Memorable meals made easy TOGETHER

MEMORABLE MEALS MADE EASY
Each chapter starts with a little menu card for that meal - please take a photo of it and you can use it as an invitation to get people over or, of course, you can pick and choose recipes to build your own menu. I've written each individual recipe so it works not only as a component in the wider meal, but as a standalone dish, giving you maximum flexibility. To guarantee that your meal is as stress-free as possible, recipe methods are signposted as follows:
GET AHEAD refers to jobs that can be done the day before your meal, and in some instances, even a couple of days before - this is about getting as much of the hands-on, messy stuff out of the way, in advance. Sometimes we're even cooking ahead, ready to simply reheat and enjoy the next day. I have also flagged where something can just as easily be done on the day, in case you're more of a last-minute person, or want to organize your time in a different way.
ON THE DAY refers to jobs that can be done in advance, but are best done the same day that you're enjoying your meal - it might be prep, it might be the early stages of cooking, but it's certainly stuff that doesn't need to be done in the company of guests.
TO SERVE - you guessed it - this is what you need to do to get the food on the table. Some last-minute prep, some cooking, some garnishing and finishing, it varies from meal to meal.
When it comes to timings, if you choose to follow a whole meal, I'd recommend deciding on the time you want to eat, then working backwards and making a plan of what needs to be done, so you feel totally in control. If you can delegate some jobs, too, that's always a bonus.
PANTRY INGREDIENTS
As with all my recent books, I presume you've got these five everyday staples in the cupboard.
They pop up regularly throughout the book and aren't included in each individual ingredients list. They are olive oil for cooking, extra virgin olive oil for dressing and finishing dishes, red wine vinegar as a good all-rounder when it comes to acidity and balancing marinades, sauces and dressings, and sea salt and black pepper for seasoning.