Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

This Italian pastry stuffed with artichoke hearts, pesto and cream cheese tastes great with an Apple Garlic Aioli Sauce

The asparagus and pesto give this creamy lasagna recipe delicious flavor.

Avocados and garden tomatoes make a good summertime sandwich.

A delightful Pakistani and Indian dish that can be served with just about everything.

Cabbage Strudel is made of layered phyllo dough stuffed with cabbage, onion, and garlic. The phyllo adds a delicate, buttery crunch to a basic sautéed cabbage recipe.

A chilled tomato based soup loaded with vegetables.

This Chinese Cabbage Salad gets its great texture from slivered almonds and ramen noodles

This Tomato Basil Soup is an easy soup recipe that can be made the day before your party. Serve with oyster crackers or sour dough bread.

This simple stacked salad has tons of flavor. Cucumbers and tomatoes are stacked together then drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

A sliced baguette is topped with flavored cream cheese, a cucumber slice and a sprig of dill. Cucumber sandwiches were commonly served during afternoon tea time.

The secret to these perfect tasting deviled eggs is real mayonnaise.

Nigerians eat plantains for a starchy side dish. Their skin should be yellowish green for this dish – if skins are too black (very ripe), plantains will be too sweet and not starchy enough. Plantains can be found in your local supermarket.

This dip is similar to my hummus recipe but uses eggplant instead of chickpeas – who would have thought. Don’t let the color fool you, this dip is scrumptious.

Eggplant Parmesan (or Melanzane alla Parmigiano to the Italians) is a delightfully understated dish.

Fettuccine with a wonderfully flavored tomato sauce with celery, carrots, and garlic. Oh, the wonderous things the Italians have done with mighty tomato.

A simple tomato salad was Francesca’s favorite dish to make with her husband’s sun-warmed tomatoes. Use garden fresh ingredients, if possible, for the most intense flavor. Serve with Crusty Rosemary Bread.

Cabbage, broccoli and carrots are sauteed in soy sauce and lime juice to make these tasty Fresh Spring Rolls.

Gazpacho is a fabulous cold tomato soup loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs. I wish all healthy foods tasted this great!

Falafel (fa’lafel) is a Middle-Eastern dish of deep fried chickpea balls. The chickpeas are mashed and seasoned then fried to golden brown. Falafel is often served stuffed into pita bread with fresh vegetables or with a dipping sauce.

The wagon wheels in this pasta dish are perfect for your book club party for The Art of Racing in the Rain.

A delicious vegetarian “burger” made with marinated portabella mushrooms. Finish it off with provolone cheese, tomato, avocado and caramelized onions.

In Morocco hummus is made with whole, rather than pureed, chickpeas. The result is a deliciously flavored soup.

Freshly made pitot or pita bread to stuff with your favorite meats and/or vegetables is easy to prepare and so much better than the blah tasting pita pockets available at the grocery store. The pocket is created by the steam that puffs the dough up during cooking. Pitot also stores well in the refrigerator or freezer.

Superfood lists show up in about every magazine out there and broccoli always makes the list. It contains a phytochemical called sulphoraphane that has specific anti-cancer properties. This flavorful salad is a great way to enjoy this beneficial super veggie.

These mushroom tarts are easy to make and sure to impress.