Easy Entertaining: Over 250 Stress-Free Recipes and Sensational Stylling Ideas

by Darina Allen

This is a comprehensive and invaluable guide to making entertaining at home stress-free. With over 200 foolproof recipes, covering all kinds of events, and with preparation and cooking times, as well as tips and techniques on choosing wine, styling the table and short-cuts, this is the ultimate cookbook to ease you through every occasion.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Darina Allen established Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983 with her brother Rory O'Connell. Author of over 10 books and presenter on 6 Television series, her main passion and her daily task is to impart her knowledge to the students at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Darina Allen is Ireland’s best known cook and a best-selling author who presented nine series of her cookery programme, *Simply Delicious*, on television in Ireland. She is a passionate and committed teacher, and her awards have included:

Good Food Ireland’s Cookery School of the Year 2012/2013
José Navarro Foundation Award at the Green Awards 2011
IACP Cooking Teacher of theYear 2005.
A tireless ambassador for Irish food both at home and abroad, Darina has been instrumental in setting up the Farmers’ Market Movement in Ireland. Slow Food is a passion for her, and she is the councillor for Ireland in the Slow Food Movement and President of East Cork Convivium of Slow Food. Through the East Cork Educational Fund, she runs a programme for local primary schools to help local children learn about food from garden to plate.

In 2013 she helped launch the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine which plays host to a stellar line up of chefs and writers and has very quickly become an unmissable event on the international culinary calendar.

Dubbed "The Julia Child of Ireland" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Darina has written a number of best-selling, award-winning books including: 30 Years at Ballymaloe (Winner Cookbook of the year for the Irish Book Awards 2013) | Forgotten Skills, winner of the André Simon Food Book of the Year and Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year Award in 2010 | Easy Entertaining, winner of the 2006 Chefs and Restaurants Award from the IACP | Irish Traditional Cooking | Ballymaloe Cookery Course | A Year at Ballymaloe | Healthy Gluten-freeEating* (with Rosemary Kearney) | the Simply Delicious series of books to accompany her TV series of the same name.

She holds many positions in leading food organisations including:
Member of Taste Council of Irish Food Board
Chair of Artisan Food Forum of FoodSafety Authority of Ireland
Trustee of Irish Organic Centre
Patron ofIrish Seedsavers
Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs
Guild of Foodwriters in UK and Ireland
IACP (International Association ofCulinary Professionals).

Reviews

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book by accident. It's second hand. This summer I can't get enough of it. It is medium sized, not a big book. Every recipe I turn to works out perfectly. Some I have now done several times for friends and family who then go on to ask me to share the recipe. What I like most is the simplicity and guidance along with the short ingredient lists. A pre-requisite for me. I tend to glaze over and pass on books with huge lists.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid recipes, though many weren't that easy. Some of the information (like the chapter on 'Foraging') just don't apply.

She has some creative ideas for parties, and I liked how she included 'Slow Food' because I think that's something that a lot of people forget about when party planning. The deserts are delectable.

She really hits you over the head with the organic produce thing, which gets tiresome after a while (most people using this book would be foodies - it's not exactly a great good book for novices). It's kind of like Ireland's answer to Martha Stewart's 'Entertaining'.

[Asha Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved that this was not just a recipe book but also a book filled with tips on table decorations, ideas on type of food to serve and how to keep your guests entertained and even how to get rid of them if they decide to stay longer than expected ;o)

Some of the recipes are definitely a keeper, while others I thought was not something I would every make in my kitchen.

With such a vast amount of experience under her belt, this is a must read for hostess wannabes.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful food photography, and the photos of the "picnic on the coast of Ireland" have me so envious today. It did look cool and breezy, and the food looks great.