Just in case you are keeping count, this is the fourth of my Twelve Books For Christmas.   While Christmas dinner is not quite the classic high-stakes, high-stress meal Thanksgiving so often is,  the Christmas season is often a time for many different sorts of parties.   Whether you are planning a very traditional Christmas Day dinner,  a seasonal cocktail party,  a pay-back-a-whole-years-invitations Open House or an intimate Christmas Eve supper, Williams-Sonoma’s Christmas Entertaining has a menu and copious and specific practical advice to make your soiree a success.   

While not every menu and party plan appealed to me (the cocktail party featuring lemon vodka martinis and very chi-chi frou-frou finger food made me gag), some of the suggestions and menus appealed greatly.   The Italian themed Christmas Eve supper featuring a wonderful rissotto and herb broiled shellfish looked literally mouth-watering and the ricotta cheesecake with blood orange marmalade glaze which finished that menu, enough to send me to the market for ricotta and blood oranges after searching the cabinets to be sure my 9 inch spring-form pan is ready to go.

The shrimp bisque, almond apple tart, apricot cranberry coffee cake and the broccoli-blue cheese gratin featured in other menus all very much appealed to me and the recipes are clearly written and easy to follow.   Most of the tips for buffet service and table setting will be useful mostly to those whose party budgets include funds for at trip to Williams-Sonoma or a similar store to buy new things just for this season’s party,  but the book would definitely be of help to anyone looking for ideas and suggestions for holiday entertaining.