After delighting visitors to Chicago's Apparel Mart with her home-cooked meals, fashion professional Cookie Stagman, with Arlene Michlin Bronstein, published Beautiful Buffets more than a quarter century ago-a "local" success that made it to the national shelves of Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and many of the large booksellers. It received rave reviews from home cooks and pro chefs alike.
Now the team is back with a second helping of quick and easy recipes, combining common ingredients into dishes perfect for enjoying at home or entertaining large groups of friends and family. Like the original Beautiful Buffets, there is a decidedly stylish twist.
In Beautiful Buffets II, you'll find twenty-one favorite recipes from many of the top fashion designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Judith Leiber, Isaac Mizrahi, and Carolina Herrera.
In addition to fresh updates to many of the original book's most treasured dishes, Stagman has added forty crowd-pleasing new recipes, suitable for cooks of all types and levels of experience.
The result is an inspired new take on a long-time culinary favorite, destined to find its way onto the bookshelves of fashion and food devotees alike.
About the Author: Twenty-five years ago, Cookie Stagman and her husband, Barry, had a showroom for top fashion designers at the Chicago Apparel Center. The home-cooked lunches and snacks Cookie served during the big markets gained a faithful following. Repeatedly asked for her recipes, Cookie published Beautiful Buffets. The original book remains a favorite recipe source for cooks all over the United States.
After the showroom closed, the Stagmans opened a clothing shop in Glencoe, Illinois, where they featured Cookie's favorite treats. Today Cookie is still famous for the delicious meals she graciously serves to her family and friends.
Arlene Michlin Bronstein is the coauthor and editor of Beautiful Buffets, Beautiful Buffets II, and Carlos: Contemporary French Cuisine. She is the author of My Word Is My Bond, a history of the Chicago Board of Trade, as well as the children's book How Did Nonnie Get to Heaven?
