Wanna be gourmet

Help! I love having dinner parties. I am a southern girl from Tennessee. I am a good "southern cook" but.... I enjoy more elegant dishes too. I would love help with putting together several nice menus. Poultry dishes, beef and pork tenderloin are some of my favorites. I always enjoy serving a salad, homeade bread or rolls and a main entree with vegetable and starch and a nice dessert. Can someone help me know where find this or does it exist. I have seen some cookbooks that do this but rarely do they have pictures. I like to see what the finished product looks like? Am I crazy?? Anyone??

[shroomgirl]

Bon Appetits from the 80's had wonderful menus....with lucious pictures...check out the libraries archives.

Magazines may be more picture oriented.

Seasonal....think what is in season right now.

[nutcakes]

You might want to check out Anne Willan's Cook It Right. I don't own this but I have taken a look and there are many of the dishes you mention. Each recipe is accompanied by pictures of what the dish should look like as well as pictures of what different stages look like. There are also pictures of things underdone and overdone so you can have some reference points. She is the aughor of the well regarded La Varene Practique.

[lynne]

The Food and Wine Magazine Book collections have some wonderful photos to accompany their recipes.

Also browse through a book store cook book collection. Most books that are single item focused have lots of pictures. (By single item, I mean chicken, pork, breakfast...).

The Williams and Sonoma Collections also have some wonderful photography and some great sounding recipes.

Happy cooking!

[Mezzaluna]

Julia Child's The Way to Cook is a valuable resource, too. She uses Master Recipes (basis) and then improvises. Her Julia Child and Company cookbook has some good entertaining recipes. I've always wanted to try her Chicken Melon recipe (chicken pate made as a sort of ballotine in its own skin). Good luck! You have lots of pleasurable reading to do.

[shroomgirl]

I made that chicken melon years ago it was pretty good.