Forking Fantastic arrived in my mail box last week, thanks to the kind folk at Penguin Books. Flipping through it I thought hmmm this is not my type of book, maybe it's aimed at the younger market. It's not that I'm a prude or anything. I've been known to use the F word myself. It's just a little unexpected in a recipe book.
However when I sat down and read it from page one I could see it's place on the book shelf. I'm not it's target market. I already know how to plan and give a dinner party. When you've been around as long as me you've been there, done that. But if you are just starting out on entertaining friends over a meal this book is very useful.
Zora O'Neill and Tamara Reynolds, the authors of Forking Fantastic, are the hosts of a New York underground supper club. Twice a month they invite twenty or more friends over to enjoy an evening of sumptuous cooking and spirited conversation.
The book covers hints on entertaining, recipes, planning, vegeterian options... they even show you how to truss a whole lamb and build a grill to spit roast the lamb.
I liked their idea of buying a few yards of cotton fabric and snipping it into squares with pinking shears for use as table napkins. Much easier than washing and ironing white linen napkins and much prettier than paper napkins.
The recipes are written for the American market with measurements in sticks and cups. The end section contains a list of books for further readings.
I've passed the book onto my son Michael. I'm sure there will be lots of ideas he will find useful.
