Tom's Big Dinners: Big-Time Home Cooking for Family and Friends

From Publishers Weekly
Restaurateur Douglas earned a James Beard award with Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen, and now he returns with 13 menus for entertaining, each with recipes stretching from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to desserts and wine suggestions. Although the fare is often West Coast-oriented, as with the Whole Salmon on the Grill Stuffed with Sea Salt, Lemon and Onion, Douglas nods to a variety of ethnic meals: A Chinese Feast, which boasts 12 recipes; Grandpa Louie's Dream Greek Vacation, 11 recipes; and Remembering Labuznik, a festive Czech repast with nine inviting components. The grill comes into play often in such dishes as Vine-Roasted Squab with Syrah Jam, Charred Squid Skewers on Garlic Toast with Arugula, and Lamb Chop T-Bones in Crushed Cherry Marinade with Tarragon Mustard. Desserts are as unusual as Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Lemon Glaze, and Persimmon Pudding with Pear Brandy Hard Sauce and Pear Vanilla Sauce, Sugared Cranberries and Sugared Mint Leaves. As the recipe names suggest, these menus are extremely full-flavored and palate-pleasing. Within reach of most cooks, Douglas's meals do require a fair amount of time, but to mitigate this, make-ahead notes supplement a large number of recipes. Ambitious home cooks looking for new ways to entertain in high culinary style will find an abundance of fresh ideas here. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Todd English
Tom… recognizes and celebrates the truly important traditions about food, family, friends and the comforts of a home cooked meal.

Book Description

Douglas grew up in a big family where his mother and grandmother served big dinners every night of the week. Today, he's one of the country's hottest chefs, known not only for making Pacific Northwest cuisine and wine a centerpiece of American dining but also for hosting sensational big dinner parties at home. With his wife, Jackie Cross, Douglas takes an equally innovative approach to cookbooks, sharing menus and memories in an out-of-this-world collection.

Drawn from special meals with family members, friends, vintners, and fellow restaurant owners, Tom's Big Dinners brings together thirteen of his favorite feasts, with no-nonsense recipes that make it easy to cook like a restaurant chef without ever leaving home.

The menus range in style from the refined Wine Cellar Dinner, with recipes for Goat Cheese Fondue, Vine-Roasted Squab with Syrah Jam, and Chocolate Crêpes, to the relaxing Screen Door Barbecue, featuring Pit-Roasted Pork Spareribs, Down-Home Collard Greens, and Hard Watermelon Lemonade, and the festive Pop Pop's Winter Solstice, starting with Pop Pop's Perfect Martini and Caramelized Fennel Tart, followed by Creamy Seafood Chowder and Parsley Scones.

The Pike Place Market Menu and Puget Sound Crab Feed showcase classic Seattle-style dishes, while Tom's extravagant Chinese Feast incorporates the Asian influence prevalent in Pacific Rim cooking.

In their energetic and warmly inviting book, Tom and Jackie take the hassle out of first-rate entertaining. Suggestions for do-ahead preparation appear in each chapter, along with wine pairings for each course.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Tom Douglas grew up in a big family where his mother and grandmother served big dinners every night of the week. Today, he's one of the country's hottest chefs, known not only for making Pacific Northwest cuisine and wine a centerpiece of American dining but also for hosting sensational big dinner parties at home. With his wife, Jackie Cross, Douglas takes an equally innovative approach to cookbooks, sharing menus and memories in an out-of-this-world collection. Drawn from special meals with family members, friends, vintners, and fellow restaurant owners, Tom's Big Dinners brings together thirteen of his favorite feasts, with no-nonsense recipes that make it easy to cook like a restaurant chef without ever leaving home.

The menus range in style from the refined Wine Cellar Dinner, with recipes for Goat Cheese Fondue, Vine-Roasted Squab with Syrah Jam, and Chocolate Crepes, to the relaxing Screen Door Barbecue, featuring Pit-Roasted Pork Spareribs, Down-Home Collard Greens, and Hard Watermelon Lemonade, and the festive Pop Pop's Winter Solstice, starting with Pop Pop's Perfect Martini and Caramelized Fennel Tart, followed by Creamy Seafood Chowder and Parsley Scones. The Pike Place Market Menu and Puget Sound Crab Feed showcase classic Seattle-style dishes, while Tom's extravagant Chinese Feast incorporates the Asian influence prevalent in Pacific Rim cooking. In their energetic and warmly inviting book, Tom and Jackie take the hassle out of first-rate entertaining. Suggestions for doahead preparation appear in each chapter, along with wine pairings for each course. A celebration in itself, Tom's Big Dinners brings big-time fun, flavor, and flair to your own dinners.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Restaurateur Douglas earned a James Beard award with Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen, and now he returns with 13 menus for entertaining, each with recipes stretching from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to desserts and wine suggestions. Although the fare is often West Coast-oriented, as with the Whole Salmon on the Grill Stuffed with Sea Salt, Lemon and Onion, Douglas nods to a variety of ethnic meals: A Chinese Feast, which boasts 12 recipes; Grandpa Louie's Dream Greek Vacation, 11 recipes; and Remembering Labuznik, a festive Czech repast with nine inviting components. The grill comes into play often in such dishes as Vine-Roasted Squab with Syrah Jam, Charred Squid Skewers on Garlic Toast with Arugula, and Lamb Chop T-Bones in Crushed Cherry Marinade with Tarragon Mustard. Desserts are as unusual as Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Lemon Glaze, and Persimmon Pudding with Pear Brandy Hard Sauce and Pear Vanilla Sauce, Sugared Cranberries and Sugared Mint Leaves. As the recipe names suggest, these menus are extremely full-flavored and palate-pleasing. Within reach of most cooks, Douglas's meals do require a fair amount of time, but to mitigate this, make-ahead notes supplement a large number of recipes. Ambitious home cooks looking for new ways to entertain in high culinary style will find an abundance of fresh ideas here. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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