Mozza at Home: More Than 150 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Relaxed, Family-Style Entertaining

When entertaining friends and family at home, buffets are simple yet sophisticated, and Silverton (The Mozza Cookbook), founder of L.A.’s Mozza restaurants and La Brea Bakery, invites cooks into her home kitchen for creating stress-free, stylish spreads. In 19 menus for every occasion plus a dessert chapter, Silverton offers dishes inspired by rustic seasonal fare that shapes her tavola when she’s in Umbria, Italy. But the menus are not strictly Italian; there are Latin, Indian, and Middle Eastern influences. Dishes are sturdy enough to “hold up” on a buffet table: grilled lamb chops in minted yogurt sauce with farro salad and roasted eggplant; oven-roasted grapes on the vine drizzled with honey and served with ricotta. Secrets of the ultimate hamburger include a mustard crust, caramelized onions, and multiple sauce options. With mix-and-match flexibility, this meal-planning guide helps hosts “optimize the guests’ experience.” Silverton shares tips on buffet presentation, division of labor, and the importance of colorful plating for a harmonious, casual dining experience that brings “immense pleasure from cooking a meal and serving it to family and friends.” [em](Oct.) [/em]