Georgeanne Brennan's Holiday Entertaining

Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining is packed with over 125 festive recipes, great styling ideas, helpful information on planning and decorating, and stunning photography. This beautiful guide offers a fresh approach to celebrating the season with a family-friendly focus. It provides useful advice on how to plan for your special occasion, what to serve, and ways to make your celebration more memorable than ever.

The book begins with a comprehensive section on planning and decorating for the holidays. You'll find complete menus for a full range of occasions, from a holiday brunch or cocktail party to a fireside fondue party. Next, there are three chapters dedicated to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Each illustrates a celebration and includes a detailed planning spread, a how-to idea for a centerpiece, and additional inspirations for seasonal style in the form of holiday place settings, decorative candles and more. The recipes are organized into eight chapters: drinks, hors d'oeuvres, soups and salads, mains, sides, desserts, breakfasts, and gifts from the kitchen. Here's a video of noted chef/author Georgeanne Brennan doing some quick demonstrations and how-to's.

First Impressions Count

Decking the halls of your home should start with a strong effort at your front door and entry hall or foyer. These are the first impressions your guests will have of your home, and try to put your best foot forward. In the following video, we wanted to point out the following holiday decorating tips.

1. A center hall table greeting your guests can set up a wonderful holiday theme. In this case, a giant Santa holding an evergreen and a Victorian doll sets a classy, richly lush visual theme for this traditional home.
2. Many newer construction homes have double volume entry foyers. Take advantage of the height and hang decorations like snowflakes, angels, or Santa and his flying sleigh from your hall lantern or chandelier.
3. Stairways and banisters can be beautifully trimmed out with real or artificial evergreen and seasonal flower garlands. Adding lights to the garlands amps the magic!
4. Little decorating touches count. Note the small lit tree on the bookcase near the entry hall, the teddy bear holding a present on the foyer chair, and the little dish holding some red Christmas ornaments, and small votive candles here and there. These small flourishes all add up to one big impression.
5. Look how wonderful the dining room table serves as a buffet station for guests. Holiday parties don't have to be formal sit-down affairs. Invite more people than usual and serve main courses, side dishes, relishes, desserts, and all plates, utensils, and napkins from the table. Move dining room chairs to other parts of your home to form conversation groupings. Serve drinks from the butler's pantry or kitchen counter.