David Rosengarten, creator of the Rosengarten Report, a newsletter reporting on all the latest food goodies to be found online, has combined the need to shop and the need to entertain and called it David Rosengarten Entertains. It's a party cookbook chock-a-block with where to buy it information and how to make it directions for the entertaining with food challenged.

There are 16 theme parties and they encircle the world: Spanish tapas, Italian pizza, Japanese tempura, Tunisian couscous, Texas BBQ, French bouillabaisse, Mexican tacos, American hot dogs, Indian tandoor chicken, Argentinian steak, Italian bollito miisto, Cajun gumbo, French cassoulet, Greek kebabs and lamb, Cuban roast pig, and English cucumber sandwiches. In each and every chapter (they all have clever titles such as "Love Me Tandoor," and "A Totally Frank Party") there's some central must-have item-- whether the Spanish jamon, the Texas barbecued brisket, the fresh Indian spices, the best steak, etc., and Rosengarten tells you where to shop. This section of the chapter is called The Ingredient. It is preceded by an introduction to the chapter concept called The Plan, followed by potables suggestions under the heading Beverage Time, and finally into the nuts and bolts with The Recipes.

Basically, Rosengarten removes any and all strain from entertaining with food (including the strain of reading--the size of the type makes this book readable from across the kitchen). He declares we are in the Third Epoch of entertaining where it's all about What is Good (if in doubt, he'll tell you). In the First Epoch (1950-1975) it was all about What Sounded Good regardless of truth in tasting. In the Second (1975-2000), What Looked Good was based on trendy restaurant presentation. One is left to wonder about a world of food and entertaining prior to 1950. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly
As gourmands well know, food and love are inextricably intertwined; and, says Rosengarten, dinner parties enhance that connection. Such events involve a great deal of work for the host, but Rosengarten has gone to great lengths to think of, and address, every detail of 16 themed fêtes representing a variety of cuisines and settings, from "It's Tapas Time" to "Zydeco Thanksgiving." Rosengarten honed his skills during his seven-year stint on Food Network's Taste show, and he has authored several cookbooks, including The Dean and Deluca Cookbook. Here he combines creative yet doable recipes with clever decorating suggestions and tips for entertainment and beverages. For each party, he focuses on "The Ingredient": the one, perfect food that will make the party authentic and, well, fabulous. Rosengarten's knowledge of food esoterica is broad and impressive; a discourse on Spanish ham, for example, is detailed and fascinating. The author's enthusiasm for entertaining is evident in both the specificity and care taken with each party plan, and the exuberant asides that make readers feel like cooking compatriots ("One taste of the old-fashioned antipasto salad... laden with crunchy hearts of iceberg lettuce, and you'll likely say—as I've been known to— 'Exactly what is so great about radicchio?' "). Photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
David Rosengarten, television food-show host, food and wine writer, not only has a plan, he gives readers 16 completely worked-out blueprints for foolproof parties--among them a Party Marseillaise, a Mexican Street Party, a Devon Cream Tea and Tunisia for Twelve. Recipes are included, of course, but also table settings, even costumes. (Associated Press, November 26-29, 2004)

If a dinner party is an opportunity to show warmth, affection, and respect for guests, as Rosengarten states, this book indeed offers a wealth of opportunities.  Sixteen distinct parties are outlined, including recipes fitting beverages, set dressing, table dressing, entertainment, and sources (with web sites and toll-free phone numbers) from which to purchase the hard-to-find specialty ingredients and design elements.  Each party section contains plentiful recipes, any of which could be used to enhance an everyday meal or serve as an element in a party scheme.  Most of the themes are casual, e.g., “Totally Frank Party,” but the “Devon Cream Tea” would satisfy anyone’s yearning for old-fashioned elegance.  Parties such as “Cassoulet” and “Show Up Chez Moi for Beans and Wienies” may be rustic in setting but require a fair amount of preparation time and a fully stocked pantry.  Unlike Christopher Lowell’s Christopher Lowell, the Hassle-Free Host, Rosengarten’s work focuses on authentic preparation in lieu of “cheating” with prepared and packaged goods.  Though this is not for last-minute party planners, experienced cooks will enjoy the challenge of obtaining the elusive ingredients – not to mention the satisfaction of serving the genuine article.  Recommended. – Ann Weber, Bellarmine Coll. Prep., San Jose, CA (Library Journal, October 15, 2004)

As gourmands well know, food and love are inextricably intertwined; and, says Rosengarten, dinner parties enhance that connection. Such events involve a great deal of work for the host, but Rosengarten has gone to great lengths to think of, and address, every detail of 16 themed fêtes representing a variety of cuisines and settings, from "It’s Tapas Time" to "Zydeco Thanksgiving." Rosengarten honed his skills during his seven-year stint on Food Network’s Taste show, and he has authored several cookbooks, including The Dean and Deluca Cookbook. Here he combines creative yet doable recipes with clever decorating suggestions and tips for entertainment and beverages. For each party, he focuses on "The Ingredient": the one, perfect food that will make the party authentic and, well, fabulous. Rosengarten’s knowledge of food esoterica is broad and impressive; a discourse on Spanish ham, for example, is detailed and fascinating. The author’s enthusiasm for entertaining is evident in both the specificity and care taken with each party plan, and the exuberant asides that make readers feel like cooking compatriots ("One taste of the old-fashioned antipasto salad... laden with crunchy hearts of iceberg lettuce, and you’ll likely say--as I’ve been known to--‘Exactly what is so great about radicchio?’ "). Photos. (Oct. 18)
FORECAST: Wiley is hoping to score holiday sales, supporting the book with a 20-city radio tour and national ads. (Publishers Weekly, September 13, 2004)

Review
"He not only has a plan, he gives readers 16 completely worked-out blueprints for foolproof parties..." (Associated Press, November 26-29, 2004)

"...dinner party is an opportunity to show warmth, affection, and respect for guests...Rosengarten...offers a wealth of opportunities." (Library Journal, October 15, 2004)

"...Rosengarten has gone to great lengths to think of every detail of 16 themed fetes". (Publishers Weekly, September 13, 2004)

Book Description
"In David Rosengarten Entertains you are hand-led through each step of preparation by David’s expertise and flair. Using this book, you just can’t miss creating a fabulous party. A great book. So, let’s party." –Lidia Bastianich "Thank you, David, for creating the perfect dinner party book. Now I don’t have to struggle the next time I have a party." –CHEF Marcus Samuelsson Aquavit and Riingo (New York) Washington Square(Philadelphia) "What an amazing collection of fresh ideas and new inspirations! Like nobody else, David makes me want to get a bunch of friends together for a highwire dinner party–he covers all the bases, including how to find the right sitar player (take it from me, you want to find the right one)." –Ted Allen, food and wine specialist Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy "This book gives you all you need to know to throw a stellar party effortlessly. I feel like David is in the kitchen with me directing the show so I don’t have to. From the glassware you’ll need to where to shop and what to make first, this book has it all. All your questions are answered to make you the expert entertainer!" –Gale Gand, pastry chef/partner, Tru (Chicago) "If you want your next party to be the event of the year, search no further than David Rosengarten’s new book! Full of tantalizing, mouthwatering recipes organized into exciting and stylish menus, this is a must-have for anyone who entertains at home." –Stanley Lobel, Lobel’s Meats, cookbook author

From the Inside Flap
David Rosengarten knows a thing or two about putting on a great show with ease and flair. Acclaimed Food Network celebrity, award-winning cookbook author, and food-and-wine writer, he is also the creator of The Rosengarten Report, the coveted insider newsletter revealing the best artisan food and wine in the world available by mail order. Now he shares the exclusive information Rosengarten Report subscribers receive every month in this treasure trove of complete blueprints for 16 show-stopping dinner parties. In David Rosengarten Entertains, the celebrated Renaissance man of food and drink presents fabulous concepts that will transform even a laid-back hot dog party into an unforgettable fête. These are no ordinary dinner parties, and this is no ordinary book of recipes. In David Rosengarten’s able hands, you’ll design an enchanting thematic evening your guests will rave about for months. Mesmerize them with Tunisia for Twelve, an exotic North African couscous-and-lamb extravaganza. Bewitch them with Love Me Tandoor, a spicy Indian banquet. Reel them in with an authentic, Louisiana-style Zydeco Thanksgiving, featuring mail-order turducken–a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken–as the scandalously succulent centerpiece. Host a Barcelona-style tapas party at your own casa–pitchers of cool gazpacho, sizzled chorizo sausage, and shrimp with garlic sauce, all served in terra-cotta dishware. Or lay out a red-checkered tablecloth, crank up the volume on a Dean Martin album, and serve chunky antipasto salad along with a selection of classic and contemporary grilled pizzas. Evocative but easy-to-pull-off presentation ideas–table-setting tips, music suggestions, and decorative flourishes–show how to strike just the right mood without breaking the bank. A few old Havana cigar boxes to hold silverware, a table draped with palm leaves, and a Celia Cruz CD, for instance, will evoke the perfect ambiance for your Cuban roast pig gala. Top photographer Quentin Bacon captures the glorious food and festive mood of David Rosengarten’s bravura presentations with style and dramatic flair. For the host who wants all the trappings of a picture-perfect celebration, David Rosengarten Entertains offers contacts within each chapter for mail-order suppliers of the best food and wine, decorations, and much more. You’ll have at your fingertips the resources for every last detail–whether it’s a mouthwatering slab of brisket for your Texas BBQ or a miniature Parthenon for your Greek bacchanal. So what are you waiting for? Choose a date, invite some guests, and conjure up a fabulous dinner party–with David Rosengarten as your sparkling host, you can’t go wrong.

From the Back Cover
"In David Rosengarten Entertains you are hand-led through each step of preparation by David’s expertise and flair. Using this book, you just can’t miss creating a fabulous party. A great book. So, let’s party." –Lidia Bastianich "Thank you, David, for creating the perfect dinner party book. Now I don’t have to struggle the next time I have a party." –CHEF Marcus Samuelsson Aquavit and Riingo (New York) Washington Square(Philadelphia) "What an amazing collection of fresh ideas and new inspirations! Like nobody else, David makes me want to get a bunch of friends together for a highwire dinner party–he covers all the bases, including how to find the right sitar player (take it from me, you want to find the right one)." –Ted Allen, food and wine specialist Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy "This book gives you all you need to know to throw a stellar party effortlessly. I feel like David is in the kitchen with me directing the show so I don’t have to. From the glassware you’ll need to where to shop and what to make first, this book has it all. All your questions are answered to make you the expert entertainer!" –Gale Gand, pastry chef/partner, Tru (Chicago) "If you want your next party to be the event of the year, search no further than David Rosengarten’s new book! Full of tantalizing, mouthwatering recipes organized into exciting and stylish menus, this is a must-have for anyone who entertains at home." –Stanley Lobel, Lobel’s Meats, cookbook author

About the Author
DAVID ROSENGARTEN, a two-time James Beard Award winner, is a cookbook author, food-and-wine writer, and TV personality. The former host and chef of the Food Network cooking show Taste and coanchor with Donna Hanover of In Food Today, he appears as a regular guest on NBC’s Today show. He has written for the New York Times, Newsday, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and many other publications, and is currently Editor in Chief of The Rosengarten Report, recipient of the 2003 James Beard Award for best food-and-wine newsletter in America. His recent cookbook, It’s All American Food, earned a 2004 James Beard Award. His web site, www.davidrosengarten.com, features many additional resources, recipes, and tips for food enthusiasts.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In David Rosengarten Entertains you are hand-led through each step of preparation by David’s expertise and flair. Using this book, you just can’t miss creating a fabulous party. A great book. So, let’s party." --Lidia Bastianich

"Thank you, David, for creating the perfect dinner party book. Now I don’t have to struggle the next time I have a party." --CHEF Marcus Samuelsson Aquavit and Riingo (New York) Washington Square(Philadelphia)

"What an amazing collection of fresh ideas and new inspirations! Like nobody else, David makes me want to get a bunch of friends together for a highwire dinner party--he covers all the bases, including how to find the right sitar player (take it from me, you want to find the right one)." --Ted Allen, food and wine specialist Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

"This book gives you all you need to know to throw a stellar party effortlessly. I feel like David is in the kitchen with me directing the show so I don’t have to. From the glassware you’ll need to where to shop and what to make first, this book has it all. All your questions are answered to make you the expert entertainer!" --Gale Gand, pastry chef/partner, Tru (Chicago)

"If you want your next party to be the event of the year, search no further than David Rosengarten’s new book! Full of tantalizing, mouthwatering recipes organized into exciting and stylish menus, this is a must-have for anyone who entertains at home." --Stanley Lobel, Lobel’s Meats, cookbook author

SYNOPSIS

David Rosengarten knows a thing or two about putting on a great show with ease and flair. Acclaimed Food Network celebrity, award-winning cookbook author, and food-and-wine writer, he is also the creator of The Rosengarten Report, the coveted insider newsletter revealing the best artisan food and wine in the world available by mail order. Now he shares the exclusive information Rosengarten Report subscribers receive every month in this treasure trove of complete blueprints for 16 show-stopping dinner parties. In David Rosengarten Entertains, the celebrated Renaissance man of food and drink presents fabulous concepts that will transform even a laid-back hot dog party into an unforgettable fête.

These are no ordinary dinner parties, and this is no ordinary book of recipes. In David Rosengarten’s able hands, you’ll design an enchanting thematic evening your guests will rave about for months. Mesmerize them with Tunisia for Twelve, an exotic North African couscous-and-lamb extravaganza. Bewitch them with Love Me Tandoor, a spicy Indian banquet. Reel them in with an authentic, Louisiana-style Zydeco Thanksgiving, featuring mail-order turducken--a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken--as the scandalously succulent centerpiece.

Host a Barcelona-style tapas party at your own casa--pitchers of cool gazpacho, sizzled chorizo sausage, and shrimp with garlic sauce, all served in terra-cotta dishware. Or lay out a red-checkered tablecloth, crank up the volume on a Dean Martin album, and serve chunky antipasto salad along with a selection of classic and contemporary grilled pizzas.

Evocative but easy-to-pull-off presentation ideas--table-setting tips, musicsuggestions, and decorative flourishes--show how to strike just the right mood without breaking the bank. A few old Havana cigar boxes to hold silverware, a table draped with palm leaves, and a Celia Cruz CD, for instance, will evoke the perfect ambiance for your Cuban roast pig gala. Top photographer Quentin Bacon captures the glorious food and festive mood of David Rosengarten’s bravura presentations with style and dramatic flair.

For the host who wants all the trappings of a picture-perfect celebration, David Rosengarten Entertains offers contacts within each chapter for mail-order suppliers of the best food and wine, decorations, and much more. You’ll have at your fingertips the resources for every last detail--whether it’s a mouthwatering slab of brisket for your Texas BBQ or a miniature Parthenon for your Greek bacchanal.

So what are you waiting for? Choose a date, invite some guests, and conjure up a fabulous dinner party--with David Rosengarten as your sparkling host, you can’t go wrong.

Author Bio:DAVID ROSENGARTEN, a two-time James Beard Award winner, is a cookbook author, food-and-wine writer, and TV personality. The former host and chef of the Food Network cooking show Taste and coanchor with Donna Hanover of In Food Today, he appears as a regular guest on NBC’s Today show. He has written for the New York Times, Newsday, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and many other publications, and is currently Editor in Chief of The Rosengarten Report, recipient of the 2003 James Beard Award for best food-and-wine newsletter in America. His recent cookbook, It’s All American Food, earned a 2004 James Beard Award. His web site, davidrosengarten.com, features many additional resources, recipes, and tips for food enthusiasts.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

As gourmands well know, food and love are inextricably intertwined; and, says Rosengarten, dinner parties enhance that connection. Such events involve a great deal of work for the host, but Rosengarten has gone to great lengths to think of, and address, every detail of 16 themed f tes representing a variety of cuisines and settings, from "It's Tapas Time" to "Zydeco Thanksgiving." Rosengarten honed his skills during his seven-year stint on Food Network's Taste show, and he has authored several cookbooks, including The Dean and Deluca Cookbook. Here he combines creative yet doable recipes with clever decorating suggestions and tips for entertainment and beverages. For each party, he focuses on "The Ingredient": the one, perfect food that will make the party authentic and, well, fabulous. Rosengarten's knowledge of food esoterica is broad and impressive; a discourse on Spanish ham, for example, is detailed and fascinating. The author's enthusiasm for entertaining is evident in both the specificity and care taken with each party plan, and the exuberant asides that make readers feel like cooking compatriots ("One taste of the old-fashioned antipasto salad... laden with crunchy hearts of iceberg lettuce, and you'll likely say-as I've been known to-`Exactly what is so great about radicchio?' "). Photos. (Oct. 18) Forecast: Wiley is hoping to score holiday sales, supporting the book with a 20-city radio tour and national ads. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal