Product Description

As Abigail Kirsch knows after catering thousands of weddings, being a newlywed is all about beginning new traditions. One of the most pleasurable of those traditions is entertaining at home. But couples just starting to invite friends, family, and business colleagues for casual or more formal meals need some help in the kitchen, and Abigail Kirsch is here to offer her expert guidance.

In The Bride and Groom’s First Cookbook, Abigail Kirsch introduced young couples to the delights of learning to cook side by side. Now, in her new book, she provides neophyte cooking couples with complete game plans for dinner parties, lunches, or brunches throughout the year. The menus, arranged seasonally, feature plenty of "Do-Ahead" suggestions, recipes that are easy and fun to prepare, and basic wine recommendations.

From a summer Pulled-Pork Barbecue to a fall Hearty Short Rib Dinner to an Apres Ski Pasta Supper for winter to a spring Baked Ham brunch, there is something here for every time of year and occasion. Even a first Thanksgiving can be nearly carefree when quick-cooking game hens are the more flavorful stand-in for turkey. For each season, too, there is a vegetarian menu. And separate chapters covering hors d’oeuvres and desserts make it simple to plan a cocktail or dessert party.

Veteran party-giver Abigail Kirsch also shares her know-how when it comes to decorating a table and serving food stylishly. With Abigail Kirsch’s confidence-boosting advice, new couples will find at-home entertaining foolproof and enjoyable.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1573539 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-02
• Released on: 2002-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Caterer Abigail Kirsch (The Bride & Groom's First Cookbook) brings slightly more experienced newlyweds another bright, cheerful volume in The Bride & Groom's Menu Cookbook. While Kirsch's first book focused on helping a new couple adapt to cooking together, her second aims to assist couples who know their way around the kitchen (and each other) entertain friends and colleagues and create new family traditions. Recipes employ easy-to-find ingredients and are organized by season and into menu suggestions. Kirsch, with the help of freelance writer Susan M. Greenberg, even includes in some of her menus "Serious Leftovers" recipes, so a couple that wants to prepare the Apricot-Mustard Glazed Smoked Ham for their new neighbors on Saturday can expect to enjoy the Ham and Barley Soup in front of their TV on a quiet Sunday.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Kirsch is the owner of a well-known catering business based in Westchester County, NY, and the author of the best-selling Bride & Groom's First Cookbook. Here she offers 20 seasonal menus (one each featuring fish, poultry, meat, pasta, or vegetables per season), with separate chapters devoted to hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Each menu includes four dishes in addition to an hors d'oeuvre and a dessert. Like the recipes in her earlier book, these are often complicated and time-consuming and present the upscale and sophisticated food for which Kirsch's firm is famous. However, ambitious cooks eager to entertain (and to use their new wedding china and pots and pans) will no doubt find the book appealing, and there is likely to be some demand.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

As Abigail Kirsch knows after catering thousands of weddings, being a newlywed is all about beginning new traditions. One of the most pleasurable of those traditions is entertaining at home. But couples just starting to invite friends, family, and business colleagues for casual or more formal meals need some help in the kitchen, and Abigail Kirsch is here to offer her expert guidance.

In The Bride and Groom's First Cookbook, Abigail Kirsch introduced young couples to the delights of learning to cook side by side. Now, in her new book, she provides neophyte cooking couples with complete game plans for dinner parties, lunches, or brunches throughout the year. The menus, arranged seasonally, feature plenty of "Do-Ahead" suggestions, recipes that are easy and fun to prepare, and basic wine recommendations.

From a summer Pulled-Pork Barbecue to a fall Hearty Short Rib Dinner to an Apres Ski Pasta Supper for winter to a spring Baked Ham brunch, there is something here for every time of year and occasion. Even a first Thanksgiving can be nearly carefree when quick-cooking game hens are the more flavorful stand-in for turkey. For each season, too, there is a vegetarian menu. And separate chapters covering hors d'oeuvres and desserts make it simple to plan a cocktail or dessert party.

Veteran party-giver Abigail Kirsch also shares her know-how when it comes to decorating a table and serving food stylishly. With Abigail Kirsch's confidence-boosting advice, new couples will find at-home entertaining foolproof and enjoyable.

Customer Reviews

A good idea with poor execution
Having been a newlywed at one time, and having experienced many a bad meal, my wife and I have purchased more than enough cookbooks to fill a small library in an effort to improve our skills. We have made significant progress in the last seven years, unfortunately not to the credit of this book. The recipes are really not geared to an everyday lifestyle, nor are they very appetizing.

A wonderful beginning to any neophyte cookbook collection
In The Bride & Groom's Menu Cookbook, Abigail Kirsch, with the assistance of Susan Greenberg, presents a highly recommended collection of seasonally oriented, easy-to-prepare menus specifically designed to help couples to successfully cook and entertain together. From Golden Rice with Chiles; Saffron Risotto with Shrimp and Wild Mushrooms; and Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce; to Lemon-Scented Chickpea and Zucchini Salad; Lamb Braised with Cumin, Yogurt, and Garlic; and Banana Strawberry Rum Smoothie, The Bride & Groom's Menu Cookbook is a wonderful beginning to any neophyte cookbook collection for young couples.