“[Reed] has compiled here food-focused curiosities sprinkled with a dash of travel, a pinch of sass, and a whole load of recipes.” —Publishers Weekly

Julia Reed, a master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry, takes the reader on culinary adventures in places as far flung as Kabul, Afghanistan and as close to home as her native Mississippi Delta and Florida’s Gulf Coast. Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm’s Royale at the Paris Ritz, devours delicious chuletons in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses ranging from Pat Buckley to Pearl Bailey and, of course, her own mother.

Reed writes about the bounty—and the burden—of a Southern garden in high summer, tosses salads in the English countryside, and shares C.Z. Guest’s recipe for an especially zingy bullshot. She understands the necessity of a potent holiday punch and serves it up by the silver bowl full, but she is not immune to the slightly less refined charms of a blender full of frozen peach daiquiris. And then there are the parties: shindigs ranging from sultry summer suppers and raucous dinners at home to a Plymouth-like Thanksgiving feast and an upscale St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

This delightful collection of essays will show you how to entertain guests with style, have a good time yourself and always have that perfect pitcher of sangria ready at a moment’s notice.

“If this doesn’t make you hungry, and thirsty, call the doctor, you are sick.” —Roy Blount Jr.

“A voice that never loses its originality, freshness, and supreme wit.” —James Villas, author of Pig: King of the Southern Table and Crazy for Casseroles