From the PEN/Faulkner Award–winning author James Salter and his wife, Kay—amateur chefs and terrific hosts—here is a charming, beautifully illustrated food lover’s companion that, with an entry for each day of the year, takes us from a Twelfth Night cake in January to a champagne dinner on New Year’s Eve. Life Is Meals is rich with culinary wisdom, history, recipes, literary pleasures, and the authors’ own stories of their triumphs—and catastrophes—in the kitchen. For instance: The menu on the Titanic on the fatal night Reflections on dining from Queen Victoria, JFK, Winnie the Pooh, Garrison Keillor, and many others The seductiveness of a velvety Brie or the perfect martini How to decide whom to invite to a dinner party—and whom not to John Irving’s family recipe for meatballs; Balzac’s love of coffee The greatest dinner ever given at the White House Where in Paris Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter had French onion soup at 4:00 a.m. Sophisticated as well as practical, opinionated, and indispensable, Life Is Meals is a tribute to the glory of food and drink, and the joy of sharing them with others. “The meal is the emblem of civilization,” the Salters observe. “What would one know of life as it should be lived, or nights as they should be spent, apart from meals?”

Actress and New York Times bestselling author Tori Spelling offers helpful tips and advice for throwing a fabulous and affordable party—it’s like having your own personal party planner for a fraction of the cost! “I love the puzzle of throwing special, chic parties with down-to-earth budgets, and, lucky you, I’m psyched to share my secrets.” In this delightfully entertaining, must-have party companion, Tori Spelling rolls up her sleeves and expertly shows how creativity, passion, and smart planning are the secret ingredients for throwing a truly unforgettable bash on a real-world budget. Tori shares her favorite tips, tricks, and anecdotes from her most successful soirees (and a few train wrecks). It’s like having your own personal party planner for a fraction of the cost! celebraTORI covers all the basics, from discovering new reasons to celebrate and choosing a concept to decorating, creating flower arrangements, making refreshments, and building the cornerstone of any great party: the dessert table! The best part is that all of Tori’s suggestions, including her mouthwatering recipes, are 100 percent do-it-yourself. celebraTORI is the perfect foundation for taking life’s special occasions up a notch . . . or five.

Whether your family is nuclear, blended, extended or unrelated; whether you are single, divorced, living together or married; at a family dinner or dinner party; engaged in combat with the neighbors or the relatives -- there is simply no substitute for the core of civility that must reside at the heart of every house, condo or apartment if it is truly to be a home. With her trademark wit and insight, Miss Manners knocks household discourteousness off its foundation by revealing the secrets of: Getting the housework done when you can't complain about the servant problem -- because the servant is you Kindling warm memories rather than heated conflict at family occasions Making use of common rooms instead of turning them into a mess or a museum -- while everyone huddles in their respective allotted upstairs spaces alone Reviving the art of entertaining to make friends who will love you for yourself (it beats staying home alone watching TV) Being pleasant enough to the neighbors so you're not afraid to walk out your own front door Refusing to recognize that the harried household cannot meet proper standards of behavior, especially since all households are now harried, Miss Manners explains how to return a sense of propriety -- and most of all, tranquility -- to domestic life.