Tables & Spreads: A Go-To Guide for Beautiful Snacks, Intimate Gatherings, and Inviting Feasts

by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel, Wyatt Worcel (With)

Overview

From the author of the bestselling Platters & Boards comes a beautifully photographed recipe collection and styling guide that shows you how to easily create lovely, abundant spreads for every occasion.

Tables & Spreads is a must-have cookbook and resourceful styling guide from bestselling author Shelly Westerhausen. Here are more than 60 easy-to-prepare recipes plus behind-the-scenes insight into creating a beautiful, inviting table for every occasion, including tips on choosing a theme, styling your food in creative ways, and achieving that "wow factor" with linens, flowers, music, and more. There are 20 visually striking spreads that range from Ladies Night Lettuce Wraps to a Christmas Morning Dutch Baby Party, Dips for Dinner, and a Boozy Bloody Mary Bar. Rich with gorgeous and instructive photography, Tables & Spreads is inspiring yet totally accessible, perfect for home cooks who like to host gatherings of all sizes, and those who loved Shelly's first book, Platters & Boards. Complete with timelines, shopping lists, diagrams, and more, this book includes all the tools you need to make every meal delicious and unforgettable.

• NEXT LEVEL ENTERTAINING: Tables & Spreads takes easy entertaining to the next level with additional recipes and robust guidance on casual styling of beautiful platters and tables for any number of guests.
• ON TREND: The simple but impactful guidelines in this book speak to the way people are eating and entertaining today—often casually, with beautiful presentation, and a "help yourself" mentality. This book teaches us how to do that elegantly and create gorgeous grazing tables whether you're preparing a "snack dinner" for one, a family brunch, or a large-scale wedding or holiday table.
• FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS: Anyone can make successful, beautiful spreads with these easy-to-follow guidelines and visual inspiration. These grazing spreads offer low-effort, high-impact results with easily sourced ingredients to feed a crowd-perfect for anyone that loves to eat and entertain.

Perfect for:

• Fans of Shelly Westerhausen and of Platters & Boards
• Ina Garten and Martha Stewart fans who are always looking for creative & tasty ideas
• People who seek inspiration in tablescaping, arranging, menus, and party inspirations

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797206493
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	368,039
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Shelly Westerhausen is the author of Vegetarian Heartland and the bestselling Platters & Boards, and the blogger behind Vegetarian 'Ventures. Her recipes have been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, FOOD52, Savuer magazine, and many others. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her boyfriend Wyatt.

Wyatt Worcel is an electronic music artist based in Bloomington, Indiana. When not working on his music, he spends his free time helping Shelly with her many food projects.

Editorial Reviews

04/05/2021

Worcel (Platters & Boards) returns with a charming guide to entertaining that’s as much about atmosphere as it is about cooking. “To help you end up with a visually cohesive, themed party vibe,” Worcel organizes things into two parts: Building a Spread—“platters, boards, and servingware... grouped together by a common theme”—and Recipes, Boards & Tables. She encourages readers to skip around as needed, finding a recipe in part two, then consulting the first for presentation; if the Smoky Carrot Bloody Mary is on the menu, for instance, one might peruse the glassware section in part one for a suitable vessel. With the recipes organized by theme—“Keeping It Casual,” “Interactive,” and “Holiday Showstoppers”—Worcel makes it easy to choose the motif. The Standard board’s spicy cantaloupe jam and pickled zucchini ribbons is a simple option, while those looking for a more involved endeavor could check out the instructions for a Pierogi Dumpling Party. Heading into the holidays, the salted pecan tart would be a great complement to a sweet spread. Smartly organized and thoughtfully written, this will appeal to aspiring and experienced party hosts alike. Agent: Cindy Uh, CAA. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Allow me to present the snacking buffet. Shelly Westerhausen Worcel is the author - along with Wyatt Worcel - of the book Tables Spreads, which explains how to create an array of beautiful and elaborate grazing treats."-The Guardian

Ideal for party planners, this cookbook offers a score of ideas. A useful addition for libraries looking for more books on entertaining. - Library Journal

"Smartly organized and thoughtfully written, this will appeal to aspiring and experienced party hosts alike." - Publishers Weekly

"Tables Spreads is a cookbook and lesson in styling a beautiful, inviting table with major wow factor, minimal fuss. Worcel’s creative ideas will make any night (special occasion or not!) totally unforgettable." - Camille Styles, New Cookbooks That Are Making Us Fall in Love with Cooking All Over Again

From the Publisher

05/07/2021

Following up on their guide Platters and Boards, here the authors move on to tables and spreads, presenting a variety of approaches to building a spread and the importance of establishing a focal point. Besides the art of styling, the book also covers tablescaping (setting themed dining tables in decorative ways for special events) for casual get-togethers as well as holiday spreads. Each option includes flavor combination ideas, suggestions for optional drink pairings, styling notes, and a sidebar with tips on offering substitutions. As in the authors' previous book, their rich photographs are a particular highlight and will guide home cooks as they recreate snacks and spreads. There are ideas for various occasions (girls' night, a baby shower) and options catering to vegetarian and vegan diets. Highlights include a dumpling party, which can be created with the help of the entire family, as well as a customizable autumn oatmeal spread. VERDICT Ideal for party planners, this cookbook offers a score of ideas. A useful addition for libraries looking for more books on entertaining.—Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Library Journal