I have no idea how my mother came across this Kansas City Junior League cookbook, but it was such a favorite of mine growing up that she had to give me my own copy when I moved away.
The recipes are elegant but not overly complicated and some of my meal staples came from here. Highly recommended are the Swiss Braided Bread and the Green Beans with Pears.
As opposed to allowing every Junior Leaguer to put in their versions of really basic recipes that are found in most cookbooks, most of these are unique-- or at least unique twists on common recipes. This cookbook would make a great gift for that reason.