Julia Reed – författare

Thrown everywhere from lush gardens and gracious interior spaces to a Mississippi River sandbar, Julia Reed's parties capture the celebratory nature of entertaining in her native South. Here, her informative and down-to-earth guide to giving an unforgettable party includes secrets she has collected over a lifetime of entertaining. For this book, she offers up a feast of options for holiday cocktails, spring lunches, formal dinners, and even a hunt breakfast. Twelve seasonal events feature delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes, ranging from fried chicken to Charlotte Russe and signature cocktails or wine pairings-she introduces her talented friends (rum makers, potters, fabric designers, bakers) along the way. Each occasion includes gorgeous photographs showing her inspiring approach to everything from invitations and setting a table to arranging flowers and creating the mood. A handbook section provides practical considerations and sources. This irresistible book is the ultimate primer for every party-giver.

This follow-up to Julia s bestseller Julia Reed s South showcases her entertaining know-how and that of her noted chef friends and her love of New Orleans. Held in a variety of venues, from courtyards to gracious interior spaces, the gatherings menus include such dishes as grillades, grits, and seafood gumbo, and cocktails ranging from the traditional Sazerac to a Satsuma Margarita. Featured are an elegant holiday dinner, a crawfish boil, and a lunch under the live oaks. All are presented in luscious photographs and include tips on setting tables, arranging flowers, and crafting playlists to create a festive mood. Julia s introduction traces the evolution of New Orleans cuisine, from its Creole beginnings to the culinary contributions of other ethnic groups. Sidebars cover iconic watering holes and local specialties such as the po-boy and the muffuletta, as well as events ranging from Mardi Gras to raucous St. Patrick s Day. This enticing cookbook is the ultimate primer is for every party-giver and anyone interested in laissez bons temps roulez.

Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm's Royale at the Ritz Paris, devours delicious chuletons in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses ranging from Pat Buckley to Pearl Bailey and, of course, her own mother. Reed writes about the bounty-and the burden-of a Southern garden in high summer, tosses salads in the English countryside, and shares C.Z. Guest's recipe for an especially zingy bullshot. She understands the necessity of a potent holiday punch and serves it up by the silver bowlful, but she is not immune to the slightly less refined charms of a blender full of frozen peach daiquiris or a garbage can full of yucca flats. And then there are the parties: shindigs ranging from sultry summer suppers and raucous dinners at home to a Plymouth-like Thanksgiving feast and an upscale St. Patrick's Day celebration. This delightful collection of essays by Julia Reed, a master storyteller with an inimitable voice and a limitless capacity for fun, will show you how to entertain guests with style, have a good time yourself, and always have that perfect pitcher of sangria ready at a moment's notice.