Table for Friends

Skye McAlpine, a columnist for the Sunday Times and a cookery writer, draws on years of feeding far more guests than her small kitchen seemed able to hold. Her book offers more than 100 uncomplicated recipes designed so that you can spend time with the people at your table while the food largely looks after itself. Her approach to entertaining suits gatherings of any size, from a quiet meal for two to a celebration for twenty, and her recipes cover everything from quick weeknight suppers to larger occasions.

The recipes are grouped into four chapters, Stars, Sides, Sweets and Extras, so you can build a menu around what you feel like cooking. Within each chapter, dishes are sorted into Throw Together, On The Hob and In The Oven, which helps with the common problem of limited oven space when cooking for a crowd.

Beyond the recipes, McAlpine gives practical advice on hosting without fuss, including which dishes can be prepared ahead and how to set a table attractively. Examples include honey-roast poussins, butter and sage roast pumpkin, saffron fennel, a chicory salad with creamy mustard dressing, a pasta supper of tagliatelle with gorgonzola, pear and walnut, and a chocolate chestnut meringue cake.

The book is meant to be used in the kitchen, a practical companion for anyone who wants more confidence in entertaining and more reasons to invite people over.