cover image Le Dome at Home

Le Dome at Home

Eddie Kerkhofs. Broadway Books, $27.5 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-385-42133-1

Some believe that having a dinner party is a charming notion. Others view the idea as akin to surgery without anesthetic. Kerkhofs definitely falls in the first category and may convert some from the latter with this collection. From his 20 years as a professional chef, most at his own notable Le Dome in L.A., Kerkhofs has assembled a selection of 22 dinner-party menus. The menus run the gamut form an intimate dinner for two (Pasta with Caviar; Soft-Shell Crabs with Garlic Butter; Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, Raspberries, and Cassis) to an elegant dinner for 12 (Ceviche of Sea Bass; Asparagus and Belgian Endive; Chicken Paupiettes in Red Wine with Wild Rice). Kerkhofs sees cooking as an activity that's fun and satisfying, whether one is fixing mashed potatoes and gravy or a ragout of salmon. What makes these menus work is advance preparation and careful reheating later. (He swears by a double boiler for this purpose.) His timetables allow a cook to whip up Braised Pork Chops with Onions, Potatoes and Thyme or Mussels Mariniere and still be available to guests. Novice cooks might want to give themselves a little more time than Kerkhofs allows, but the recipes naturally lean toward dishes that can be assembled at the last minute and don't require hovering. Menus are prefaced with personal reminiscences, especially of the chef's childhood in Belgium. (Sept.)