For Dummies® Gives Hosts the Information They Need to Prepare Memorable Food and Drinks for Guests of All Dietary Needs
A glance at the calendar will show you that the holiday season is fast approaching. Before you know it, you’ll be counting your blessings over a generous serving of turkey and gravy, and soon after that, you’ll be making eggnog toasts and fa-la-la-ing to your heart’s content. However, if you’re slated to host one of those holiday meals, the task in front of you might fill you with more dread than holiday cheer. If that’s the case, you’re not alone. For those of us who don’t answer to the name “Martha Stewart,” figuring out who is coming to the table, what to serve, and how to prepare it can be a daunting task indeed—especially if any of your guests have special dietary needs, such as a gluten allergy.
Not to worry—For Dummies has teamed up with several authors who know their way around the kitchen to make your upcoming chef responsibilities a lot easier.
With Cooking Basics For Dummies®, 4th Edition, Gluten-Free Baking For Dummies®, Wine For Dummies®, 4th Edition, and Whiskey and Spirits For Dummies®, you can prepare a mouth-watering spread (and provide the libations to go with it!) no matter what the preferences and dietary needs of your guests might be.
Whether you’re a cooking novice or simply want to up the culinary ante this year, pick up a copy of one of these titles today. They’ll help you safely navigate everything from appetizers to after-dinner drinks.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find this holiday season on the For Dummies menu:
Cooking Basics For Dummies, 4th Edition can take your cooking from dull to delicious. Written by restaurant and dining feature writer Bryan Miller, food and beverage consultant Marie Rama, and coauthor of The Mediterranean Diet Eve Adamson, this easy-to-understand guide covers cooking from all angles. You’ll learn:
* How to read a recipe
* What staples you should keep in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer
* Tips for saving time in the kitchen (Note to Editor: See attached tipsheet.)
* The basics of grilling, slow cooking, pressure cooking, roasting, and sautéing
* Considerations for vegetarians and others with special diets, and flavorful dishes to serve them
Gluten-Free Baking For Dummies will show you how to prepare wheat-free treats. Authors Jean McFadden Layton and Linda Larsen have pooled their expertise to help you re-create beloved tastes without using wheat flour. The book provides:
* New baking ideas and substitutes for common glutenous ingredients
* Easy recipes and methods for baking more than 150 gluten-free cakes, cookies, and breads
* Tips and advice for shopping and stocking your kitchen
Wine For Dummies, 4th Edition will prompt you to raise your glass throughout the holiday season. With over half a century of professional wine experience between them, husband and wife team Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan have written a full-bodied, yet light…rich, yet crisp…robust, yet refreshing guide to wine. You’ll learn:
* How to sniff and taste wine
* How to store and pour wine, and how to pair it with food
* Red and white wine styles, as well as details about wines from around the world
And that’s not all. If you need a guide on the go, download the Selecting a Wine For Dummies app on your iPhone or iPod touch! You’ll have information ranging from articles on popular wine topics to pronunciation guides at your fingertips. The Food and Wine pairing tool is especially useful to have on hand at the grocery store so that you can choose the perfect complement to your meal. And once you have sampled several vintages, you can even use the app to create a personalized wine list by snapping a photo of the label and entering notes about why you enjoyed it.
Whiskey and Spirits For Dummies is your complete guide to this family of noble beverages. Written by Perry Luntz, who has been the publisher and editor of Beverage Alcohol Market Report for twenty years, this book will top off your knowledge of distilled spirits in time for your holiday guests. It fills you in on how to:
* Shop for the best spirits
* Select the right mixers
* Use spirits in cooking
* Make ten classic cocktails
* Present spirits to guests
The bottom line is, with these For Dummies volumes in your library, you’ll be able to prepare for the holidays with excitement rather than anxiety. And who knows? With the help of For Dummies, you might even make a name for yourself among your friends and family as a host or hostess extraordinaire!
This article is excerpted from the Holiday Gift Guide for 2011 . Be sure and check it out and read other articles about the holidays. It’s also great to add to your online shopping experience! While you are at it check out Big Chef (still time to place your holiday entertaining order) and Grab A World Christmas Holiday CD by Shawn Rae!(click on the images for a larger view of their offers)
