| David
Rosengarten Entertains:
Fabulous Parties for Food Lovers
 by
David Rosengarten
(John Wiley & Sons, 2005)
If
you’ve ever received David Rosengarten’s
newsletter, The Rosengarten Report—filled with
food tips and resources—you might have shared
our thoughts: “Where can we sign up for his
tasting panel?”
No big surprise, then, that Rosengarten
has culled his newsletter’s encyclopedic collection
of food discoveries and fashioned them into party
menus. He could make this point obvious by hawking
his newsletter in the book, but he doesn’t.
Instead, you get the benefit of his research without
the hard sell, along with everything you need to know
for 16 themed parties.
The premise of Rosengarten’s
book is: Entertain your guests, don’t get stuck
in the kitchen. Tap the great food products available
by mail-order or through gourmet stores and then relax
and enjoy your party. That’s a philosophy we
endorse!
As
with Rosengarten’s previous books (It’s
All American Food, Taste, Dean & DeLuca Cookbook),
David
Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties for Food
Lovers is a pleasure to read, because the
author so obviously enjoys his subject and has fun
coaching you to be the perfect host or hostess. The
book is loaded with tips and recommendations, not
only about food products but also about where to find
the service ware and how to organize preparation.
The chapters vary in theme from Party Marseillaise,
centered around seafood, to A Totally Frank Party
that puts on the (hot) dog. Each party is broken down
into The Plan, where Rosengarten gives you the big
picture; The Ingredient, where he discusses the main
item; Beverage Time, The Recipes, You’ve Got
Options, Set Dressing (to get your props together),
Table Dressing, Entertainment and Where to Find It.
Through
it all, Rosengarten carries forth with energy, humor
and common sense, an approach we recognized in last
year’s award-winning book, It’s
All American Food. Be forewarned, though,
that what comes naturally to him might leave you a
bit exhausted, like the frequent references to other
parts of the book, such as the “Where to Find
It” lists that accompany each theme. Then again,
Rosengarten anticipates your every whim when planning
a party, so in many cases, all you need to do is read,
organize, shop and serve.
Where cooking is required, the recipes,
albeit a bit lengthy, are easy to follow. We wish
he’d chosen a different graphic look: the crammed-together
text is off-putting. But his step-by-step instructions
simplify even exotic dishes, like the apple mostardo
that accompanies a bollito misto. Plus you get a history
lesson on Italian sausages!
 Best
of all, the menus present new slants on familiar themes,
like the South American Steak on the Grill that includes
a recipe for caipirinhas, the Brazilian version of
a mojito; two variations on the hot sauce, chimichurri;
a gratin of black beans and corn with a crunchy cheddar
cheese crust; and coconut-mascarpone roulades with
mangoes for dessert. So round up your shopping list,
light your globos and get ready to party, Rosengarten-style.
What, no globos? Relax, the book will tell you what
they are and where to find them.
Buy
the book.
Visit the Cookbook
Corner for additional reviews
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