Product Description

First book by the popular Food Network personalities and winners of The Next Food Network Star competition
Everyone loves a party; now hosting can be as fun as attending
More than 100 great party-proven recipes—from signature cocktails to upscale comfort food—that are easy to make at home

The stars of Food Network’s popular Party Line with the Hearty Boys bring their signature style of casual entertaining to their first book. These Hearty Boys don’t solve literary mysteries, but they sure are great at demystifying party-throwing. Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh are two guys who never attended culinary school yet built one of Chicago’s most popular catering businesses. In Talk with Your Mouth Full, the couple’s self-deprecating, natural approach to cooking, which has made them such a hit on the Food Network, comes through on every page. Packed with exciting but accessible recipes, clever how-to tips, and a gaggle of tales from the catering trenches, this is truly an entertaining entertainment cookbook.

Featured recipes include hors d’oeuvres, starters, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and libations. Nibble on Gorgonzola, Fig, and Pecan Cheese Terrine or pass Seared Ahi on Wonton Crisps. Or sit down to enjoy Balsamic Mushroom Chicken and Oven-roasted Root Veggies, and finish the meal with Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes. Talk with Your Mouth Full offers help on everything from chilling wine to decorating a buffet table, as well as complete menus and planning advice. It’s the ultimate guide to enjoying food and company.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #186752 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Hosts of the Food Network show "Party Line with The Hearty Boys," Smith and McDonagh artfully update the familiar in this collection of party-ready recipes. The duo offer traditional recipes such as Chicken Pot Pie and Crawfish Étouffée, but the majority of dishes are delightful updates: Deviled Eggs are garnished with lumpfish caviar, roasted potatoes get a burst of flavor from lemon and Old Bay seasoning and saffron gives an unexpected twist to risotto cakes. The veteran caterers also instruct hosts on the number of glasses to have on hand, the proper method for opening champagne, the best times for scheduling parties and how to chill wine in a hurry. A bountiful list of unusual cocktails range from oft-forgotten classics like the gin-based Pegu Club to an updated Cosmopolitan that employs peach vodka, rosemary syrup, white cranberry and lemon juice; their crown jewel, however, may be an easy but impressive Almond Punch, which features a frozen ring of almonds that floats in the punch bowl. Crowd-pleasing desserts include the ingenious, sophisticated and relatively simple White Chocolate Risotto with Orange Ganache, studded with tart red cherries and garnished with white chocolate shavings. Rounded out with an alcohol buying guide and sample menus-complete with timelines-would-be entertainers will treasure this one-stop party resource.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
DAN SMITH and STEVE McDONAGH, aka The Hearty Boys, have thrown parties for everyone from Hillary Clinton to Northwestern University. Their television series, Party Line with the Hearty Boys, began after they won The Next Food Network Star. They have appeared on CBS’ The Early Show, and in Life, The New Yorker, the New York Times, and other publications. They live in Chicago, where they recently opened their first restaurant, HB: A Hearty Boys Spot.

LAURIE PROFFITT has specialized in food photography for 20 years. Her work has appeared in many food, lifestyle, and fashion magazines, as well as numerous cookbooks and advertisements. She makes her home in Chicago.

Customer Reviews

Talk with your Mouth FUll
This cookbook is filled with great recipes. The authors' personal comments also make it an interesting and fun read with their anecdotes about family members and catering experiences. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to cook and entertain.

Hearty Boys Cater to Sophisticated Laddies (and Ladies)
Chicago's Hearty Boys broke through as the first gay couple to have their own TV show,as well as win Food Network's "Next Food Network Star." They brought their catering skills to a national venue,showcasing their "retro with an edge" style. They have a sense of camp like the Puppini Sisters,and a sense of taste&class like Pink Martini.

"Talk with your mouth full" is hardly everyday food,let alone 30 minute meals. Dan Smith and his business- and life- partner Steve McDonagh bring fancy meals to the table. They have sophisticated appetizers like chilled beets and asparagus with nasturtiums, caviar deviled eggs, and truffled mashed potatoes. Forget quiche. They have goat cheese and red pepper torte. One of their simpler recipes is pearl barley tabbouleh,they give Chef Boyardee a run for his money with their leek and cremini ravioli with red and yellow tomato concasse. They have a fancy shellfish polenta,along with salmon Wellington and seared ahi on wonton crisps. There's a sense of class and delicacy with the presentation; everything looks too good to eat. They give wine&cocktail pairings,as well as timelines. This is cooking for crowds,not everyday. It's cooking to impress. If these two men are "unduly feminine",they're doing a good job at it and should stick with it!

One Catholic priest claimed that homosexuality leads to art collecting&eating sweets. He should've stopped with his condemnation if he saw the creative desserts the Hearty Boys cook up. They have Almond Punch (for marzipan fans). There are chocolate cream cheese cupcakes,pretty normal,along with more avant garde desserts like chocolate risotto with orange ganache and rosewater cupcakes with grenadine frosting and sugared rose petals.

The entire cookbook is artistic. Delicious! The Hearty Boys have a delightful rainbow of dishes. Bon appetit!

This is a fun cookbook
This is a fun cookbook, it's colorful, easy to read and uncomplicated. This would make a great gift for new (and old) brides.