The Hostess Handbook: A Modern Guide to Entertaining with 100 Recipes for Every Occasion

Zizka (Cook Color) serves up an exciting array of recipes and party-planning tips in this inspiring guide to hosting. The meals draw from a variety of cuisines, and many have components that can be prepared ahead of time: both the pork-cabbage filling and the dough for the tie-dye dumplings can be made up to three days in advance, as can the risotto for the saffron arancini. Quicker crowd-pleasing fare includes fish kebabs, salt-and-vinegar potato peel chips with chive dip, and the Lebanese-influenced frittata with labne sauce. To round out any event, Zizka includes enticing dessert options such as ube amaretti cookies and drinks of both the boozy (sour cherry-tinis) and nonalcoholic (mock tiki punch) varieties. She also provides a dozen party menus to help readers plan for various occasions, ranging from holiday dinners and after-parties to Galentine’s Day brunch and springtime luncheons. Throughout, Zizka shares plenty of tips, noting, for example, that serving drinks to guests as soon as they arrive is a great way to break the ice. This go-to volume is sure to help readers prepare memorable and tasty festivities. Agent: Katherine Cowles, Cowles Agency. (June)