As February begins, I am forging ahead with my 2017 Foodie Reads Challenge. My copy of Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family by Erin Gleeson* has been on my desk for weeks. And with a few events on the horizon, I decided to dig in.
Don't get me wrong: I love Pinterest for recipe inspiration. But there's something about a beautifully photographed, well-written cookbook to start your menu-planning off on the right foot! So, armed with a pen and a bunch of sticky notes, I began to peruse.
Gleeson tells about how they left New York for a cabin in the woods - not too far from where I live! - and how they love to entertain. "Because of my background in art," she writes, "I aim for recipes that are colorful. This is the mentality that informs my entertaining advice and the kinds of recipes that I share in this book - food that is impressive enough for a party but easy enough to whip together after a long day of work." Okay, she's my hero. Heroine? Whatever. I adore her...and this book!
She has feasts for every season, an Iced Tea Party, a Cocktail Party, a Picnic, and more. So much more. I am definitely planning on hosting a Rice Noodle Bar one of these days. Her Kumquat Gimlet Punch is going to be in my glass sooner rather than later. And I know that my garbanzo-sensitive Kitchen Elf will be thrilled with Gleeson's Butternut Hummus; we'll swap out the garbanzos for cannellini or another kind of bean.
I will keep you posted on how these recipes go, but on the page, they are drool-worthy.
*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.
Sounds like my kind of cookbook. Love when they include seasonal menus.
ReplyDeleteI need to make that butternut hummus - I've got half a butternut squash waiting for something. Sounds like a useful book.
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