Cookbook: Seriously Simple Holidays

the appetizer:

Prepare for the winter party season with Seriously Simple Holidays by Diane Rossen Worthington, featuring recipes like Winter Chopped Salad; Roast Duck Legs with Caramelized Shallots and Garlic; and Savory Bread Pudding with Bacon, Peppers, and Spinach.

Seriously Simple Holidays

by Diane Rossen Worthington

Click to buy Seriously Simple Holidays

Every September, magazines and newspapers flood us with gorgeous fantasy images of a bountiful holiday season complete with beautifully set tables laden with time-consuming roasts, turkeys, many side dishes and lavishly rich desserts.

And while many of us throw ourselves into a frenzy of exhausting holiday preparations, just as many will view the season as an exhausting marathon to be endured. It doesn't have to be, says Diane Rossen Worthington, a two-time James Beard Award-winning food broadcaster, cookbook author and syndicated columnist. In her new book, Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season, Worthington provides all the game-plans, the organization, the equipment, the menus, the wine suggestions, the smart shortcuts, and a wide-ranging number of recipes that focus big and bold flavors, while reducing prep time, streamlining cooking techniques and ensuring the high quality of the finished dishes.

Let Diane Worthington show you how to:

Stock the holiday pantry so everything is available when you need it.
Gather high quality prepared ingredients that can enhance the flavors of meals and save valuable time.
Make sure you have essential holiday cooking equipment from turkey basters and roasting pans to gravy separators and springform pans.
Plan and execute a fabulous and impressive Thanksgiving feast (with three different kinds of turkey) with all the trimmings and none of the stress that can make this holiday a marathon.
Organize and stock a home bar from napkins and lemon wedges to beverages and ice to keep things cold.
Select your holiday entertaining style: buffet, sit-down, family-style, or potluck.
Revive the seriously simple art of homemade food gifts that are as easy to do as they are appealing to receive.
Decide on menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, cocktail parties, or casual last-minute get-togethers.
Choose wines to accompany the meal or pair with cheese.
Prepare fabulous dishes that will allow you to enjoy your party instead of being chained to the kitchen.

About the Author

Diane Rossen Worthington is a food writer, consultant, and James Beard Award-winning broadcaster who trained at the London Cordon Bleu. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including Seriously Simple, The Taste of the Season, The New California Cook, The Taste of Summer, American Bistro, and The Cuisine of California. Diane Worthington and her husband and daughter live in Southern California.