http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/dining/review-mozza-at-home-nancy-silverton-eat-in-my-kitchen-meike-peters.html 2016-09-27 23:06:52 Review: ‘Mozza at Home’ and ‘Eat in My Kitchen’ New cookbooks from the chef Nancy Silverton and the blogger Meike Peters offer inviting recipes for entertaining. === Conventional wisdom has it that when you’re entertaining, it’s best to focus on the tried and true, not something new that might result in emergency takeout. With “ I can vouch for the chicken thigh recipes, pan-roasted and browned at the last minute. I’m less convinced by the shoulder lamb chops, described as “pleasantly chewy,” not what I’d offer guests. Braising whole bunches of celery to go on a platter is a great idea, as is rolling ribbons of zucchini to thread onto skewers. And the recipe for devil’s food cake rings is a keeper, quick to make and as fine for cupcakes as for rings needing special molds. However, having guests frost their own pieces of cake, as Ms. Silverton suggests, makes me envision gridlock at the buffet table. A preview is easier with “ Ms. Peters, a blogger who lives in Berlin, draws on a mix of German and Mediterranean influences. That includes Malta, where she has family, inspiring the addition of orange peel in a bittersweet chocolate Bundt cake and blood oranges in a steaming bowl of mussels. Her sandwiches, also scalable, include one made with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic: easy for lunch, suitable for hors d’oeuvres on little toast rounds and alluring when assembled on long ciabatta breads for a party. No matter what you choose to cook, be sure to keep the whole point of entertaining in focus: “Optimize the guests’ experience,” as Ms. Silverton puts it. Recipes: