[.ca] Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook (ISBN 0609603108)

From Amazon.com:
With Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook, Stewart, along with Martha Stewart Living food editor Susan Spungen and photographer Dana Gallagher, has created not just a handbook but a dream book. The first 225 pages consist entirely of beautifully photographed, exquisite nibbles, tastes, and bites--and the following 270 pages give you the recipes and instructions to re-create them at home. Pink and orange ribbons bound into the book allow you to easily mark photos and recipes. Only Martha and her staff would come up with something so beautiful and practical. You can browse the photos for inspiration, or dive right into one of the chapters, all organized by presentation, such as "Layered and Stacked"; "Wrapped, Rolled, Filled, Folded and Stuffed"; "Skewered and Threaded"; "Bites and Pieces"; and "Sips and Drinks," just to name a few. Having a few friends over for cocktails before the show? How about Crispy Asparagus Straws, a delicious combo of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and phyllo and sprinkled with Parmesan? The sophisticated flavors belie the ease of preparation. Have a little more time to prepare? The Jicama and Green Papaya Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce are tasty and beautiful. As gorgeous as this cookbook is, don't dismiss it as coffee-table cooking--several helpful photos show technique as well as finished product, and Martha's tips and notes are sprinkled throughout the text. For example, a lengthy sidebar on purchasing and preparing shrimp shares how to buy shrimp (the high quality of flash-frozen shrimp these days makes it perfectly acceptable), how to cook it (use kosher salt in your cooking water), and how best to peel and devein the little treasures. Similarly, reading the note on preparing phyllo will encourage even a novice cook to try her hand at Phyllo Triangles with Feta and Spinach or Curried Walnut Chicken. If you're planning a party and need fabulous finger food, you needn't look any further than Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook. --Rebecca A. Staffel

LOVE this book:
i go back to this book time and again for perfect and impressive hors d'oeuvres. not only are they beautiful, they are just delicious. many of her basic building blocks, such as the hollowed out cucumber cups, allow you to improvise and use what's on hand. i have several of her books, and this one is my absolute favorite.

Just dreadful. Buy B. Smith's cookbook:
We planned a little soiree but the canapes in this book were just dreadful. I sold this book at our local library book & bake sale for AIDS for $1.00. I switched to B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends and it was just wonderful. B. Smith is the African-American Martha and she is outstanding. I also used Essence Brings You Great Cooking by Jonell Nash and The Ebony Cookbook: A Date With a Dish by Freda De Night. I really enjoy buying these delightful cookbooks by African-American authors. Our son just loves rap music, basketball and African-American culture. Our new friends are an African-American couple and the wife was very pleased when I threw a Kwanza party.

Inspiring, but demanding:
This book is full of great ideas and has a beautiful photo section taking up much of the first half of the book. However, as with her TV show recipes, it can feel a bit that you have to do exactly what Martha says! In fact there's a lot of information in the recipe section and although many of the recipes are time-demanding, they are less scary than they first appear. It's *the* book for special events.

Another Great Martha Stewart Book:
No matter what personal troubles may ail Martha, she cannot be faulted for this book. As with all her books, it's excellent! Beautiful photographs. Complete instructions for the recipes. Fabulous serving suggestions. It's a pleasure just to look through this book! I bought the hardcover edition as a gift for my sister because books like this are timeless and she'll be using it for many years to come. You won't be disappointed!

A must have for all Entertainers!:
The Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook by Martha Stewart is filled with creative appetizer recipes and spectacular pictures that make you want to run to the kitchen and start cooking. Stewart is, no doubt, an authority on entertaining and this book shows how she has evolved from the first Hors D'Oeuvres book she wrote in the early 80's. I have tried several recipes, and they were all great, specially the Crispy Asparagus Straws (Fresh Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, fresh parmigiano and then several sheets of phyllo dough), and the Mini Bisteyas (Morrocan Chicken Phyllo Pies). My friend who owns a catering company uses this book all the time and is having lots of success with the new ideas. If you want to impress your guests or family, this book has many many recipes that will make you show off your kitchen skills.