What Can I Bring? Cookbook,
By Anne Byrn
Reviewed by Publishers
Weekly
Whether off to a friend's house
or hosting a dinner party, this collection from Byrn
(The Cake Mix Doctor, Dinner Doctor, etc.) gives plenty
of reliable, tasty and (fairly) easy-to-prepare standards.
Grouped by course, Byrn's recipes are packed with information.
Easy-to-follow instructions are garnished with tips
for packing and transportation; sidebars like her "10
Grab and Gos" can prove a godsend ("Buy a
good deli paté and drizzle a little good brandy
over it before serving"); and no-cook recipes like
Twelve Layer Taco Dip and Layered Crabmeat Stack (cream
cheese, cocktail sauce, seafood, cheddar and scallions)
can be assembled in minutes. Can't-miss mains like Chicken
Enchiladas; Spinach, Prosciutto and Mushroom Midnight
Strata; and Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket are sure to
please (though the brisket, among others, does require
some planning). Updates on classic party fare such as
a Warm Potato Salad with Rosemary and Camembert, grilled
Turkey Burgers with Pesto Mayonnaise and baked beans
kicked up with chili powder and hot pepper sauce are
hardly revolutionary, but guests should notice the extra
effort. Rounded out with tips on everything from dressing
up ham to table decorations, Byrn has thought of pretty
much everything, leaving guests and hosts with quite
a bit less to worry about.
Copyright © Reed
Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
All rights reserved. --This text refers to the
Hardcover edition.
