What Can I Bring?
Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life - A Cookbook
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- USD 14.99
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- USD 14.99
Publisher Description
AN EATER BEST COOKBOOKS OF SPRING 2025 • A VOGUE COOKBOOKS DEFINING THE WAY WE’RE COOKING IN 2025 • AN EPICURIOUS STANDOUT COOKBOOK FOR SPRING 2025 • A CHOWHOUND BEST NEW COOKBOOKS OF 2025 • A TERTULIA BEST COOKBOOKS OF 2025 • A GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER
In What Can I Bring?, veteran food and cookbook writer and guest extraordinaire Casey Elsass takes the stress out of the partygoer’s eternal dilemma with 75 recipes that will make you the talk of the party—for the right reasons.
In a room full of bags of chips, be the most desired dip with Golden Ratio Guac or Seven Onion Dip. Put down the $12 bottle of pinot grigio and pick up a tray of Jell-O Cocktail Shots. Discover a world of standout brunch dishes, such as Cream-Soaked Cinnamon Rolls or Bagel Panzanella. When you’re on dessert duty, choose from Buttermilk Brownies, Apple + Chinese Five-Spice Pie, Very Creamy Ice Cream, or death-by-chocolate Bruce Bogtrotter Cake. And when the host instructs you to bring yourself, come prepared with giftable treats like Seasoned Oyster Crackers or Homemade Hot Fudge. With plenty of options and adaptations for special diets and allergies, including vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free recipes, and detailed instructions for packing and serving for minimal stress on-site, this book is your road map for crowd-pleasing party fare. The only thing you’ll be taking home is the title of MVP—Most Valuable Partygoer.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Elsass (Maple Syrup) answers the question he poses in the title of this personable cookbook with 75 recipes for dips, breads, salads, beverages, and desserts. There's caesar salad with a hummus-based dressing, fried halloumi caprese, and vegetarian "Faux Gras" made with cashews. Elsass provides some helpful maxims for guests: "If you're always on time, bring appetizers," like Lebanese muhammara, a red pepper and pomegranate dip, but "if you're reliably late, bring a drink," like a pitcher of lemonade, margaritas, or hazelnut eggnog. Recipes are sorted by effort required, from "In Your Sleep" easy to "Roll Up Your Sleeves" complex, with six particularly impressive offerings earning "Bragging Rights." Most don't come with suggestions for what kind of event they would best suit, but Elsass does devote an entire chapter to brunch fare, featuring loaded rösti, and yogurt parfait. Two dessert chapters reflect a range of effort and pizzazz: rice krispies are a quick treat, while raspberry meringue tart is a showstopper. A brief final section on foodie hostess gifts, including homemade jam and herb-infused oil, rounds things out. Given the festive focus, some serving sizes seem small—a recipe for gochujang cheddar scones, for example, only makes six—but Elsass's "party tricks," including tips on transporting dishes, are a plus. This is sure to come in handy.
