I was recently sent this book by Babe Scott to review, entitled The Lazy Hostess, how to entertain and feed your freeloading friends without breaking the bank and barely lifting a finger. Colour me intrigued. I have never made any secret of the fact that I can be rather lazy when it comes to cooking at times. If I can find an easier way to do something which is just as tasty as the hard work way, I'm on it!
Babe Scott is an Australian lass that now lives in New York City. She has had a very successful career as a magazine publisher, but is now enjoying adventures as a Bon Vivant in the Big Apple. The Lazy Hostess is her second book.
Divided into 8 Chapters (after quite an engaging introduction) this is a book designed to make entertaining fun for both the hostess and the guests, with recipes for delicious cocktails and dishes created from easy to find and inexpensive ingredients. (She refers to the main cocktail food groups as cheesy, doughy, meaty and bacony!) Works for me!
There are engaging chapters on how to be a happy and stress free hostess, planning the perfect party, how to dress, cocktail recipes and tasty and easy Hor's D'ouevres.
Interspered throughout are brilliant illustrations by Chuck Gonzales. I found most of them to be quite tongue in the cheek humorous! Great fun!
How can you not like that! It's a pin up girl for the 21st century!
But it's not all cutesy illustrations and humor. There are also some very sound recipes for cocktails with such enticing names as Blue Velvet, The Redhead, Sugar Baby, and The Blonde Bombshell to name but a few. There is also a huge variety of naughty nibbles including flavoured popcorns, cheese balls, logs and puffs, crusty crostini, pigs in blankets etc. but with posher names! (Something called a Hot Jalapeno Handbag is a sure fire conversation starter!)
The recipes are well laid out, with handy tips for each one to help and make your party the best one ever. Nobody has fun with a frazzled hostess!
There are also great tips for getting the tardier guests to leave at a decent hour. There are music play lists, wardrobe helps and hints, tasty invites etc. There is even advice on how to get your guests to help you clean up afterwards. In short this book has information for just about everything you will need to become a cocktail party heroine!
The only drawback I could find, and it's a nit-picky one . . . no food photos. I do love to see pictures of food, but other than that this book would make the perfect gift for that person in your life who loves to entertain! Whilst I don't drink alcohol, I can see myself making up quite a few of those delectable sounding Hors D'oeuvres over this coming holiday season!
THE LAZY HOSTESS
by Babe Scott
Published by Bantam Press
ISBN 978-0-593-07264-6
242 pages, color illustrations
Price £12.99
Available from October 10th 2013
Do hop on over to take a gander at Babe's Web Page, http://www.babescott.com/
TWITTER: @thelazyhostess
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lazyhostess
YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/thelazyhostess
Many thanks to Pete for sending me this review copy!
