The Hostess Handbook

From the author of The Newlywed Table, this helpful handbook offers readers 100 easy entertaining recipes, party planning advice, and curated menus to pull off the most delicious and delightful of gatherings, from an epic holiday bash to a casual get-together in the backyard, or an inspired dinner party.

Ready to throw a dinner party? It’s easier than you think. With 100 crowd-pleasing recipes and expert tips and tricks, The Hostess Handbook shows how to create an event that’s warm, joyous, and imbued with the special glowy feeling of a celebration that we never want to end.

Everything you need to know is here. How to plan a fantastic menu with foolproof recipes for finger foods, make-ahead mains (because you don’t want to be in the kitchen when your guests arrive), and festive desserts. How to get your home party-ready, whether hosting two people or twenty, with primers on setting the table, the art of serving, and flower arranging. And drinks, of course—including recipes for both classic cocktails and delicious nonalcoholic libations. Cheers!

• “This comprehensive and unpretentious guide is packed with elegant, approachable recipes plus tips and strategies to lessen the burden of hosting. It promises all the pleasures of good hospitality with less stress so you can be present from the first sip of wine to the last bite of dessert.”
   

  Claire Saffitz, author of Dessert Person and What’s for Dessert

• “The Hostess Handbook showcases Maria’s knack of pulling the whole show together with her beautiful recipes—plus drinks, playlists, and a checklist for hosting—and her trademark ease and joy.”
   

  —Elisabeth Prueitt, author and cofounder of Tartine Bakery