Book Review: The Art of the Board by Olivia Carney

The Art of the Board: Fun and Fancy Snack Boards, Recipes and Ideas for Entertaining All Year

by Olivia Carney (641.812 Car)

 

This book is for those who are fascinated with the current charcuterie craze but haven’t figured out where and how to start. Olivia Carney tells you frankly that she’s written this book for hopeless hostesses and hosts who want to entertain but don’t yet have the prowess.

 

She begins with the board itself and discusses the various board sizes and materials (wood, stone, etc) you can use and how to care for them. Then she provides a step-by-step guide for building a board. Do you want only cheeses and crackers or a variety of fruits, meats, and breads?

 

You’ll find diagrams on cutting and slicing or recommendations for buying the ingredients ready-to-go for arranging on your boards. She writes about cheese knives, tongs, cocktail sticks, petite spoons, toothpicks, and other serving utensils you might want to use.

 

There are lots of photos of sample boards for the entire year from July 4th barbecues to Thanksgiving leftovers to breakfast trays or desserts. No board is too simple or too fancy.

 

Pick this up for an interesting introduction to boards, recipes, and entertaining ideas.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings by America’s Test Kitchen.)

 

( official Liv Carney Instagram )

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Come One, Come All: Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus

Come One, Come All: Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus, With Over 150 Recipes from the Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste Section
by Lee Svitak Dean [641.505 Dea]

Are you looking for some fresh ideas for a party or your next family feast? This is a good book to page through for tips and inspiration. The menus are divided by the seasons. The spring menus focus on graduation parties and bridal showers. There is a menu for a bridal shower tea featuring Chicken Salad Mini-Cups. The summer menus are attuned to outdoor entertaining -- picnics and barbeques. The fall menus center on football parties and, of course, Thanksgiving. The winter menus celebrate the holidays with buffets and sit down dinners. Lee Svitak Dean is the food editor for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Tribune. These recipes are chosen from her columns. In the introduction, Dean credits her mother as her inspiration for hosting parties and dinners. Her mother's tips for a successful party are -- plan ahead, make lists, do as much as possible ahead, cleanup after yourself as you work and, most importantly, have fun. She also reminds us "it's not hard to impress your guests. They are simply glad that they are not cooking themselves." -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[ official Lee Svitak Dean web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Staff Recommendation - Sentimental Living From the Porch

Sentimental Living From the Porch

by Alda Ellis [747.7 qEll]

Decorating and entertaining ideas for the porch and backyard for every season. Beautiful photographs, easy instructions at the back. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Biography of Alda Ellis ]

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Ten new reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog over the course of the entire month.

Staff Recommendation - Real Life Entertaining

Real Life Entertaining

by Jennifer Rubell [641.5 Rub]

Real Life Entertaining is an easy to follow cookbook filled with unique recipes that allow you the cook, to be out with your guests instead of isolated in the kitchen. Fix it and forget it seems to be one of the author's secrets for stress free entertaining. Fix it, put it in the oven, and forget about it until it's time to eat. There are many tasty dishes that have beautiful table presentation. Your guests may think you've spent hours in the kitchen cooking a gourmet meal, when in fact most recipes are quick to put together. This is one cookbook that I return to over and over again. -- recommended by Patty L. - Walt Branch Library

[ official website for Jennifer Rubell and this book ]

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Ten new reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog over the course of the entire month.