Karin Eastham‘s Cook the Part puts a fun twist on a dinner party by making cooking an event. More than a cookbook, Cook the Part is an entertaining guide that explains the concept of team cooking and breaks down each step in the party plan.

I don’t always like people, but every once in a while I feel the urge to entertain. Menu planning, shopping, sending invitations, and cooking all make me smile. There are times I want to host the party but am not up to the shopping and cooking. Potluck parties work, but there is a risk of guests bringing the same side dish or dessert even if you assign a specific type of food. And sometimes catering takes some of the fun away, not to mention the hit to the wallet and potential lack of leftovers. If you feel like entertaining but not cooking all on your own, then skip the potluck or caterer and try team cooking. Karin Eastham is the Queen of Team Cooking and her new book Cook the Part includes dinner party themes and recipes for success.

Eastham has a fascinating background. She writes like someone with an equal command of words and passion for cooking. She comes by her love of food naturally and her leadership skills developed during years in the science industry shine through in her explanation of how team cooking works. Let Eastham’s 40+ years of experience as a host guide you as you try the team cooking form of entertaining. Each dinner party theme includes a menu for eight, menu-specific host cooking prep guidelines, workstation setup, team activity breakdowns, and a timeline for prep, cooking, and dining. Cook the Part also includes tips on how to form the optimal cooking teams.

I decided to experiment with team cooking before hosting a party. I asked Hubby to take a look and choose a menu theme that caught his attention. He selected four and we went to shopping after finally selecting A Taste of Baja (page 67) as the one. We set up stations and got started. Eastham walks you through station set up and team tasks, so party time can be painless. Since it was just the two of us this go round, we set up two stations at a time instead and took our time preparing the feast. We also took a little extra prep time to make a vegetarian alternative for the fish in the Fish Tacos (page 72). The resulting feast was yummy and made a nice change from our usual Taco Tuesday. We will try these recipes again and plan to take on the Pacific Northwest Seafood Evening (page 37), Tuscan Farmhouse Dinner (page 19), and Authentic Tastes of Indonesia (page 137) menus at later times.

Karin Eastham penned a lovely gift for anyone just starting down the entertaining path or anyone looking for a different kind of cookbook. More than a cookbook, Cook the Part is a guide to entertaining that even a kitchen novice would enjoy. The breakdowns make cooking easy for any cooking level and the pictures will make anyone hungry. The recipes we tried were flavorful and easily modified for our personal tastes. Make the Vodka-laced Gazpacho (page 106), Homemade Pita Bread with Tzatziki (page 85), and the fantastic Chocolate Chipotle Brownie Cake (page 76) anytime, not just on special occasions or for guests. Visit the Cook the Part on Facebook or Twitter feed for additional tips, hints, and coupons. Pick up your copy of Cook the Part as an e-book or paperback today and make your next dinner party an interactive event.

Disclaimer: Sherrie has personally reviewed the product listed above. Sherrie has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Sherrie did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!