About the Book:
Have you ever wished you could entertain for two or twenty, elegantly or casually, from appetizers to dessert, with only one cookbook open? Baltimore caterer Kerry Dunnington did, so when she couldn’t find the kind of cookbook she wanted, she wrote one herself.
The delicious result is This Book Cooks – A Caterer’s Secret Collection. The book features almost 200 recipes chosen from Dunnington’s “Greatest Hits” – those easy to prepare, do-ahead-but delicious recipes she’s found to be successful time and time again.
Fresh, creative, and healthy, Kerry’s recipes entice even non-cooks into the kitchen. Imagine dazzling your lover, fiends or family with Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Stuffing. Greek Shrimp Salad, Stuffed Lettuce, Cheese Curry Pate with Plum Sauce, Apricot Meatballs, Cherry Cobbler, Marinated Fruit with Ginger-Stuffed Dates and a very easy Chocolate Meringue Pie! If you’re not a cook, this cookbook will seduce you to cook. And if you are a cook, you’ll appreciate the variety and fresh inspiration to be found here.
Though most of the food in This Book Cooks is robustly spiced and full-flavored, no recipe is complicated or has a long list of ingredients. Beginning cooks can easily prepare most dishes, assisted by Dunnington’s detailed instructions. Because Kerry believes each meal should be a compatible marriage of tastes and textures, she takes special care to present menus with thought to color, balance and variety, then suggests wines that bring out the best in the food. “My goal is to convince busy people that they really can entertain,” Kerry says. “It’s been gratifying to hear people say they find the book indispensable. One woman told me it’s already become one of the most well-loved, well-worn books in her collection!”
This This Book Cooks has sold thousands of copies since its release - in part due to Kerry's relentless schedule of book signings, media appearances, and cooking demonstrations. The buzz is about to get louder, though, as she embarks on a series of prestigious chef appearances throughout the region. Her 2007 schedule continues to be as energetic as last year's, when she proved that with hard work and belief in oneself, even seemingly unattainable goals can be fulfilled.
Kerry can often be found at Whole Foods Markets and various venues around the region, where her popular cooking demonstrations attract audiences with her non-intimidating, user-friendly style. Demonstrations include a discussion about the harmonious benefits of eating foods in their growing season and foods that represent color, balance, variety and texture.
Kerry's food column, "Cooking with Kerry" appears bi-weekly in the
Examiner's Healthy Life section of the Baltimore, Washington, DC and San Francisco editions. Her monthly column, "The Reason for the Season" appears in baltimore eats. "New Bites" will run in the bi-monthly editions of Baltimore SmartWoman magazine, Kerry is also a contributing writer for Hotel Food & Beverage Executive. In 2008 Kerry was appointed to the board of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF).
