Entertaining is my Love Language Book Review – A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Parties

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Category: Books

Published on Wednesday, 18 October 2023 14:40

Written by Janet Walker

Entertaining is my Love Language, from author Dawna Pitts and Friesens Publishers, guides the reader through many entertaining options and offers her expert suggestions on each of the elements that will create a lovely and memorable event.

She opens the guidebook with an introduction, and we learn that her international life, which brought her from a childhood in Seoul, Korea to Sydney Australia, and finally to Phoenix, Arizona, was one filled with intwining cultural experiences and the introduction to new cuisine.

After her family relocated to Sydney, her culinary journey began in earnest. Her home-schooled baking skills were elevated through a side hustle for spending money. And it was here that her dream was born.

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She met her husband and moved to Arizona and continued to build a catering business. She considered herself a domestic engineer and eventually landed a PBS cooking show. As her clientele grew so did her aspirations and soon the idea of party-planning or elegant entertainment merged with her culinary expertise.

Her reputation for excellence, coupled with the memories of sophisticated and stylish dinner and themed parties led to the creation of her party-planning and entertaining bible, a tome of classic ideas.

Her philosophy of having a few "go-to entertaining methods up your sleeve," are beneficial for anyone who have ever thought of or have been asked to host a get-together and can act as the foundation to build a magnificent memorable event.

Beginning with Chapter 1 "The Basics," which is the same for any chef, or event producer, make the list and have all the ideas and details prepared in advance. "The Basics" chapter covers everything from event date, menu, table settings, lighting, entertainment, and even the best, freshest flowers to complement the table setting and event theme.

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After she presents the foundational information, which will be used through variation in intimate, small- or large-scale events and parties, she begins with meal selections. Chapter 2 is the "Start-to-Finish Al Fresco Dinner," which she has chosen a "Soy Balsamic Marinated Grilled Rack of Lamb Dinner" (page 45) and includes a "Mezze Platter," which is a Greek twist on a crudité platter, and includes figs, olives, a variety of cheeses, roasted almonds, berries, hummus, and pita chips. She displays two types of mezze platters and explains that other than combining the food of the region using one's imagination and understanding of the guests' tastes will go a long way toward making the appetizer a success.

Throughout the instructional she includes menus in Chapter 4 "Catering to Special Diets," which includes tips on creating the perfect Salad Buffet (page 78), Poke Bowls (page 86) and for dessert the Ice Cream Sundae Bar (page 82).

Chapter 6, "An Evening for Wine Lovers" (page 108) presents a themed evening pairing different wines with each course beginning with the welcome glass of champagne and lite appetizers, followed by the first course of a "Dungeness Crab Tomato and Avocado Tower" paired with White wine; a second course of "Miso-glazed Salmon on Rice with Wilted Cucumbers" paired with Rose; for the fourth course, a Pinot Noir, paired with a "Slow cooked Beef Tenderloin with Pesto Mayonnaise over Arugula Salad," and a Sweet Wine with "Dessert Wine Poached Pear with Whipped Crème Fraiche." She provides recipes throughout the chapter for all course suggestions as well as a countdown checklist beginning six days from the event leading up to one hour before arrival.

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Chapter 8, "Favorite Bites from Around the World," which beginning on page 152 offers twenty-eight pages of inviting international recipes transporting foodies from Singapore, Seoul, and Vietnam, and all the exotic spices which drew explorers in the past to the vibrant earthy and fragrant foods of Tuscany, Italy, Provence, France and Sydney, Australia. Serving alone or in stations can be an evening of globetrotting delicious decadence.

Entertaining is my Love Language folds into the traditional cookbook or singular party-planner book ideas and inspirations that combine each of the elements necessary for success for each. She includes on the event planning side in Chapter 7, (page 138) the "how-to" of intimate elegant home parties, including the perfect place setting, stemware, themed parties, and in Chapter 9 (page 183) the potential overnight stay and providing a luxurious experience for your out-of-town guests.

She also includes "Interactive Meals" in Chapter 10 (page 200) that present ideas for Fondue and tacos, Chapter 11 (page220) K-Food Love, Chapter 12, (page 246) Sweet Surprises, Chapter 13, (page 264), SOS Dinners, Chapter 14, (page 288) "When to Wow" and Chapter 15 (page 314), "Host/Hostess Etiquette."

Entertaining is my Love Language brings the reader along on Dawna Pitts' journey as she expertly produces events, parties, and fetes. The book is thorough, complete, comprehensive, and detailed, with all the information necessary to make any party an overwhelming success! Her attention to the fine points will expand the possibilities of any host or hostesses and will turn the everyday into extraordinary!

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Title: Entertaining is my Love Language.

Author: Dawna Pitts.

Publisher: Friesens.

Book & Cover Design: Neill Fox/Cheyenne Brumlow.

Cover Photo: Stephanie Heymann Photography.

Length: 327 pages, Hardcover.

ISBN: 979-8-9880520-0-5.

MSRP: $39.95 (U.S.).