Entertaining Paperback – Large Print, October 27, 1998

The book itself was wonderful. Martha creats superb dishes in great detail and tells exactly how to organize your gathering from start to finush. The seller, however, had it marked as new but left the $2.99 Goodwill price tag on the cover. Very frustrating considering I paid $62.00 for the book. Just know that if it is marked as new, it likely isnt.

This book was published over 20 years ago. It is the foundation of Martha Stewart's reputation, the starting point of her magazine, TV shows, and Kmart product line. The book is worthy of that reputation, as I am hard pressed to think of how any book could do a better job at its chosen task.I chose to review this old, now classic volume because I recently reviewed two new books on entertaining menus and I felt I could not do the subject justice without consulting the established authority on the subject. I also felt compelled to visit this book because in spite of Martha's well-publicized problems, I have believed she is very good at what she does. Her success is not built on hype, marketing, or fluff. This book demonstrates that fact.As pointed out by a recent biographer, Christopher Byron, in the book `Martha, Inc.', Stewart has largely invented her persona of talented amateur who happens to be very good at classic `homemaking' tasks. This `handmade' aspect of her character comes through in all her works, and it is not seen as phoniness or pretend knowledge. I believe it is seen as an attitude of `Look, even I, an untrained (fill in what you will) can do this. You can too.' In fact, on one of her TV shows, Martha says her job is really `learning fast' from experts. She constantly praises and quotes from genuine experts such as Julia Child without assuming any credit for having the smarts to have borrowed from such a well-recognized source. In decorating, a constant theme is doing clever things with inexpensive materials to achieve a `Wow' effect. Many of her recommendations can lead one to a fairly hefty price tag, but then, you are foolish if you plan a party for 12 or 24 or 48 or 100 and wish to have it come off well, and not expect a pretty sizable cost. Stewart's first priority is for you to succeed. And, for her, success, is that you please your guests and have fun yourself. She succeeds in providing ample materials for doing that. Her second priority is to be smart in finding economical solutions, such as in hiring help for both wait staff and musical entertainment.The talented amateur persona is entirely genuine. The best thing about her Food Network show is not what she does, but the quality of her guests and what they can do. That did not stop her from assembling a first rate book with professional grade instruction in some very important cooking and baking skills. There are, for example, exceptionally well done full page illustrated tutorials on making pie crusts, making French bread, creating wedding bouquets, building a gingerbread mansion, and creating a crudite platter. The general quality of these instructions surpasses most features in her magazine and rival step by step instructions by Jacques Pepin.One may think that if Martha is copying recipes from Julia Child, why not simply get `Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and be done with it. This would work if you had the time, as Martha did, to work your way through this book and pick out those recipes which fit various occasions. I may also note that while they are true classics of cookbook writing craft, Julia Child's recipes are not for the novice. Martha succeeds in making the recipes she has chosen much more accessible to the inexperienced cook. This is not to say Martha Stewart expects a homemaker with average kitchen skills will actually prepare meals for 12, let alone 100. Her recommendations are as much a means of preventing caterers from pulling the wool over the client's eyes as they are recipes for the solo chef. Realistically, for the self-catered party, the recipes are source materials with the bonus that it gives recipes, which work well together by look and by taste.One important aspect of this work which the prospective reader cannot forget is that this is NOT `Entertaining Lite'. This is how to go the full nine yards without breaking the bank. If there is a trade off between quality and economy, quality wins. The heart of the tutorial on how to entertain is a detailed lesson on how to plan and check preparations.I am certain wrote much of the material in the book, but I am also sure that she had a lot of professional help from Clarkson Potter layout artists and her credited photographers in the design of the book. Whatever the source, the outcome is worthy of the classic mantle which has been given to the book. It is a worthy standard by which to judge other books on similar subjects. While over a dozen different photographers contributed pictures and most are simply good, the overall effect is excellent. The layout staff really earned their money.In spite of the battalion of assists Martha must have had in putting this book together, she constantly maintains the illusion that she is personally guiding you through the details by having many scenes photographed at her house and her events with her family members and heirlooms on center stage most of the time. This point of view is familiar to anyone who has read her magazine with its schedule of things Martha will be doing this month.Be sure to buy the paperback edition of the book published in 1998 as the original hard cover edition published in 1982 would not have the Internet web sites for the Sources.Regardless of Martha's reported corrosive persona `off camera' and her allegedly illegal dealings, she knows how to throw a good party and she succeeds at passing that information on to you.Highly recommended.

I was thrilled to find a copy of this book at a reasonable price. Of course it is used, so wear and tear is to be expected.It arrived quickly and is the newest addition to my “Martha Library”.This is a “good thing”!

Arrived in excellent condition with the dust jacket ing great shape

This book Entertaining by Martha Stewart cover recipes such as Brooke’s Mustard Dip, Cottage Cheese and Dill Dip, and Cheddar Cheese Fondue (pages 70-71). There are also dinner party ideas such as almond cookies (page 125),Crème Caramel (page 179) and holiday party ideas such as cat shaped iced sugar cookies (page 209). Martha Stewart also includes an at home wedding section starting on page 263.

I was looking for a book that had both recipes and entertaining ideas. Sometimes I just flip through the book to get an idea, a way to prepare or a theme. I enjoy the pictures of her house and the stories that she inculded. This past summer I threw together my own destination wedding on the beach with just a few months of planning. I already had the book and it was wonderfully helpful. Using the book my mom and I made my bouquet, tea breads and all of the hors d'oeuvres. Reading about Martha doing her sister's wedding made it seems easy to plan, and as all of my guests tell me, they had a wonderful time. My mom and I have passed the book back and forth so much that I just bought her one as well.

This book became an old friend when I first bought it in the 80's. It literally changed the way I viewed the presentation and celebration of food, and in those days Martha Stewart's star was just beginning to rise.Sadly, along the way, through several moves, the book disappeared. (Thank you, Amazon, for your amazing library of 'good things'.)The book is, as I remembered, a treasure trove of ideas and brilliant recipes, all of which have been tested and family-and-guest approved. The photographs alone are enough to bring you right into the pages, the glossy paper a rich addition to what is a sumptuous book.It's nice to reacquaint myself with my old friend. This will not leave my possession again!

I think this is a great book for any level home entertainer or anybody that is interested in event planning! Martha takes us through every kind of social gathering possible, from a simple cocktail party to a backyard wedding. This book is perfect if you are just starting out or if you have been throwing parties for years! She even talks about how much time you should spend with each guest and how much time heating up food should take. Highly recommended!

表紙からもっとテーブルコーディネイト術が写真で沢山載っていると想像してましたが､ほとんど料理のレシピ本という感じで、フード関係の写真がほとんどでした。あと、英語で、レシピが沢山書いてあって､文字ばかりで期待はずれでした。本はとても分厚く沢山かいてありますが、英語が読めなくては、使い物にならないほんです。英語が読めて、料理好きの方には参考になるかもしれません。パーテイーの演出や、飾り方のアイデアが知りたい方には参考になりませんね。私は、後者だったので、がっかりでした。花に関する写真は､ごくわずかです。注意！！写真から、花のアレンジを想像する方がいると思いますが・・・。

This book is so much more than a cookbook. I bought it because I already loved Martha Stewart, but never really knew anything about her early career. This book opened my eyes at the true talent and passion that aided in her rise to stardom. It is a book filled with not only a wealth of recipes, but has become a comforting companion of mine. It is a book that on a rainy day, or at a time when I just want something to look at, I can pick up, slowly leaf through and admire the wonderful pictures of her gardens, collections of decorative plates, glasses, serving dishes, linens, flower arrangements and captions that fill the many pages. What is so endearing about these early Martha books is you are able to get a very clear picture of what her life was like at Turkey Hill, her now famous home. Her home becomes a character in her books, one that you get to know and love. I find I can scour the pages and still find some new little detail I never noticed before. Because of this book I have purchased many more of her early works, and each time have been greeted with the comforting familiar images of Turkey Hill (and of course beautiful recipes). Even if you don't make any of the recipes, if you are a Martha fan, I absolutely suggest you include this in your collection. It is a piece of history.

I love the fact that you can buy books for a penny on Amazon. This is a beautiful book to flick through with lots of lovely photographs. I enjoyed reading Martha's narrative, far more enjoyable than Nigella or Delia. Martha Stewart comes across as being a complete perfectionist (which is probably why she is a billionnaire) and some of the projects look a little daunting. The book is jam packed with elegant ideas through and even the most unaccomplished cook (ie me) can find inspiration in its pages. I suspect that this book was originally bought by lots of wealthy women who handed it to their housekeeper or caterer and told them to get on with it.

If you love rich people go for it. It's exactly what it says on the cover.

Exactly the book I wanted for my collection