Hors d'oeurves & desserts for standing ovations. Darling's assemblage of hors d'oeuvres includes not only one meant for entertaining, but also plenty breads, soups, vegetables (often substanitial enough to be main courses by themselves.)

Let’s face it: roast beef and potatoes are all well and good, but for many of us, when it comes to gustatory delight, we’re all about dessert. Whether it’s a homemade strawberry shortcake in summer or a chef’s complex medley of sweets, dessert is the perfect finale to a meal. Most of us have a favorite, even those who seldom indulge. After all, sweet is one of the basic flavors—and one we seem hardwired to love. Yet, as Jeri Quinzio reveals, while everyone has a taste for sweetness, not every culture enjoys a dessert course at the end of the meal. And desserts as we know them—the light sponge cakes of The Great British Baking Show, the ice creams, the steamed plum puddings—are neither as old nor as ubiquitous as many of us believe. Tracing the history of desserts and the way they, and the course itself, have evolved over time, Quinzio begins before dessert was a separate course—when sweets and savories were mixed on the table—and concludes in the present, when homey desserts are enjoying a revival, and as molecular gastronomists are creating desserts an alchemist would envy. An indulgent, mouth-wateringly illustrated read featuring recipes; texts from chefs, writers, and diarists; and extracts (not the vanilla or almond variety) from cookbooks, menus, newspapers, and magazines, Dessert is a delectable happy ending for anyone with a curious mind—and an incorrigible sweet tooth.

The New York Times–bestselling author of The Forest Feast returns with a gorgeously illustrated volume of 100 new vegetarian recipes for entertaining. When food photographer Erin Gleeson left New York City to live in a cabin in the woods of northern California, she embarked on a culinary adventure of vegetable-centric, seasonal cooking. In The Forest Feast Gatherings, she shares simple, healthy recipes that are easy enough to prepare after a long day at work, yet impressive enough for a party. Along with her visually stunning photography and watercolors, Erin handwrites each recipe to create diagram-like, step-by-step instructions that are vibrant, unique, and east to cook from. She also offers guidance on hosting casual yet thoughtful get-togethers from start to finish. The book offers 100 new, innovative vegetarian recipes that serve 60 to 8, along with some fan favorites from the blog, arranged in a series of artfully designed menus that are tailored around specific occasions—whether a summer dinner party, a laid-back brunch, a vegan and gluten-free gathering, or holiday cocktails.

Adultery, it is often assumed, was not a major concern of English culture during the Victorian age, and the apparent absence of adultery—indeed, of all explicit representations of sexuality—in turn made censorship for obscene libel unnecessary. Very few writers, conventional wisdom has it, were bold enough to defy the powerful implicit constraints imposed upon literary production. If we find no English Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary, Barbara Leckie nevertheless demonstrates that adultery preoccupied English culture during this period. After the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 was passed, adultery was prominently discussed in the Divorce Court. Transcriptions of divorce trials were an immensely popular front-page feature of almost all daily newspapers for more than fifty years. At the same time as narratives of adultery stood at the center of sensation novels such as Mary Elizabeth Bradden's The Doctor's Wife, literary reviews and cultural debates strongly encouraged serious novelists to avoid the topic. In Culture and Adultery, Leckie mines novels, newspapers, court and Parliamentary records to explore several related sets of issues. How, first, did adultery become "visible" in the public sphere in the second half of the nineteenth century? Why, conversely, has the discursive history of adultery been deemphasized in the English critical tradition? And how is the history of the Victorian and early twentieth-century English novel revised when the culture's concern with adultery and censorship are reintroduced?

Instead of just simply listing the dozens of recipes, pastry chef Mushet explores the intricacies of creating desserts--from flavor combinations to textural contrast--to evoke the distinct tastes of the Mediterranean. The origin of each recipe is elaborated in user-friendly headnotes and sidebars. Includes a resource guide for locating ingredients and supplies. Line drawings throughout.

When it comes to food and nutrition, it's understandable to be confused right now. What's healthier; vegan, Paleo, gluten-free or raw? Are you stumped about what to feed your family? THE TRULY HEALTHY FAMILY COOKBOOK has the answers. It's full of delicious recipes based on modern nutrition science. It takes a flexitarian approach that includes the best parts of the current health movements. Armed with this book, you'll have the power to take charge of your family's health with smart, balanced and varied eating. Registered dietitian, best-selling author and nutrition expert, Tina Ruggiero offers up her best 120 mega-nutritious recipes you won't find elsewhere that focus on what works when it comes to good-for-you cuisine: tasty, fresh, real food ingredients, simple preparation and proven nutrition. Scrumptious recipes include Homemade Date and Almond Muffins; Orange-Infused Couscous with Fresh Cherries; Curried Veggie Pancakes; Crustless Mini-Quiche with Goat Cheese and Beet Greens; Thai Salmon Sliders; Stuffed Chicken with Herbed Ricotta and Kale; Fruited Yogurt Brulee and Chocolate Chip Angel Food with Ganache. THE TRULY HEALTHY FAMILY COOKBOOK is about real food with big benefits, and it's relevant no matter how large or small your family. This is the only cookbook you'll need! Mom's Choice Award Gold Medal recipient.

The 50 platters in Dessert Boards are beautiful, scrumptious, and easy-to-make—perfect for cozy nights with the family, for holiday gatherings, and for any other occasion large or small.