Description:
Everyone loves potluck parties. Recognizing this, Tamara Weiss offers Potluck at Midnight Farm, a collection of 130 potluck recipes contributed by her friends and neighbors in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The island is home not only to Midnight Farm, the gift shop Weiss owns with Carly Simon, but also to cooks whose recipes strike just the right relaxed yet sophisticated note. Their dishes, from Lighthouse Lasagna and Grilled Striped Bass with Wasabi and Ginger to Roasted Pecan Coffee Cake and Diane Sawyer's Cherry Pie, are easy-to-do crowd pleasers. Cooks interested in recipes for a wide range of informal gatherings--from backyard dinners to bring-your-own picnics--will find the book a valuable culinary resource. "I am an organizer," says Weiss, and to prove it she offers useful tips for successful potluck events. (Pick a main course to give to food-bringing guests; direction is an obvious but often overlooked example.) The recipes are arranged by season and include menus like the one featuring Coriander Chicken, Beetroot Salad, Grilled Striped Bass with Papaya-Lime Sauce, and Fresh Fruit Tart, among other dishes. Other menus are equally appealing. With 190 color photos of the gatherings in various island locales, tips, and a foreword by Carly Simon, the book is a can't-miss guide to informal entertaining. --Arthur Boehm
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