The Classy Chics

Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog

You are here: Home / Food and Recipes / Throw a Party Like A Southerner with The Southern Living Party Cookbook

Throw a Party Like A Southerner with The Southern Living Party Cookbook

by

The Southern Living Party CookbookHaving moved to the South not long ago, I’m loving Southern cooking, and Southern Living is my go-to source for inspiration. So you can imagine my joy when offered the chance to review The Southern Living Party Cookbook: A Modern Guide to Gathering by Elizabeth Heiskell (Oxmoor House, October 2018), an updated edition of their classic Party Cookbook from 1972.

* Complimentary cookbook received for review. This post contains affiliate links.

Southerners are famous for their hospitality and their food. The Southern Living Party Cookbook is a guide for hosting all sorts of gatherings featuring an amazing variety of food and beverages from the simple to the formal, all with that special Southern point of view.

The Southern Living Party Cookbook

The book is organized by occasion, then by individual parties, each with a full menu and recipes. The main types of gatherings are:

• Teas, Coffees, and Receptions
• Come by for a Drink, Y’All
• Brunches and Luncheons
• Cookouts
• Celebrations and Dinners

As an example of the breakdown, Brunches and Luncheons includes party menus for a Gospel Brunch, Christening Brunch, Easter, Garden Club Luncheon, and Salad, Salad, Salad, and each of those menus contains several appropriate recipes; e.g., the Garden Club Luncheon features Vichyssoise, Puff Pastry Chicken Salad Ring, Cranberry-Strawberry Salad, Marinated Veggie (Lots of Veggies) Salad, and Peach Melba.

The Southern Living Party Cookbook

Many of the gatherings, menus, and recipes are quintessentially Southern, but there’s nothing to stop you from throwing one of these parties no matter where you live. To help you be the best host possible, valuable bits of information throughout the book appear under the headings Notes, Party Rules, and Tips. The Notes generally give variations or hints for the recipes they accompany, such as substitutions for some of the ingredients. The Party Rules vary from suggestions to make the party flow better to ensuring everyone’s safety (e.g., food allergies or too much alcohol). The Tips are ideas to make your life easier, both while preparing for and during the party. Taken together, these little asides give you the benefit of the author’s experience as a successful caterer.

There’s a lot of good reading in The Southern Living Party Cookbook. The “Hosting Handbook” at the beginning of the book is like a short course in entertaining, including sections on etiquette, table setting, and a particularly helpful piece called Estimating Quantities. Then you’ll find useful background information and fun stories in the introductions to the chapters, menus, and recipes, too.

This book will make you want to get together with the people in your life to share some quality time and good food and beverages. And it seems to me that we could all use more of that!

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win their own copy of The Southern Living Party Cookbook, thanks to Oxmoor House, an imprint of Time Inc. Books.

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on February 20th, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

Bailey

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!! 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Julie Waldron says

    I repinned Hot Cocoa Kisses Topped Peanut Butter Cookies – The Classy Chics under farmermomwife.

  21. Alice F says

    I would like to have the The Cabot Creamery Cookbook: Simple, Wholesome Dishes from America’s Best Dairy Farms. Nothing taste as good as food cooked in a cast iron pan.

  26. Tamra Phelps says

    I pinned Fruity Pineapple Orange Citrus Punch from the board Beverage Recipes. @tamraphe

  29. Tamra Phelps says

    I’d like to have The Lodge Cat Iron Cooking Cookbook. I use the cast-iron skillets that belonged to my Grandma all the time, and I love cooking with them

  35. Maureen says

    I think that the My recipes America’s Favorite Food would be one I would love to read and use.