Book details art of highrise entertaining

According to the article from the Toronto Star, there's no reason that dwellers of high-rise buildings should be afraid to entertain. From the article:

The season of entertaining is upon us and it's time to start planning a delightfully urbane cocktail party. Many condo owners cringe at the thought of entertaining because of their small kitchens and limited living areas. But Toronto's ultra food and event experts Dinah Koo and Janice Poon only see the positives in a condo party.

In their new book, The Cocktail Chef: Entertaining in Style, (Douglas & McIntyre, 2006, $35), Koo and Poon have worked through the kinks of entertaining in small spaces and created menus and party tips that take advantage of the new highrise urban lifestyle.

They point out when you live in a condo you have a great view and the whole big city is really your backyard. They have included party plans and menus designed for an open kitchen and "loft-o-minimum space," which they suggest the condo host prepare so there is very little last minute cooking.

"That leaves the kitchen open for bartending," says Koo and Poon. "The menu should be made up of fork food served on small plates so guests can stand and mingle." And let's face it — when you live in a small space you don't have lots of seating, so delicious nibbles like prosciutto stuffed with chèvre and walnuts with a balsamic and honey drizzle and pappadum shrimp can thrill your party guests without the mess of a sit-down meal..

I think this is something that needs to be taken up by some of the downtown DC blogs such as Gallery Place Living and Life in Mt. Vernon Square.
Who needs Jaleo when you have top floor views?

Index Keywords: urban-design-placemaking