Nathalie Dupree 

Nathalie Dupree is the author of ten cookbooks, eight of which are hard backs, selling over half a million copies, and host of three hundred television shows, which have aired on PBS, The Learning Channel and The Food Network for over fifteen years.

Nathalie, as she is known to her fans, has won innumerable awards for her work, including two James Beard Awards. She is most famous for her approachability and understanding of Southern cooking, having started the New Southern Cooking movement now found in many restaurants throughout the South.

She has been Chef of three restaurants, one in Majorca, Spain, one in Social Circle, Georgia, and one in Richmond, Virginia. She was the Director of Rich’s Cooking School, a full participation cooking school in Atlanta, and stopped counting at 10,000 students. Numerous students of hers now own restaurants, catering or other food businesses, and have written their own cookbooks. Married to author Jack Bass, she lives in Charleston, South Carolina. Order her books at www.Nathalie.com or contact her at Nathalieonly@aol.com

Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining:
At Home with Ease and Grace

"If you've watched my television show, you know that perfect is not my thing!" says Nathalie Dupree, and in Comfortable Entertaining she has written the book that gives us permission--at long last--to entertain in a less than perfect world.

A much-loved cookbook and television personality, Nathalie Dupree has thrown parties on rooftops and in tiny apartments from San Francisco to Rome to Social Circle, Georgia. She has entertained as a young professional on a tight budget, a television personality, and cooking teacher; planned galas for hundreds and put on last-minute get-togethers. Her award-winning cookbooks have sold more than half a million copies, but Comfortable Entertaining is the book that shows us how to do what Nathalie does best--create spontaneous hospitality and great food.

This full-range cookbook features more than 250 life-is-not-perfect recipes, from the holiday classics to an eye-popping formal dinner for eight: from soup parties and brunches to fork meals and salad lunches. Nathalie reminds us of correct napkin and tablecloth procedures and explains how to seat feuding guests and what to do when dinner burns minutes before the guests arrive.

Nathalie's Tips for Entertaining

Most recipes can be safely multiplied to feed more people.
--Never multiply a recipe by an uneven number. It’s conventional wisdom among experienced cooks that it doesn’t work, maybe because the math is harder to keep up with.
--It is safer to arrive at the right number by doubling a recipe on paper and then doubling it again than it is to try to multiply by four, especially if you’re not mathematically inclined. With a written record, if something goes wrong, you might be able to figure out and correct any mistakes due to faulty multiplication.
--As with many things in life, you need to use your own judgement and rely on your own taste. Not all ingredients need to conform to strict mathematical rules. For instance, the amount of fat needed for sautéing needn’t be doubled even if you are doubling the recipe. You still only need to cover the bottom of the pan to sauté even twice as many onions.
--Timing is trickier than quantities. When doubling a recipe, timing by the clock might not have to be multiplied by two--or it may take longer, depending on the pan size. Watch for the indications mentioned in the recipe--like bring to a boil, heat until soft, stir until brown--and ignore the number of minutes. The result is more critical than the amount of time it takes. Buy an instant-read thermometer, one of a cook’s best friends.
--And remember, food multiplies. According to some mysterious spiritual law, a recipe for four multiplied by four usually will serve more than sixteen. Remember the parable of the loaves and the fishes, or you might have an enormous amount of leftovers.