Instant Entertaining

by Donna Hay, Con Poulos (Photographer)

Entertaining doesn't have to be stressful. It should be fun and fuss-free. Which is why Donna Hay has put together this collection of simple menus for truly instant entertaining. So no matter what the occasion, entertaining has just become a whole lot easier. One of today's most influential food writers tells you all you need to know about entertaining. Following the worldwide success of her last book, The Instant Cook , Donna Hay brings you fresh, easy-to-follow recipes and clever styling ideas for entertaining family and friends. From an impromptu weeknight dinner for two to a celebration for twelve, Instant Entertaining is everything you need to make your occasion an instant success. It is beautifully photographed in the style for which Donna has become known worldwide. Donna Hay has become an inspiration to American cooks. Her recipes are renowned for their fresh modern flavors, stylish presentation, ease of preparation and readily available ingredients. Her style has become a benchmark for contemporary recipes and cookbooks. She has garnered a passionate global following for her approach to food, giving home cooks the confidence to cook with instinct and style.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Donna Hay is an Australian food stylist, author, and magazine editor. Her food, recipes and styling focuses on basic ingredients, simply prepared and beautifully photographed – hallmarks of her work which have set the benchmark for food publishing worldwide and inspired a whole new generation of cooks.

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, the photos are goregous. But I was a little disappointed with this one (which I bought right after it was published, and paid the full $35 - sigh); there just aren't any spectacular new tricks that I've come to expect of Hay. Don't get me wrong -- the food is very, very good, and the pre-set menus make planning an Event quite simple. And I must admit, there are some very pretty ideas in the "entertaining" (rather than the actual cooking) side of things. Now, if only I could figure out how to use place cards without making my guests feel funny.

[Pamela Frager]

Well thought out, beautiful dishes, gorgeous "style" ideas - can't imagine you would go wrong serving any of the wonderful foods she's presented. Wish all my dinner parties had food that looked this good!

[Tara Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many intriguing ideas and recipes in this. I kept it for 2 months and looked through it many times, but never got around to making something - or I'd rank it higher probably. I did copy some pages for my to-make list though. I liked that recipes were arranged into themed menus.

[LaLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typically I adore Donna Hay. But I have to admit that when we baked the roasted pear bruschetta, we felt in real life it fell far short of the photo. Ah the sadness when real food can't stand up to the picture.
I think the recipe for zucchini breadcrumb we baked last night redeems it though.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mum brought me this back from Australia and it's certainly a wonderful book for looking at and considering cooking (and eating). Yum! I'll cook something from it soon :)

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The food photography in all the Donna Hay cookbooks and magazines is sublime.

[Aletha Annema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooie foto's, inspiratie voor de presentatie op de eettafel en fijne recepten. Een aanrader wat mij betreft (ik wil al haar kookboeken ;).