Entertaining Light

Cookbook author and teacher Martha Rose Shulman shows how to cook for guests with less fat and fewer heavy ingredients. The recipes build on fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, leaner cuts of meat, and lighter stand-ins for rich ingredients.

The main courses come from several cuisines. They include an asparagus and herb lasagna, chicken breasts in a green tomatillo mole, a beet salad dressed with orange juice and parsley, and roasted red peppers served with tuna and anchovies.

For dessert, the book offers a rhubarb and strawberry crumble with crème anglaise and a pear and red wine sorbet.

It is written for hosts who want to serve everything from formal dinner parties and intimate suppers to large buffets, and who want those meals to be light and healthy without losing their festive character.