Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals To Share

America’s Test Kitchen brings out ideas for the gathering in this collection of themed parties from multiple styles and places. From Maine to Viet-Cajun, Midwestern brunch to Icelandic dinners, Anatolian spreads to a British picnic, are all laid out in great detail. Timetables, shopping lists, hints, and tips are combined with the recipes for cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, and sometimes desserts that all follow the theme. The “Nacho Average Barbecue” has six recipes, the “Vegetarian Dumpling Party” four, each presented in great detail with pictures and explanations that are suitable for beginners to the kitchen, but not insulting to semi-pros. The introduction is warm and encouraging, but the chapter titled “Practicalities” may be the single most useful thing; it teaches a host how to plan a party.