Culinary master James Beard’s ultimate guide to entertaining is a must for any host or hostess

Expert chef James Beard was passionate about food and even more passionate about entertaining. Beard’s cookbooks, with recipes that have delighted for decades—such as duck glazed with honey and curry, and zucchini frittata—have long been a staple in the culinary libraries of home cooks. This thorough guide combines Beard’s delicious menus with his expertise on hosting any event from an intimate dinner party to a much larger gathering.
 
The indispensable tips and advice in  James Beard’s Menus for Entertaining  make anything from a lavish champagne breakfast to a festive beach picnic easy for the host and unforgettable for the guests. In addition to his scrumptious tried-and-true recipes, Beard also offers guidance on pairing the perfect wines, liqueurs, and aperitifs to round out your meal. Featuring more than 100 menus, 600 dishes, and Beard’s wisdom on everything from planning to plating,  Menus for Entertaining  will make your next event a delectable success.

From the James Beard Foundation:
“To entertain successfully one must create with the imagination of a playwright, plan with the skill of a director, and perform with the instincts of an actor,” Beard, a consummate entertainer and would-be actor, wrote in the introduction to James Beard’s Menus for Entertaining. The cover photo shows Beard in tuxedo and trademark bow tie, carving a joint festooned with hâtelets. But, like all of Beard’s books, his Menus for Entertaining is eclectic and democratic; it runs the gamut from artichoke bottoms with foie gras and saddle of lamb Prince Orloff to country ham and Irish stew. It offers low-calorie recipes, too.

book history:
1965 published (covers include both one with the dust jacket and one without
1967 released as a paperback
1986 new cover
1996 revised new cover
2015 released as an e-book

note about the author:
Books would be released not only as "James Beard", but also "Jim Beard" and "James A. Beard". "Jim Beard" is what his books were first published under.