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It’s tempting to think of cooking and hosting as things one either has or lacks a “knack” for, but this is nonsense. Julia Child wasn’t born a world-class cook. She was born a baby, and babies don’t have the motor skills to turn the knobs on a stove, let alone cook a fabulous French onion soup (see page 17 for help with that).
You, who also started life as a weak and helpless baby, can pick up some of those same skills by doing exactly what you’re doing right now: reading. (Well, at some point you do need to do the actual cooking part, but when and how you do that is your business.)
If you’re tasked with hosting this holiday season, these books can either help you get comfortable or level up in the kitchen—or in the host role more generally.
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People by Samin Nosrat
Salt Fat Acid Heat—both the 2017 book and the Netflix series that followed—made me want to be best friends with Samin Nosrat. This book, focused on food and community, will at least help you eat as well as her friends—and feed your friends as well as she feeds hers. Penguin Random House, 464 pages, $45.
Six Seasons of Pasta: A New Way with Everyone’s Favorite Food by Joshua McFadden
Pasta is traditional Christmas fare in northern Italy, and this book by Oregon chef, farmer and restaurateur Joshua McFadden—a top seller at two Portland bookstores last month—could make it part of your holiday tradition, too. Seasonal vegetables are front and center here; your guests can get excited about hearty seasonal fare like baked ziti with broccoli rabe or butternut squash with sausage, sage and spicy chiles. Artisan Books, 392 pages, $40.
Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell: Sexy, Spooky Soirées and Celebrations for Every Occasion by Cassandra Peterson
This counts as a cookbook by a local author: Peterson—also known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark—moved to Portland a few years ago. While most of us associate her with Halloween, this book promises fare for the whole year, from a Bloody Hell Mary that could work beautifully for holiday brunch to a ’Til Death Do Us Party cake that sounds just right for a goth-tinged wedding. Grand Central Publishing, 224 pages, $32.50.
Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round by Paul Hollywood
Written by the tough but kind Great British Bake Off judge and published in the U.S. this summer, Celebrate promises to help you get your bakes right. It includes recipes for holiday desserts like Yule logs and panettone cake, as well as crowd-pleasing savory snacks like focaccia and sausage rolls. You may not earn the Hollywood handshake, but you can earn the adulation of your party guests. Bloomsbury Publishing, 272 pages, $40.
Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing and Attending Every Type of Party by Chelsea Fagan
This book—written by “author, CEO and internet big sister” Chelsea Fagan—was released in late October, and Powell’s staff calls it a “surprise hit” that sold out almost as soon as it hit the shelves. (They’re restocking, though.) It includes advice on curating a space optimized for entertaining, tutorials for dinner parties and hosting (platonic) overnight guests—and some advice on how to be a good guest yourself. Ten Speed Press, 208 pages, $30.
Entertaining by Martha Stewart
Every other book on this list was published this year; Entertaining came out in 1982, but reissued this month. It’s the book that transformed the author from a little-known but sought-after caterer to, well, Martha Stewart. Stewart is happy to show you how beautifully she’s perfected every domestic art you can imagine. But she also believes that with enough planning and organization, you, too, can pull off the perfect party. And maybe with her help, you can. Clarkson Potter, 320 pages, $50.
