To the Good Life!: Entertaining with Annemarie

As personal chef to Jacqueline Onassis and Broadway mogul Billy Rose--and, later, as executive chef of Gourmet magazine and proprietor of her own catering business--Huste ( Cooking with Annemarie ) calls herself ``fortunate to learn from the very best and to cook for kings and queens, presidents and chairmen of the board from all around the world.'' In this exuberantly colorful volume, with plated and garnished food crisply photographed by food specialist Margerin, Huste and collaborator Negley share considerable knowledge of the art of entertainment, showering the reader with anecdotes, practical suggestions for party-giving and a formidable stock of recipes amassed over the years. As Huste plainly puts it, ``The foundation of entertainment is good food, well prepared.'' The recipes are, for the most part, refreshingly lucid, and include such specialties as roasted eggplant soup, chicken with thyme, chocolate Normandy, fillet of beef with Cornichon sauce, and caramel-glazed apple tart. A section on menus includes a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner and a formal Christmas feast; also furnished are notions for floral arrangements. (Dec.)