When it comes to dinner parties, real people are tired of dizzying preparations and unobtainable standards. They want to sit down with a few good friends and take the time to enjoy their company as much as the food. And they want a cookbook that will show them how. That's the cry culinary booksellers Ellen Rose and Jessica Strand kept hearing from their customers at Cook's Library -- so they wrote the book themselves. Here are easy, elegant menus for entertaining just two, four, or six. Arranged by season, they take advantage of fresh, flavorful ingredients and include helpful make-ahead tips, so even beginners and the chronically busy can host delightful occasions.

Intimate Gatherings: Great Food for Good Friends

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Rose, Ellen

Strand, Jessica

Entertaining & Holidays

Chronicle Books+

Preparing a nursery may be a parents most joyful and meaningful decorating project ever. Filled with visions of the newborn swathed in soft blankets and tucked in a crib with a rocker at the ready, its easy to feel excited-and to be completely overwhelmed. Enter Babys Room. In the same winning format as Kids Rooms, this inspirational book shows that decorating and furnishing a room for a newborn need not be difficult or expensive. Author Jessica Strand offers practical counsel on all the elements of room layout-everything from furniture and fixtures to lighting and window treatments. Color choices, fabrics, and themes are also explored, along with baby-friendly storage systems. To help parents visualize the possibilities, Babys Room showcases ten innovative nurseries that blend form and function with charm and creativity. With a comprehensive source list, easy make-it-yourself projects, and colorful photographs throughout, Babys Room delivers-everything but baby!

Baby's Room: Ideas and Projects for Nurseries

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Hardly bigger than most fruitcakes and much more fun, Holiday Cocktails is a complete guide to getting the mix right. This bartending bible features classics such as the cozy Hot Buttered Rum and the classy Kir Royale, as well as smart and sexy libations like the elegant Christmas Morning Mimosa and the virgin Gingersnap Punch. Holiday Cocktails is the place to turn for advice no matter what's on the holiday social calendar, whether it's a New Year's blow-out, a bustling dinner party, or an intimate night for two. In addition to scores of clever ideas and party-planning tips, author and veteran holiday hostess Jessica Strand includes her take on festive garnishes, glassware, and must-have ingredients for the most wonderful time of year. Decorated with sparkling photographs, this is both a fine addition to the home bar and a pretty present for the entertainer on Santa's list.

Holiday Cocktails

Beverages & Wine

Fabulous food and good times are on the menu with this collection of delicious, no-fuss recipes from home entertaining expert Jessica Strand. From an intimate dinner for four to a festive feast for a dozen, this collection of simple, yet sensational, recipes will inspire both experienced dinner hosts and first-time party planners. Orchestrating a cozy double-date is an affair to remember with elegant cocktails, Dry Rub Pork Ribs, Asian Coleslaw, and a special treat -- Homemade Sundaes (one per couple for an extra dose of romance) -- and when a full-scale gala for twelve is what's in order, Moroccan-style Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Pesto is a show-stopper. Filled with enticing color photographs to whet the appetite as well as "menu managers" suggesting timelines for when to prepare and serve each delectable dish, Dinner Parties guarantees effortless entertaining at home.

Dinner Parties: Simple Recipes for Easy Entertaining

'Tis the season to add some pizzazz to your holiday f te! This spirited deck includes 50 festive drink recipes, as well as tips for equipping and stocking the perfect holiday bar. For teetotalers and younger merrymakers, there are also several nonalcoholic libations. Even if the weather outside is frightful, your drinks are sure to be delightful!

Holiday Cocktails Deck: 50 Drinks to Celebrate the Season

From Margaritas to Mojitos to Mai-Tais, this summertime set of easy-to-make delectable drinks will have your senses singing. Blended, shaken, stirred, sweet, tangy, citrusy--this cool group is some kind of flavorful. Get ready to serve up some good-spirited fun with these tempting recipes for thirst-quenching drinks. Entertaining expert Jessica Strand shows you how to put your own spin on classic concoctions by mixing and matching garnishes and adornments, as well as how to mix modern fusion drinks using flavored vodkas and unique ingredients. From Passionfruit Margaritas to Asian Pear Martinis, with just a few, simple preparations, you'll have something new to bring to the party!

Margaritas, Mojitos & More

Blended, shaken, stirred, sweet, tangy, or citrusy—this summertime collection of cocktails will have everybody'ssenses singing. Entertaining expert Jessica Strand puts a new spin on classic concoctions by mixing and matching garnishes and adornments, and using flavored vodkas and unique ingredients to create modern fusion drinks. Here's the best part: The drinks are easy to make and absolutely delicious, not to mention gorgeous in a glass. Passionfruit Margaritas, Blackberry Mojitos, Asian Pear Martinis, and artfully styled daiquiris all make for something new and cool to bring to the party. Summer might not last forever, but the good times can go on and on with Margaritas, Mojitos &amp; More.

There's something wonderful about a quiet, intimate dinner with another person, whether it be a spouse, a date, or a friend. Whatever the occasion, culinary expert Jessica Strand offers the ideal solution. Each delicious recipe, from appetizers to desserts, is scaled to prepare two portionsno calculator or leftovers required. Mouthwatering dinners like Sake-Ginger Poached Black Bass with Garlicky Bok Choy or special Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce have never been easier, tastier, or more enjoyable. An ideal gift for newlyweds, and with nearly 50 recipes to satisfy every duo (not to mention invaluable hints for sharing the kitchen), Cooking for Two makes every night special.

Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs

Cooking Methods

Every proper salad should come to the table well dressed. Salad Dressings is a veritable wardrobe of vinaigrettes and creamy dressings that are easy to make and even easier to store. Flavors such as tarragon, roasted red pepper, or crumbled Stilton cheese enhance simple salads of tender greens, while creamy varieties such as Tart Russian or decadent Blue Cheese pair sumptuously with heartier flavors and textures. Exotic dressings like Thai Peanut or Indian Curry add distinctive, unusual flavors and elevate the ordinary. Salad recipes sprinkled throughout plus quick recipes for crunchy toppings—think flavored croutons or spiced nuts—top off this handy guide to salad fare extraordinaire.

Salad Dressings

Main Courses & Side Dishes

Perfect for people who are tired of dizzying preparations and unobtainable standards, this beautifully photographed cookbook is the ultimate tool for those who want to sit down with a few good friends and take the time to enjoy their company as much as the food. Small Gatherings is filled with easy, elegant menus for entertaining just two, four, or six. Arranged by season, the recipes take advantage of fresh, flavorful ingredients and include helpful make-ahead tips, so even beginners and the chronically busy can host delightful occasions.

Small Gatherings: Seasonal Menus for Cozy Dinners

EGG&DART

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Strand, Jessica. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Strand, Jessica

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Strand, Jessica. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Intimate Gatherings: Great Food for Good Friends

Baby's Room: Ideas and Projects for Nurseries

Holiday Cocktails

Dinner Parties: Simple Recipes for Easy Entertaining

Holiday Cocktails Deck: 50 Drinks to Celebrate the Season

Margaritas, Mojitos & More

Margaritas, Mojitos & More

Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs

Salad Dressings

Small Gatherings: Seasonal Menus for Cozy Dinners