Entertaining

When Donna Hay's Entertaining was published in the autumn of 1998, Time Out magazine selected it as one of the best cookbooks of the year. It's easy to see why. Few cookbooks manage to be even fractionally as stylish as this one. In which other book would you find a wooden cutlery drawer filled with Thai Leaves and Chicken Baguettes with Fresh Corn Cakes? Or how about Grilled Mango with Coconut Praline? Australia has given birth to some innovative food, and restaurants like the Bather's Pavillion have produced beautiful books. Entertaining is certainly one of the best of these books. Hay, the food editor for Australian Marie Claire, has written a book that offers many elegant and stylish dining ideas. The recipes in Entertaining are divided into 10 sections, from simple picnics and impromptu weeknight dinners to the most sumptuous formal dining occasions. Beautiful photographs accompany most of the recipes, which range from making a Vanilla Vodka to Olive-Crusted Lamb with Couscous Salad to Caramelised Vanilla Risotto Pudding. You'll find information about planning menus and selecting wines, as well as all the basics you'll need for any culinary occasion. Like Hay's The New Cook, Entertaining is the perfect addition to the discerning cook's bookshelf. --Dale Kneen, Amazon.co.uk