Dinner with Friends

For truly spectacular entertaining you'll love the delicious recipes, do-ahead strategies, and manageable menus in The Best of Fine Cooking Dinner with Friends -- a collection of 17 all-new menus from Fine Cooking magazine.

• New menus for the way we entertain today offer beautiful dishes with wonderful flavors but nothing too fussy
• Spring and summer menus feature fresh seasonal ingredients; warming menus are perfect for the colder months
• A quick at-a-glance listing of all the recipes highlights do-ahead and vegetarian recipes
• Timetables for every menu make the preparation easy to manage
• Beautiful photographs show the dishes as they'll really look when you make them
• All recipes have been tested in our test kitchens AND tested by our readers...we picked only the real favorites!

Appetizers
Almonds with Parmesan, Rosemary & Fennel
Artichoke Torta
Cheddar-Pecan Gougères
Chickpea & Tahini Purée (Hummus)
Eggplant & Tahini Purée (Baba Ghanouj)
Goat Cheese & Olives Marinated in Olive
Oil with Bay Leaf & Peppercorns
Green Olive Tapenade Toasts
Grilled Pico de Gallo
Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce & Cilantro Pesto
Twice-Baked Spinach Soufflés
White Bean & Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips

Soups
Carrot & Coriander Soup
Cream of Shiitake Soup
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Soupe au Pistou Simmered with Lamb Shanks

Salads
Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella & Mint Salad
Endive, Apple & Walnut Salad with Roquefort
Fresh Greens with Roasted Beets, Haricots Verts & Goat Cheese Croutons
Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Grill-Roasted Green Chiles Stuffed with Guacamole
Hearts of Romaine with Caesar Dressing
Mixed Greens with Tomato-Ginger Vinaigrette
Parsley & Cracked-Wheat Salad (Tabbouleh)
Spicy White Bean Salad with Summer Corn & Crunchy Cucumbers

Fish & Seafood
Salmon Fillets with Herbed Leeks
Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce & Cilantro Pesto

Pasta
Beef Ragù Chiantigiana
Farfalle Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Fresh Herbs & Lemon
Tender Zucchini & Fresh Mozzarella Lasagna

Poultry
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Ya Ya
Chicken Thighs Baked with Lemon, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
Cornish Game Hens Roasted with Spring Vegetables
Farfalle Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Fresh Herbs & Lemon
Grilled Chicken Salpicón with Warm Tortillas
Lemon Tarragon Chicken with Pan Sauce
Orange-Curry Chicken with a Pecan Crust
Roast Chicken with Honey-Thyme Pan Sauce

Beef, Pork & Lamb
Beef Ragù Chiantigiana
Beef Stroganoff with Cremini & Porcini Mushrooms
Cider-Glazed Pork Loin with Fennel Coulis and Smashed Red-Skinned Potatoes
Short Ribs Braised with Rosemary, Garlic & Sherry
Sizzling Sliced Steak with Lemon, Rosemary & Arugula
Soupe au Pistou Simmered with Lamb Shanks
Vegetables & Side Dishes
Asparagus Bread Pudding
Carrot & Ginger Soufflé
Couscous with Orange, Almonds & Herbs
Green Beans with Onions (Loubieh Bziet)
Potato & Leek Gratin
Roasted Winter Vegetables with a Maple-Ginger Glaze
Sautéed Swiss Chard
Slow-Sautéed String Beans with Shallots & Ham
Spiced Fava Beans with Tomato & Onion (Foul Imdamis)

Breads
Bruschetta
Cheddar-Pecan Gougères
Fresh Herb Popovers
Rosemary Flatbread

Desserts
Almond Crunch & Chocolate Confetti
Chiffon Cake
Apple-Rhubarb Crisp
Blueberry Shortcakes
Bread & Butter Pudding with Raisins & Whisky Sauce
Chocolate Espresso Torte
Chocolate Nut Upside-Down Cake
Frangipane-Ripple Chocolate Pound Cake
Fresh Ginger Cookies
Grapefruit Upside-Down Cake with Rosemary, Almonds & Browned Butter
Individual Plum Galettes
Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust
Mocha Cinnamon Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Orange Layer Cake
Pineapple Rum Sorbet
Strawberry Hazelnut Torte
Summer Stone Fruit & Almond Cobbler
Three-Berry Fool
Tropical Fruit Pavlova

Drinks
Honeydew Lemonade