The U. S. A. Book of Lists: The Ultimate Compendium of All Things American Book

Mounting a wedding reception (or even a wedding rehearsal dinner) is on a level with the D-Day invasion of France or the launch of the space shuttle. But it actually can be done by an amateur with some experience in quantity cooking and a lot of friends willing to help out. The book offers guidance to the intrepid person who would be his or her own caterer for either (or both) of these events. It is organized by the various kinds of receptions (e.g. formal, brunch, barbecue, dessert et al.) and includes information on menus, food preparation, equipment rental, table arrangement, necessary supplies and decorating. It includes some recipes (which are scalable) but is not truly a cookbook. It is more about how to organize a large number of your willing friends and minions into a brigade culinaire that would make Auguste Escoffier jealous. For a person intent on a D.I.Y. wedding reception, this book is of incalculable value.