Whether it’s a family reunion, jungle-themed kids’ birthday party or sit-down wedding brunch, you’ll find a plethora of unique, yet inexpensive, ideas packed into this book, and have no shortage of inspiration. It really takes the guesswork out of planning a distinctive celebration. Plus, Katie makes it even easier to use her book by dividing the ideas into month by month celebrations, themed to the time of year. And, for the visual thinkers, there is a picture index to help you decide which recipe or craft to check out first.

I tried her recipe for Fried Zucchini Strips. While delicious, and the first time that my son has willingly eaten zucchini (and come back for more), the first batch burned to a crisp. After lowering the temp and watching it like a hawk, I was able to get many perfect batches after that. But no way will it come out well if you cook it on high for 5-7 minutes. When I think of Katie Brown, I don’t think of “recipes.” I think more in terms of decorating ideas and unique party themes, so this will be my go-to source for things more of that nature. Published by the Hachette Book Group this month, Katie Brown Celebrates retails for $30 and can be purchased at your favorite bookseller, or online at Amazon (for a steal at $19.80).

Although the Fried Zucchini Strips recipe needed a bit of in-home tweaking to make a batch that was edible, I’ll still be referring to this book again and again. While sitting in the car pool lane waiting to pick up my son, I flagged page after page of unique party idea and it inspires you to entertain. What I love most about her ideas and tips is that they are attainable … and in this day and age when both time and money are short, attainable is a very good thing. A very good thing indeed.

Filled with Halloween snack ideas, decorating tips, party ideas and crafts for your whole family, the ideas range from the very simple to the simply more elaborate. The Chalkboard Pumpkin? So simple, yet so ingenious. And the Orange Hot Chocolate — so festive. Over 120 pages of fun are packed into this hardbound, full-color book; you’ll find yourself turning to it again and again. There are also some templates for the content in the back of the book, however not for everything.

The only detractors for me?  There are a few pictures in the book that are surprisingly a little fuzzy (page 66 is a good example), although the rest of the book features gorgeous photography. Some of the ideas that seem simple don’t include detailed directions. For example, the Witch Pizza on page 61 is a great idea and one that we will be doing, but it says to cut the pizza into the shape of the witch. Their witch looks great. No way could I do that freehand myself. Would have been nice for a template or step-by-step instructions to be included for those less artistic. But quite honestly, these are small things and should not deter you from purchasing the book.

The book is so packed with ideas that, although it can be used only once a year, there is enough content that we will be turning to it again and again and again. It contains ideas that you can do it minutes (Squeamish Napkin Rings), some that are a little more elaborate (13 Days of Trick or Treats - love!), some too cute (Lost Souls) and much more (Screamwiches anyone?), so it is perfect for every skill level and interest. If there is a Matthew Mead fan club, sign me up!

P.S. You can preview some of the book right here and a number of free downloadable Halloween templates right here. And Matthew also has another new book out as well, Entertaining Simple.

Retails for $19.99, and available at your favorite bookseller or from Amazon.

An issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine provided just what I needed with their Middle Eastern Potato Salad. The creator of the recipe, Warda Ahmad, is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and enjoyed many Middle Eastern dishes growing up.  Not being a fan of mayonnaise, and wanting to combine her American and Middle Eastern backgrounds, she came up with this recipe.

Definitely different, but also light. When you’re looking to separate yourself from the pack a bit, why not give this one a try?

Middle Eastern Potato Salad
Warda Ahmad, Brooklyn, NY via Cooking Pleasures magazine

2 lbs new potatoes, unpeeled
6 green onions, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Dash allspice
Dash ground coriander
1-1/2 cups chopped Italian parsley
1-1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water 10 to 12 minutes or until fork-tender.  Cool; quarter or cut into 8 pieces, depending on size.

Meanwhile, in another large bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients except parsley and tomatoes. Add potatoes and parsley; toss well.  Garnish with tomatoes.

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: 245 calories, 12.5 g total fat (1.5 saturated)

In the piece, besides a look at his journey and where he is today, he answered 50 questions, giving us all a little more insight into both Jacques Pepin the man and Jacques Pepin the chef.

Which meals in your life have been the most memorable?
They would involve the quintessential dishes of my youth, from frog legs to pike quenelles, and usually in conjunction with my family.

What’s been your greatest sacrifice?
I’m sure I sacrificed a lot of things when I was a kid. We worked Saturdays and Sundays and holidays — that was the work of a chef. But we loved it. And if you love what you’re doing, you never have to go to work. So anything I did in my work, I would not call it a sacrifice.

Is there anyone who can take up your mantle?
I didn’t know I had a mantle! But there are many, many very good chefs in this country now. Which is kind of a new thing, because years ago it wasn’t considered prestigious to become a cook. Now we are geniuses.

What’s the best form of relaxation?
We all have to try to find our own source of happiness, of course. For me, it could be walking on the beach with my dog, or playing pétanque with my friends, or sharing a glass of wine with my wife. Even cooking — if I don’t have to measure it or recall it!

Are you ever not working?
Not really. I have a kind of existential anguish if I don’t work — I feel edgy if I don’t have anything to do for one or two days. Then I go to Mexico.

What bores you?
I get bored sometimes, probably, but I get away from it really fast. I can get that way at certain parties, but I’ll try to get out of there and go find something interesting. But you can always find something interesting in people if you look a little bit.

You can read the entire article right here and his Q&A right here.

Photo from Men’s Vogue.

The recipe comes from a Cookies, Bars and Cakes magazine issued by Betty Crocker around the holidays last year. Using ingredients you likely have on hand already, they are simple to make and tasty. Just don’t call them extraordinary.

Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker’s Cookies, Bars and Cakes

1-1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag (24 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (4 cups)

Heat oven to 350F.  In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed or mix with spoon, until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff).  Stir in chocolate chips.

On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart; flatten slightly.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).  Cool 1-2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Yield: about 6 dozen.

Although I like Paula Deen just fine, I make very few of her recipes. With each one containing either a whole stick of butter (or more!) or a cup of mayonnaise, they’re just not something that is going to go into our regular rotation any time soon. Once in awhile, sure, and when I spied a new recipe for Shrimp Salad in her magazine, it was one of those days. True to form, this recipe had the requisite cup of mayonnaise, in addition to a cup of sour cream, but since I always use light mayo, and the recipe served 8-10 easily, I let it slide.

With the exception of boiling the water for your pasta (and now we all know to use cold water to start the pot!), you can keep the kitchen cool and your time in it minimal.  Although I like this Shrimp Salad recipe better, and this one too, it was still good and hit the spot.

Shrimp Salad
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen’s magazine

Serves 8-10

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayo)
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
3 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (I used a little less)
1-1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 (16-ounce) box macaroni noodles, cooked and drained

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, celery, ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, salt and pepper.  Stir in the shrimp and macaroni noodles.  Cover, and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Making the rounds on the interview circuit, including a recent stop to chat with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, The Waiter, Stephen Dublanica, also made the August 18th issue of People magazine.  In the issue, he shared a little bit of what waiters think when you . . .

Walk in the door.  I can tell how a person is going to tip in 15 seconds.  Women, I would say, tip less, for the simple reason that they eat less.  But if we see four big guys in expensive suits, we go, ka-ching!

Use your cell phone.  It’s plain rude.  We’re reading the specials (which we despise doing) and you take a call - it’s like we’re beneath you.

Discuss private topics.  We hear everything!  If you don’t want anyone to know about something, don’t talk about it in a restaurant.

Send the food back.  Fine, if there’s something wrong with it.  But don’t say mean things about the chef before you’ve eaten.

Act disrespectfully.  I never spit in the food, but there are ways to deal with rude customers, like pretending their card doesn’t go through.  So treat us like people.

Want more behind-the-scenes dish?  Check out his blog right here, or grab a copy of the new book, which hit the New York Times bestseller list, right here.

In the current issue of People magazine, writer Allison Adato tried out four of the latest kid cookbooks with her six-year-old son, Julian.  Here’s what they had to say:

Yum-O: The Family Cookbook by Rachael Ray
Great idea: Breaking out tasks (stuff apples, tear basil) that the youngest chefs can handle.
Not so great: Candy “pseudo sushi.” (Cute, but all that sugar!)
Sous chef loved: Clam Bake Stoup

The Toddler Cookbook by Annabel Karmel
Great idea: Roasting cherry tomatoes for fast red sauce, instead of jarred.
Not great: Must fish sticks look like fish with a single pea for the eye?  Must they?
Sous chef made (with help): Banana muffins.

Paula Deen’s My First Cookbook
Great idea: Easy instructions with table-manners tips.
Not great: Processed foods (marshmallow ambrosia salad).
Sous chef wanted to make: That ambrosia, of course.

Cook It Up In A Cup! by Julia Myall
Great idea: Risotto cups, oven-baked in 20 minutes.
Not so great: Recipes for 12 portions - but only 6 cups in the box.
Sous chef wanted to make: Anything that looked like a cupcake.

They were featured in the May 2008 issue of Rachael Ray’s magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray.  I made a few slight changes along the way, and would definitely make them again.  Easy, healthy, pretty light, and on the table in under 30 minutes.  Mmmm, mmmm, good.

Go Green Chicken Sammies Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray, May 2008

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Grated peel of 1 lime plus juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper
Four skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 deli slices pepper jack cheese
2 avocados
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped (I skipped)
1 large clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
4 hamburger buns or crusty rolls, split and toasted
1 head bibb lettuce or green leaf lettuce (I skipped)
Tortilla chips, for serving
A few slices of cooked, crispy bacon 

1. In a shallow dish, combine the EVOO, cilantro, scallions, thyme, lime peel, half of the lime juice, and the hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 12 minutes. Just before the cooking time is up, top each breast with a slice of pepper jack cheese.
3. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, red onion, tomato, jalapeños, garlic, lemon juice and remaining lime juice; season with salt.
4. Top each bun bottom with lettuce, a chicken breast, a mound of guacamole and a bun top. Serve with the tortilla chips.

Serves 4.

Cate’s Notes:  I added crispy bacon as an additional topping, along with sliced red onions.

Photo courtesy of Rachael Ray’s Website, because my picture sucked.

“Is there any more? The rice was really good.”

With the chorizo and the shrimp, it can definitely serve as a meal by itself, or an accompaniment to something else. Given the short prep time (your basic chop and drop recipe), this is perfect for a weeknight when everyone’s clamoring for food and you haven’t got a plan. However you dish it up, you’ll find yourself coming back for more. Dig in!

Peruvian-Style Fried Rice
Arroz frito a la peruana
Recipe courtesy of Daisy Martinez
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
May 2008

SERVES 6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min

Cooking spray
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups chopped chorizo (about 8 ounces) (I used 7 oz, happened to be the amount of two small packages)
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups cooked white rice, cooled (I made the rice in beef broth, instead of water, for a little bit of extra flavor)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry (I forgot)
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over high heat and coat with cooking spray. Pour half of the eggs into the pan, swirling to coat the bottom, and let cook until set, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, flip the eggs and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the egg “tortilla” to a cutting board and repeat the process with the cooking spray and the remaining egg. Roll up each egg “tortilla” and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
2. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add the shrimp, chorizo, and onion and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is just opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. (I added the shrimp after the onion had a chance to soften a bit first.)  Mix in the rice, soy sauce, and sherry. Cook until heated through. Stir in the egg strips and top with cilantro. *Get the recipe in Spanish right here.