Home for the Holidays

Arlene Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

Jean Paré, prolific author of the cookbook series Company’s Coming,
has produced yet another winner. Home for the Holidays includes a wide
variety of Christmas-themed offerings, such as individual recipes for
all courses, menu suggestions, table decorations, gifts for the host,
and activities for the children.

The main courses range from the elegant and elaborate, for formal
entertaining, to the quick and simple, for days when decorating or gift
wrapping is the focus. Menu suggestions run the gamut from Holiday Open
House through Teen Parties, Kids’ Sleepovers, and New Year’s Eve
Dinner, with all recipes provided. A whole chapter is devoted to turkey,
enabling the cook to properly prepare a delicious bird and to tastefully
use up the inevitable leftovers. In the “International Buffet”
chapter, flavorful ideas from Canada’s diverse cultural backgrounds
encourage readers to incorporate new ideas along with traditional ones.

All of the almost 200 recipes are clearly presented in both imperial
and metric measures, with calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat, sodium,
and fibre contents included. Each recipe is illustrated with beautiful
color photographs and prefaced with brief introductory comments that
create a personal bond between author and reader. There is a
comprehensive recipe index, a how-to index, and an index of the helpful
tips that are scattered throughout the book.

Replete with exciting ideas for readers of all ages and for cooks of
varying abilities, this book truly makes one look forward to being home
for the holidays.