Recipes from Patricia Mendez, Author of Easy Entertaining for Beginners

Since November is a busy time of year for everyone--especially we writers who are partcipating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)--I figured it would be an excellent time to try something new by offering recipes on dates when I am not hosting authors. This will also help me with National Blog Posting Month, which we are participating in again.

Our first two recipes come from Patricia Mendez, author of Easy Entertaining for Beginners: You Can Throw a Fabulous Party, from Holiday Fiesta to a Romantic Evening for Two that won the 2009 Mom's Choice Award.

I own this book--which we reviewed here--and have used it on more than one occasion. What I like best about this cookbook is that it has things I actually would make instead of a bunch of gourmet recipes that I would never use in a million years.

Recipes by: Patricia Mendez copyright 2009



Sweet n’ Crunchy Apple Salad
Serves 12

4 cups apples, red & green, chopped, unpeeled
2 tablespoons bottled or fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup candied pecans, purchased, chopped
1/2 cup washed, seedless green grapes, halved
1 1/3 cup low-fat whipped topping, thawed
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
Ground nutmeg

1. In bowl, toss chopped apples with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Stir in celery, nuts and grapes.

2. For dressing, fold mayonnaise into the whipped topping. Spread dressing over top of apple mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover tightly and chill for up to 3 hours.



Pumpkin Scones with Maple Icing
Makes 6-8

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

Maple Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon real Maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk, plus up to 2 teaspoons more

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add butter, cut with pastry cutter or two butter knives in a criss-cross motion to form pea-size crumbs.

In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin and milk together. Add to flour mixture and stir until moistened. Knead on floured board about 5 times. Do not over mix or the scones will not be tender. Form dough into 6 inch round, about 1 ½ inches thick and cut into 6 equal-sized wedges. Bake on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray for 18-20 minutes.

Cool and prepare icing by mixing ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle on cooled scones and serve.


Patricia Mendez has catered and coordinated special events since the early 1990’s. She has taught cooking classes and is a public speaker. A natural teacher, she has mentored many aspiring hosts and hostesses. She writes articles for magazines and internet sites and lives in Southern California. She is also the “Easy Entertaining” Spokesperson for Lifetime Products. When she’s not writing or teaching, she is a home chef who loves to throw fun parties.

You can visit Patricia online at http://ezentertaining.net/.

Easy Entertaining with Patricia Mendez

Patricia Mendez is our guest blogger today. Patricia's book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners is reviewed by us here. One of the interesting aspects from the book is that each chapter has a mistake to avoid. I've asked Patricia to talk about some of these mistakes and how to avoid them.




Top Five Mistakes to Avoid When Entertaining

By Patricia Mendez
www.ezentertaining.net

Mistake #1: Hosts that try to do all of the preparation for a party on the day of the event. They clean the house, shop, cook AND have guests over in the same day.

Solution #1: Pace yourself! Always try to have 2-3 days in preparation for a party. That might sound like a lot to you in our instant microwave world, but it is well worth the effort. You will feel more confident and you won’t be exhausted. For instance, two days before a party, clean the house, reread the recipes and make a shopping list. One day before, do the shopping and some of the food preparation. The morning of your party, do most of the remaining food preparation and decorating. Spend some time each day for two to three days before a party in preparation.

Mistake #2: Not reading through the recipes or ever preparing them prior to your dinner party.

Solution #2: Whether you are cooking for a crowd or hosting dinner for two, you should always prepare a recipe you have never made at least once before your event. If it is a large recipe, simply cut the recipe in half and try it a couple of weeks before your dinner party. Also, carefully read through each recipe before you are ready to start putting ingredients in mixing bowls and firing up the stove. These tips will give you time to fix any mistakes you might make, help you gain confidence and set a relaxed and warm tone for your dinner party.

Mistake #3: Rushing around in frantic preparation as your guests are arriving. This mistake is usually a result from making the first two mistakes above. Not being organized and not pacing yourself and being unfamiliar with recipes you are preparing for your event can lead to being way behind schedule. This sets the wrong tone for your dinner party. It is awkward for guests when they arrive on time and the host is either away at the store for a last minute trip or is still elbow-deep in preparation.

Solution #3: Being organized is the key to hosting fun, satisfying and successful casual at-home entertaining. Remember, beginners should “Do a few things and do those well.” Concentrate on the food, the table and the tone that you set as host. You want to be able to be ready to greet your guests as they arrive. Make introductions, get a beverage into their hands and you will immediately set your guests as ease and set a friendly tone for your dinner party. Kudos to you for your desire to give this wonderful gift of delicious food and warm hospitality to your family and friends!

Mistake #4: Not being able to problem-solve and letting mistakes and problems ruin your evening.

Solution #4: Even the most seasoned hosts can deal with unexpected problems when they entertain. If something goes wrong (the icemaker breaks, the smoke alarm goes off, one of the dishes you will serve has taken a turn for the worse), don’t panic. Simply solve the problem and move on. The ability to be flexible and not let it ruin your evening is a plus.

Mistake #5: Choosing a menu that is too difficult and fussy.

Solution #5: When hosts are looking for a dinner party menu they should choose one that can be mostly prepared in advance. This is especially helpful advice for a beginner. Many books and internet sites put together complete menus if you are not sure what to serve. When I designed and wrote my book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners, I put together menus for occasions that I thought new nesters/newlyweds would most like to host in their first couple of years in their new homes. I wrote the recipes specifically for those who might not have much cooking experience. Just because a recipe is simple, does not mean it is not delicious! So choose most of your recipes that can be prepared in advance. I believe entertaining should fit your life so another great tip is to prepare the main meal items and use your favorite purchased items to fill in your menu. For instance, purchase a fantastic dessert instead of making one. Use a purchased dip or washed and bagged salad greens instead of cleaning and cutting your own. These all save time and allow you to concentrate on doing a few things well.


The EASY ENTERTAINING FOR BEGINNERS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Patricia's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in October to find out more about her latest book!

As a special promotion, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez--Book Review

Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez is a must have for new home owners interested in entertaining and a great refresher for experienced entertainers.

Filled with mouthwatering but easy recipes, color photos, and music and activity ideas, Easy Entertaining for Beginners is a host's dream cookbook. Each chapter includes a Step-by-step Checklist, optional shortcuts, etiquette advice, a mistake to avoid, and tips to ensure success. Themed party ideas for adults and children and Thanksgiving and Christmas season menus will help make you and your parties the talk of the town. Also included is a list of kitchen items to have on hand for the recipes in the book, a Basic Chicken recipe, a Fahrenheit/Celsius conversion chart, equivalents list and liquid conversions list.

And yes, someone finally admits that although cooks and chefs jump through hoops to come up with a new take on a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, most people "like the basics...".

I remember the first year in our new home and suddenly finding myself as the only daughter-in-law and someone who had become responsible for cooking for every holiday. If only Easy Entertaining for Beginners had been around then, I wouldn't have needed to stress over my food preparations.

For easy and fun entertaining menus and ideas, pick up a copy of Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez!


Title: Easy Entertaining for Beginners
Author: Patricia Mendez
Publisher: Maple Heights Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799564-0-9
ISBN-10: 0-9799564-0-4
U.S. Price: $16.95