GOOD FRIENDS, GREAT DINNERS: 32 Glorious Menus for Casual Entertaining

by Susan with Camilla Turnbull Costner ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 30, 1987

Yet another book of lavishly photographed meals for the moneyed? Despite appearances, they are not all clones of each other. This collection of menus for six persons, strewn with Faith Echtermeyer's elaborate pictures, is one of the more attractive of the genre. Costner, a caterer who has worked on both the East and West Coasts, belongs to the current school that goes in for constant cross-cultural borrowings (e.g., grilled tuna steaks with wasabi butter) and a somewhat busy palette of seasonings. But she chooses herb or spice accents with more restraint and aptness than many young chefs. Most of her recipes embody simple and well-chosen ideas carried out with unfussy verve. She usually eschews strained menu ""themes"" and visual gimmicks; nor does she give much of a nod to current dietary dogma. Sea bass en papillote will not be everyone's idea of a no-work entreÉ; many people will find the interesting desserts (steamed blackberry pudding, old-fashioned angel cake with strawberry sauce, cherry roly-poly) more than they want to tackle on top of fairly arduous main courses. Still, the menus generally work well as menus. The actual recipe-writing is a pleasure: succinct, direct, and confidence inspiring. There are no preparation timetables as such, though Costner does briefly sketch in strategies. The occasional tips on gardening or choosing varieties of produce are a nice bit of lagniappe. A work of strengths far beyond the usual elegant-entertaining mold.

Pub Date: July 30, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1987

Categories: NONFICTION