Synopses & Reviews
Douglas grew up in a big family where his mother and grandmother served big dinners every night of the week. Today, he's one of the country's hottest chefs, known not only for making Pacific Northwest cuisine and wine a centerpiece of American dining but also for hosting sensational big dinner parties at home. With his wife, Jackie Cross, Douglas takes an equally innovative approach to cookbooks, sharing menus and memories in an out-of-this-world collection.
Drawn from special meals with family members, friends, vintners, and fellow restaurant owners, Tom's Big Dinners brings together thirteen of his favorite feasts, with no-nonsense recipes that make it easy to cook like a restaurant chef without ever leaving home.
The menus range in style from the refined Wine Cellar Dinner, with recipes for Goat Cheese Fondue, Vine-Roasted Squab with Syrah Jam, and Chocolate Crêpes, to the relaxing Screen Door Barbecue, featuring Pit-Roasted Pork Spareribs, Down-Home Collard Greens, and Hard Watermelon Lemonade, and the festive Pop Pop's Winter Solstice, starting with Pop Pop's Perfect Martini and Caramelized Fennel Tart, followed by Creamy Seafood Chowder and Parsley Scones.
The Pike Place Market Menu and Puget Sound Crab Feed showcase classic Seattle-style dishes, while Tom's extravagant Chinese Feast incorporates the Asian influence prevalent in Pacific Rim cooking.
In their energetic and warmly inviting book, Tom and Jackie take the hassle out of first-rate entertaining. Suggestions for do-ahead preparation appear in each chapter, along with wine pairings for each course.
A celebration in itself, Tom's Big Dinners brings big-time fun, flavor, and flair to your own dinners.
Review
"Ambitious home cooks looking for new ways to entertain in high culinary style will find an abundance of fresh ideas here." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Tom Douglas is not only the successful chef-owner of three Seattle restaurants Etta's, Palace Kitchen, and Dahlia Lounge he's also known for hosting dynamite parties for friends and family. In Tom's Big Dinners, the celebrated chef invites cooks into his own kitchen and shares 13 creative menus for entertaining. From a refined Columbia River Valley Vineyard Dinner to a relaxed Screen Door Barbecue and a festive Winter Solstice feast, each menu is stamped with Tom's big flavors. Included within each are easy-to-follow recipes, as well as tips on presentation, ambiance, and wine selection.
About the Author
Tom Douglas, a Delaware native, grew up on blue crabs steamed with loads of Old Bay spice, but he later moved to Seattle, where Dungeness is king. For the last twenty years, Tom's Dungeness crab cakes have been one of the top-selling dishes in his popular restaurants. Along with his wife and business partner, Jackie Cross, Tom owns four of Seattle's most exciting restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta's, Palace Kitchen, and Lola, as well as Dahlia Bakery and a catering business, Tom Douglas Catering and Events. Tom is the author of Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen, which won a James Beard Award, and Tom's Big Dinners. Tom and Jackie live in Seattle, Washington, with their daughter, Loretta.