CHECK IT OUT:Holiday entertaining: library style

The parties and celebrations have begun. Hanukkah is early this year. Christmas is on its way. Winter Solstice is coming soon, so is Kwanzaa, and of course, there’s Festivus for the rest of us! Despair not, for the library has anticipated your seasonal soirees and is well-stocked with titles to please and ease your toil. Enjoy the holidays with advice from the pros.

“Great Parties: Recipes, Menus and Ideas for Perfect Gatherings” by Martha Stewart. The modern-day doyenne of all that is domestic, Martha Stewart, continues to provide top-notch advice on holiday preparations. The library has a wonderful collection of her books that are suitable for the season. A variety of easy-to-follow DVDs are available for the visually attuned as well. Adapt one-tenth of her advice for your next party and everyone will think you’re a genius.

“Williams-Sonoma Holiday Baking” by Chuck Williams. Chuck Williams, founder of the Williams-Sonoma chain of kitchen stores and author of numerous books on cookery, presents holiday food in an informal and cozy manner, perfect for family and friendly gatherings. It has been said that Williams demands that each edible item photographed for his catalogs must actually taste as good as it looks. If these recipes are an indication, that rumor is true. Look at the wide variety of titles available and you’ll be a Williams-Sonoma convert.

“Fast and Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays: Complete Menus, Rituals and Party Planning Ideas for Every Holiday of the Year” by Marlene Sorosky. Foodie legend Sorosky helps you plan glorious celebrations in style. If it’s your turn, or first time, to host Hanukkah this year, she discusses everything you need to be successful, including decorations. Light the candles and pass the gelt for a festive remembrance.

“Sacred Celebrations: A Jewish Holiday Handbook” by Rabbi Ronald H. Isaacs and Rabbi Kerry Olitsky. Read an inspirational account of the religious aspects of the Hanukkah tradition while planning your festivities. This title broadens your perspective on the deeper meanings of the holidays and brings meaning to your activities.

“Emeril’s Creole Christmas” by Emeril Lagasse. The Food Channel’s favorite television chef, Emeril Lagasse, opens Christmas with a bam in this celebration of the New Orleans holiday style. Think “Turducken” and Cajun spices accompanied by lots of garlic. Great for trendy Southern California entertaining. Enliven your parties using food as performance art. Also, wear a red Santa hat.

“London Ritz Book of Christmas” by Jennie Reekie. This small book is perfect for your essential Dickens Christmas. Close your eyes and think of England, at the famed Ritz Hotel. Tea and hot crumpets with clotted cream, gorgeously adorned and lighted Christmas trees, perfectly behaved children, gracious guests, Christmas carols in the background add to the fantasy. But you don’t have to shovel snow or shiver with the cold.

And now for something completely different.

“Essentially Lily: A Colorful Guide to the Holidays” and “Essentially Lily: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining” by Lily Pulitzer. Yes, this is that Lily Pulitzer of the ultimately preppy pink and green print Capri pants, sundresses and sleeveless golf shirts! Both of these titles feature the warm weather approach to entertaining without visible effort for maximum effect. East Coast Florida Palm Beach style translates into something new when applied to West Coast California Newport Beach attitudes. Try these titles for laid-back, alfresco holidays with panache.