Preface I''ve spent much of my career as a professional caterer, handling everything from celebrity dinner parties to over-the-top weddings to the Academy Awards Governor''s Ball (hey, I do live and work in Los Angeles). But when I''m not working, there''s nothing I enjoy more than entertaining friends and family. My professional experiences developing recipes, creating innovative menus and styling food for print and television have been instructive, to say the least: over the years, I''ve discovered hundreds of ways to make parties delicious, beautiful and memorable -- yet totally doable. The Entertaining Encyclopedia gets back to basics for soirees you can host any time. In this book are all the ideas, menus and recipes you''ll need to invite friends over for a cozy movie night or to host an exotic dinner party featuring the foods of Spain or Greece. The best part? These are impressive menus, but they won''t require excessive time or unusual mail-order ingredients; you can pull off anyone of them this weekend, if you choose. In Part 1, I share the six essential elements of entertaining that will make planning your party easier, ensuring that before the party gets started, you will have thought of everything. In Part 2, you''ll find a collection of essential entertaining recipes, as well as two dozen carefully crafted menus, ranging from casual to elegant, that are perfect for parties of six and are easily multiplied for larger parties.

And in Part 3, you''ll find a handy quick reference guide to entertaining. Turn to it when you want to know more about aperitifs, accommodating vegetarian guests or any of dozens of other entertaining-related issues. This guide encapsulates each topic for you and points back to earlier portions of the book that you are sure to find helpful. Entertaining friends and family is one of the best gifts you can give them; parties are the stuff of memories, far more valuable than anything you can buy. And one of the best gifts you can give yourself is to learn how to enjoy your own parties, which makes them a lot more fun for everyone. With 200 of my carefully tested recipes and hundreds of time-proven party ideas and tips, this book can be your go-to resource guide for entertaining -- and having a great time doing it. - Denise Vivaldo Introduction Do you really need a reason to throw a party? The pleasure of getting together with great friends to enjoy good food and wine is reason enough for most of us, but life is full of fantastic excuses to celebrate, should you need one: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, babies, promotions, homecomings, holidays and more. While we all love going to parties, there''s a lot to love about throwing parties, too -- once you get past the intimidation factor of those dozens of details to consider, such as whether you''re confident enough in your crème brûlée to prepare it for guests, or whether you can really invite your yoga buddies and fashionista friends to the same house at the same time.

In fact, there''s satisfaction to be found in bringing people together for little reasons as well as big ones. At smaller gatherings -- which, after all, make up most of the entertaining that regular folks do in a lifetime -- the conversation is more intimate, and you''re more likely to have a chance to visit with each guest individually. But even with a smaller group, you still have to give plenty of thought to party details. Relax: there are really only six basic elements to entertaining. Take it one step at a time, and you''ll be on your way in no time, no sweat. Whether you''re hosting an elegant dinner party in the seldom-used formal dining room, a big bash in your backyard or a game-day gathering in front of the television, the six elements are exactly the same: 1 Theme 2 Location 3 Decor 4 Guests 5 Food and Beverages 6 Entertainment Any detail of your party planning will fall under one of those elements, so start with some overarching decisions and the smaller details will become a lot more obvious, and a lot easier to nail down. When the party''s in full swing, with your favorite people gathered around, you''ll feel the rewards of all the effort -- and perhaps even the nirvana of entertaining: the realization that you''re enjoying your own party. (Not to mention all those reciprocal invitations that will be crowding your social calendar in the coming months.

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