My name is Dawna Pitts. I am passionate about entertaining and always have been. I realized I actually have much to share from my experiences of entertaining for many years and living on different continents which made me write my book Entertaining is My Love Language. I wanted to inspire people to have more get-togethers in our homes build sweet, delicious memories, and understand home entertaining doesn’t always have to be proper and perfect and no need to be intimidated by foreign exotic food ingredients.
A beautiful book of stories and recipes by a Vietnamese mother and daughter. I found this book when I was dining at their restaurant in Beverly Hills.
I have always loved their food so purchasing their recipe book was a no-brainer but as a happy surprise, I fell in love with their heartwarming family stories on top of amazing recipes. The stories of how their family survived from Vietnam, came over to the San Francisco area in the United States, opened a Vietnamese deli shop, and fast-forward many years, and now they own multiple restaurants all over California.
I relate to some parts of their stories I am also not originally from here. From making inexpensive lunch items for office workers in San Francisco to hosting celebrity-filled post-Oscars show parties, I have enjoyed reading every ounce of this book! Plus, Helen An’s pursuit of combining healthy ingredients with modern-day cooking is how I, too, was raised, and have always been interested in learning more about that. I was inspired!
In Vietnamese, AN" means TO EAT," a happy coincidence, since the An family has built an award-winning restaurant empire, including the renowned celebrity favourite Crustacean Beverly Hills,that has been toasted by leading food press, including Bon Appetit, Gourmet, InStyle and the Food Network. Helene An, executive chef and matriarch of the House of An, is hailed as the mother of fusion" and was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute for her signature style that brings together Vietnamese, French, and California- fresh influences. Now her daughter Jacqueline tells the family story and shares her mother's delicious and previously secret" recipes, including Mama's"…
Everything this reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump does looks beautiful, elegant, and expensive on TV. Of course, I wanted to see how she does that, that’s why I purchased this book.
I was pleasantly surprised by how honestly she described so many things she does as “smoke and mirrors” in her words. From owning many restaurants in different countries, she has a wide variety of knowledge on hosting people. She shared many tips on how to make beautiful presentations of food and table settings effortlessly such as decorating store-bought plain cake to make it look like a custom-ordered cake from a high-end cake shop.
Her dry sense of British humor really adds fun to reading this book as well. The recipes in this book are mainly from chefs who worked for her restaurants, I was really impressed when I tested them out but easy enough for home cooks like me to use. I am glad I bought this book for certain!
Lisa Vanderpump has become the breakout star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Her unique mix of sparkling glamour and down-to-earth style has appealed to thousands of fans. On the show, viewers can see her hosting dinner parties and running her popular Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca with what can best be termed"easy elegance." Now Lisa shares her tips and tricks for creating the perfect gathering: whether you're hosting a cozy winter dinner for six, throwing a poolside BBQ, or just hanging out with your closest friends, Lisa has just the menu and entertaining hints that will make it…
I have been a fan of Colin Cowie for years and this book totally lived up to my expectations.
He wrote how he did things and why in the most chic way possible. I have adapted several things into my life from this book. For example, I organize my dried spice rack alphabetically and have host/hostess gifts ready at all times so I am always ready for any invitation. I felt my life was more organized when I finished this book!
A handbook for living well in the twenty-first century
From legendary lifestyle expert Colin Cowie comes the last word in living a gracious, sensuous life on any budget. Colin draws back the curtain on his own chic, passionate, 120-miles-per-hour life, revealing how to create and entertain in an inviting home, garner respect in the workplace, and travel with ease and comfort. No matter how or where you live, or whatever your personal style may be, Colin Cowie Chic will place you on the fast track to experiencing life to the fullest.
This immensely practical handbook offers step-by-step instructions on everything…
This book was given to me by my mum after she read it on the plane from Seoul to visit me here. She is an advocate health/food person, to say the least, and she always tries to help me to stay in a healthier food lifestyle.
I am a Korean American, was born in Korea and lived there until I was 14, lived in Australia for 8 years, and have been living in America for going on 25 years now. Even though I have been in the States for the longest part of my life, my food core very much has Korean roots in it.
Korean food starts with ingredients that has certain health benefits to us and we try to make it taste good to eat. American food starts with what tastes good and we make it more tastier to eat. Having an American husband and a son who was born and raised here, I am always looking for ways to incorporate healthy ingredients and cooking styles into our table.
This book helped me just to do that and reminded me of a lot of things I have forgotten. I have this book in my office and flip through time to time for those helpful reminders.
Korean women are expected to reach a record average lifespan of over 90 years by 2030. In this first-of-its kind guide, discover their culture's ancient healing methods and remedies.
How has the Korean culture, now being looked at as a new Blue Zone, created such incredible wellness and longevity? An examination of their healing traditions may provide some actionable answers. Grace Yoon, Founder of Qi Alchemy, delivers just this with The Korean Herbal Apothecary, the first book to focus specifically on Korean herbalism and ancestral healing practices. She reveals healing traditions that have been used for generations, handed down grandmother…
A true inspiration! In fact, when I was asked to write a cook/recipe book, I wanted to write a book on home entertaining instead and this book was a big part of that inspiration.
David Tutera is an incredibly talented event planner and also a very warm charming kind man whom I met in person at the First Ladies’ luncheon by Dr. Jill Biden in Washington D.C. He was in charge of the setup for the event and of course, everything was perfect! When I was reading about the opulent grand events he produced, it was like being inside a favorite movie to me.
As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I know most people only get to create these large-sized events maybe once or twice in their lives, maybe their wedding and 50th wedding anniversary party if you are lucky! That gave me the thought of writing my book designed to help people put together small gatherings in their homes. I learned so many details to follow for both small and large parties in this book and loved David’s interesting life stories along the side.
The premier party planner who has thrown soirees for Elton John, Tipper Gore and other celebs shares his secrets for arranging the best weddings, holiday parties, formal dinners, and cocktail parties.
My book is a complete guidebook for all home-entertaining needs covering everything from the basics of table setting tips, casual outdoor dining, multi-course wine-paired dinner plans, and all the way to the parties to impress everyone. All recipes are easy and simple for all levels of cooking skills. I shared how to have fun with unique ingredients such as Gochujang, Yuja (aka Yuzu), rice paper, etc. from my Asian heritage as well as recipes from all around the world from Sydney to Singapore. There are some surprising additional tips on how to get ready for your parties, what to do when an SOS dinner needs to happen and etiquette to remember. This is a great read for anyone who wants to start opening their homes and entertaining their loved ones!
In Love It or Lose It, I share the wisdom and techniques I’ve gained over decades of helping people declutter their lives. Alongside my colleague, Maggie Bedrosian, we offer a roadmap for those feeling overwhelmed by the physical and emotional weight of clutter. This book isn’t just about tidying up—it’s about transforming your space so it can better serve your purpose and bring more peace and joy into your life.
Through stories of real-life clients and our own personal experiences, you’ll discover how to tackle clutter with humor and heart. Whether you’re a business leader, a busy parent, or…
Finally, here’s your chance to break free from the clutter that’s weighing you down. It’s your opportunity to move from being overwhelmed and disorganized to clutter-free and clear.
In Love It or Lose It, long-time organizational experts Barbara Hemphill and Maggie Bedrosian share the secrets and techniques their clients—everyday people, celebrities, business and political leaders alike—have used to dig out from under all their junk and distraction. In stories filled with humor, heart, and success, you’ll learn how to declutter your own home and work spaces, and keep them that way for good.
