The Rebel Cook: Entertaining Advice for the Clueless

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

You want to host a dinner party but you can’t cook. Not to worry. Even
if you’re a “kitchen klutz” with two left forks, where there’s a
strategy there’s a way.

Welcome to the strategy. Or make that strategies. First there’s the
food strategies. Like wear an apron—people will assume you’re
actually cooking. And serve just a bit of something—anything—in the
middle of a very large plate. Your guests will assume it’s rare and
special. If you do actually undertake to cook, use no more than 10 of
the 79 ingredients called for in the recipe, and don’t worry about the
“measurement police.”

Then there’s the everything-but-the-food strategy. Kupecek reasons
that if you avoid land mines in the guest list, have lots of wine on
hand, and pay attention to décor, cleaning, music, and the art of
conversation, your guests will be happy regardless of what questionable
results your cooking may yield.

With gentle, self-deprecating humour and a fast-paced style, Kupecek
serves up some easy-reading reminders on the art of entertaining for the
less-than-skilled cook.