Food For Friends

Fran Warde plans 28 delicious menus around a theme for all types of guests and occasions--from a Country Vegetarian Lunch to Supper on a Budget, from a Beach Banquet to a Children's Tea Party. Over 130 recipes are accompanied by more than 300 color photos.

Small bites and treats to share The best gatherings are simple, yet somehow special. They might begin with an impromptu picnic after shopping at the farmer’s market or a late lunch with neighbors that stretches into cocktails under the stars. Whatever the occasion, this picture-perfect cookbook shows how to turn any meal into a delectable affair. These effortless recipes for brunch, teatime, happy hours, picnics, potlucks, and dessert all include a whimsical twist: a few slices of French toast doused in lavender syrup, rainbow chard empanadas served with pistachio crema, or a vibrant purple cauliflower hummus. With tips on creating an inviting table, stocking a pantry to make last-minute nibbles, and packing delicious parting gifts for guests, Food with Friends will inspire any get-together, however large or small.

“Accessible and comforting . . . Heaton’s uncomplicated fare is an homage to her childhood memories.” —Publishers Weekly A busy working mother raising four boys, Patricia Heaton couldn’t be more comfortable playing “America’s mom” on hit television shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle. Though she may be a Hollywood star today, this down to earth, practical Midwesterner has never forgotten her roots. As one of five children growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland in the 1960s, Patricia was raised on home-cooked, rib-filling basics: meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken, pork chops, burgers, fish sticks, and pot roast. Yet her mother didn’t let a tight budget stop her from dreaming big, inspired by Julia Child. On her Food Network show Patricia Heaton Parties, Patricia celebrates her culinary beginnings, transforming familiar American fare into delicious, sophisticated, lightened versions for entertaining family and friends. In this fabulous cookbook, Patricia shares her budget-friendly, simple, and deeply satisfying recipes, inspired by the dishes she loved growing up, the favorites she feeds her hungry boys, and the scrumptious showstoppers she serves at casual parties and get-togethers. Patricia Heaton’s Food for Family and Friends features 100 recipes for appetizers, sides, and main dishes, as well as cocktails and “guest goodies”—little treats to send home with your guests. Patricia provides readers with the tools for everything to make it easy to pull it all together. Best of all, she spices it up with hilarious stories, family photos, and anecdotes from her Hollywood career. “Heaton provides a chatty, down-to-earth compendium that will inspire almost anyone to brave the kitchen.” —Booklist

Best friends Jesse Tyler Ferguson, star of Modern Family, and recipe developer Julie Tanous pay homage to their hometowns as they whip up modern California food with Southern and Southwestern spins in their debut cookbook. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME OUT Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and chef Julie Tanous love to cook together. They love it so much that they founded a blog, and now put all their favorite recipes into a cookbook for you to dig into with the people you love. In Food Between Friends, they cook up delightful food, spiced with fun stories pulled right from their platonic marriage. Drawing inspiration from the regional foods of the South and Southwest they grew up with, Jesse and Julie put smart twists on childhood favorites, such as Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese, Grilled Chicken with Alabama White BBQ Sauce, and Little Grits Soufflés. So come join Jesse and Julie in the kitchen. This book feels just like cooking with a friend—because that’s exactly what it is.

Cooked: Food for Friends is the first of a series of Cooked badged books that share the wealth of food content on Hardie Grant's food website. This one is all about sharing: 100 dishes, all delicious, and many of which you can whip up fast. Across eight chapters, the book presents ideas for: backyard grill, impromptu dinners, brunch, picnics, drinks parties, high tea, and the ultimate Sunday roast spread. These are not just any recipes, they've been selected from books by 47 star chefs and authors in the Hardie Grant stable. For example, you might set your sights on Alain Ducasse's roast chicken, Luke Nguyen's crisp silken tofu in lemongrass, Mark Best's stunning orange and polenta cake, or Margaret Fulton's canapé saviours, piroshki. Chefs and cooks featured include: Greg and Lucy Malouf, Luke Nguyen, Skye Gyngell, Antonio Carluccio, Paul Wilson, Mark Best, Matt Wilkinson and Jane Kennedy.

View recipes from Food and Friends.The coauthor of Mastering the Art of French Cooking shares an irresistible feast of reminiscence and recipes. Simone "Simca" Beck first met Julia Child in 1949 in the women's cooking club Cercle des Gourmettes in Paris. Soon afterwards, the two began collaborating on what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking. During her extraordinary career, Simca was mentor and friend to a generation of cooks and food writers. In Food and Friends, she interweaves tantalizing recipes and menus with a wonderfully evocative account of her Normandy childhood, her madcap escapades in 1920s Paris, her work with Julia Child, and her friendships with James Beard, Craig Claiborne, M.F.K. Fisher, and Richard Olney, among others.

We all dream of being the perfect host, reaching new culinary heights in the kitchen, shaking hand-crafted cocktails behind our backs, and running perfectly plated dishes—all while greeting guests with a smile. Let’s face it; you would need a whole staff to make that happen! Thankfully, Johannson’s book is full of quick, smartly planned recipes that free you from the kitchen to actually spend time with your guests. Chef Linnea Johansson’s tips for prepping in advance will let you enjoy a glass of wine with your friends instead of stirring sauces all night. The “Family Style” chapter, for example, feature recipes that allow you to skip the perfectly plated dinners and create dishes you can set on the table to let guests serve themselves. “Fake It” offers tricks for those times you just stepped through the door and guests are due in an hour and “Late Night Bites” hits on even quicker recipes that you can whip up in ten minutes at the end of a dinner party or for an unexpected, late night get-together. Food For Friends will be your go-to cookbook for those times when you want to cook a great meal for friends and family while also wanting to enjoy their company.