Do your holiday menus need a spark of new flavor? This November treat your guests to a Maryland Thanksgiving filled with American tradition and a dash of spice. Pimiento and Tabasco-seasoned Crab Cakes, peppery Kale-Stuffed Onions, and Spiced Cranberry Sauce are just the lively accompaniments needed to bring the turkey to life! Tired of your typical burgers-and-coleslaw Labor Day barbecue? This year celebrate in style with a garden party featuring international fare. Thai-Style Steamed Dumplings with Coriander Dipping Sauce … Shredded Pork with Tomato Salsa on Tortilla Chips … Olive, Rosemary, and Onion Focaccia … all dress up a Labor Day Cocktail Buffet. Whether it is an autumn fishing picnic in the country, a summer luncheon by the sea, or a formal dinner for the winter holidays, let The Best of Gourmet, Volume VII be your source of year-round dining – with 26 menus and over 500 recipes from which to choose. This edition of The Best of Gourmet is the largest volume ever, with more than 55 brand-new recipes, and over 80 pages of exquisite full-color photography. Here you will find the best recipes from the 1991 food columns of Gourmet Magazine, and much more! First, the Menu Collection assembles an album of outstanding entertaining ideas with menus and full-color photography from the Gourmet’’s Menus and Cuisine Courante columns. The Recipe Compendium follows in Part Two, with all of the recipes that are pictured in the Menu Collection, as well as selected recipes from the columns Gastronomie sans Argent, In Short Order, The Last Touch, and assorted feature articles. But the best of the best is not all that this volume has to offer. The editors of Gourmet now add an entirely new section, Cuisines of the World, that will highlight a different cuisine each year. The international celebration begins with The Flavors of France, an exciting foray into French cooking that includes enticing new menus and spectacular full-color photography of the country and its food. And finally, A Gourmet Addendum explores the culinary versatility of spices in exciting all-new recipes. Gorgeous photography in the Menu Collection brings an assortment of entertaining ideas to life. Uncork the champagne and bring out the caviar to celebrate a very special occasion. Gourmet’’s Anniversary Party, starring Roast Fillet of Beef with Cornichon Tarragon Sauce and ending with the ultimate celebratory dessert, Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Cream Dacquoise, is a gala experience that your guests will never forget. From an elegant Masquerade Dinner featuring Breast of Duck with Port Sauce, to a refreshing Swedish Midsummer Dinner that presents Assorted Canapes and Oven-Poached Salmon Steaks, to an easy and casual Pasta Dinner of Rigatoni with Shrimp in Tomato and Feta Sauce, here you will find menus to suit your every need. The Recipe Compendium is a bountiful assembly of updated old favorites as well as unexpected new finds. Inexpensive pleasers from Gastronomie sans Argent highlight new cheese specialties such as Spicy Macaroni and Cheese; Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Sauteed Apples; and Cheddar, Bacon, and Scallion Souffle. You will also find sweet and savory crepes: Curried Seafood Crepes; Dilled Spinach Crepes with Avgolemono Sauce; and Mint Chocolate Souffle Crepes … the choices go on and on. For the busy couple, In Short Order recipes offer easy fare for two that can be prepared in 45 minutes or less: Cream of Crab Meat Soup; Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken; and Chocolate Raspberry Shortcakes … to name a few. And, there are thematic recipes from The Last Touch that add that little something extra to your meal. Exceptional cold soups, vinaigrettes, dips, and potato salads are just a sampling of what’’s in store. This year, a new chapter, Cuisines of the World, explores the bounty of French cooking. Have you ever been tempted to make eclairs but thought the job too daunting? Here you will learn to make not only eclairs, but all of your other French favorites as well – beef bourguignon, a fish terrine, and even an apple tart! The essentials of this outstanding cuisine, including basic recipes and techniques, are presented; then three inviting new menus follow and put these essentials to use. Let Gourmet take you to France, and lead you well on your way to French cooking know-how. Closing this year’’s edition, A Gourmet Addendum discovers the exotic flavors of spices with recipes for everyday living. Spiced Apple Refresher; Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread; and Gingered Shrimp Salad with Baby Corn and Sugar Snap Peas all add a little zip to your cooking! A General Index, an Index to 45-Minute Recipes, and an Index of Recipe Titles provide quick and easy access to all the recipes. And, a listing of Table Setting Acknowledgments supplies information on all items pictured in the menus. Throughout the years Gourmet has been a trusted guide to the art of good living. The Best of Gourmet, Volume VII continues the tradition with style.
