of the recipes in this book are geared towards very formal settings. If you're looking for quick, satisfying and tasty appetizers to whip out when friends stop by, this is not the book to turn to. Nevertheless, it is very thorough in discussing the various kinds of hors d'oeuvres and the elements of each. This makes it great for home cooks looking for a little education, and if you ever give a formal party, this would be the perfect book to use.
Rating:
Summary: Great Recipes, Terrible Editing
Review: This is one of the best and one of the worst cookbooks I have ever used. On the plus side: great and easy-to-make recipes, detailed guidance on preparing foods in advance, and helpful, pretty illustrations. I use this book more than any other hors d'oeuvres cookbook that I have, and my party guests rave about the results. On the negative side: Very very careless editing -- the worst I've ever seen in a professionally published cookbook. Ingredient lists will include ingredients that are never mentioned in the texts of the recipes, but that are clearly required. At least one recipe begins with instructions to preheat the oven (and then the oven is never used). Worst of all: ingredient lists which contain plain errors (such as a cookie recipe which gives the amount of required butter in both grams and cups, but the amount of butter given in grams is one half the amount given in cups.) In using this book, proceed with caution.
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