The Dinah's Cupboard Cook Book

Dean Tudor is a journalism professor at the Ryerson Polytechnical
Institute and founding editor of the CBRA.

Ah, yes ... yuppie heaven has arrived. The emphasis in this cookbook is on home entertaining, for most of the 140 recipes deal with giving a party (dinners for 8, brunch for 12,hors d’oeuvres for 20, a Hawaiian luau for 20, a cocktail party for 25, an Oriental buffet for 30). Or, if you don’t want to do ityourself — now that you know how much labour is involved and what the ingredients are for a successful recipe and party — let Dinah cater it!

Seriously, there are many simple, easy-to-follow steps here: planning, scheduling, and cooking for nine parties. There are also some basic recipes for products that one would expect to find on the shelves of Dinah’s Cupboard retail stores in Toronto. The section on design alone is worth the price of the book. Here one can learn how to make borders and bases, flower-shaped garnishes from vegetables and sweets, a whole table covered with vegetables, and another one covered with fruits and shaped like a peacock. It is all here. But no matter what anybody says, the work is still exhausting. You can be your own caterer, but don’t expect to spend much of your party time socializing.