Longtime recipe tester Denise Landis--who has tested Nigella Lawson's books and more than a decade's worth of recipes at The New York Times--is an accomplished and experienced home entertainer. Landis knows what makes a good dinner party and how to compose a menu that will impress guests while leaving the cook free to enjoy her own party.
Featuring forty complete menus-appetizer, first course, main course, accompaniment and dessert--Dinner for Eight is organized by season, encourages mixing and matching, and guides any cook through a dinner party timeline of advance preparation and last-minute finishes.

A sample of the menus:

For Fall: Hummus with Toasted Pita Triangles/Eggplant with Chopped Tomato Vinaigrette and Spiced Chevre/Bourbon-Marinated Roast Pork/Savory Mashed Potatoes/Florida Apple Pie

For Winter: Parmesan Cheese Crisps/Salmon Tartare/Roasted Rabbit with Polenta/Wild Mushroom Saute/Pears in Red Wine

For Spring: Walnut Spread/Moules Mariniere/Lamp Chops with Mint Butter/Salt-Crusted New Potatoes/Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote

 

For Summer: Deviled Eggs with Avocado/Gazpacho/Seafood and Chicken and Sausage Paella/Rouille/Peppermint Ice Cream

Denise Landis—longtime recipe tester for The New York Times and for a variety of cookbooks and chefs—knows what makes a good dinner party.  It’s more than just the food. It’s a relaxed host or hostess, a well-composed menu, the progression of the evening from a drink and a welcoming bite on arrival all the way through to the memorable finish of dessert.
 
DINNER FOR EIGHT collects four seasons of delightful dinner party recipes for every occasion.  It’s a broad and accomplished book that includes the best of simple foods (from the deviled eggs of summer to the Florida apple pie of fall), ethnic favorites that are perfect for entertaining (from Asian bean sprout salad to Moroccan lamb stew), and elegant evening offerings (from smoked trout pate to pears in red wine).  Each of the forty complete menus features an appetizer, first course, main course, accompaniment and dessert, as well as a selection of suggested wine or beverage pairings.
 
DINNER FOR EIGHT is the perfect primer for any newly minted home cook who wants to begin inviting friends over, but it’s also rich with fresh ideas for any seasoned chef. Landis guides readers through a dinner party timeline of advance preparation and last-minute finishes to ensure a fabulous, flawless dinner party. 
 
Landis is the cooks’ cook.  She’s also an accomplished home entertainer who has tested the recipes you’re about to enjoy not just in her test kitchen but around her own warm and welcoming dinner table as well. 

“Denise Landis knows what makes a recipe work every time.”—Nigella Lawson
 
“Denise Landis understands the true meaning of the quality of life.”—Mollie Katzen