Party people, this is your time

In 1982, Martha Stewart released a book that taught a generation how to host a party, the simply-titled Entertaining. Forty three years later, the book is back with a new, updated edition being released later this month. In 2025, however, it is far from the only game in town. Jaya Saxena explains why we are in a party planning golden age as she explores the current bumper crop of party cookbooks for Taste Cooking.

Saxena says Entertaining faces stiff competition from the likes of Dan Pelosi’s Let’s Party, Having People Over by Chelsea Fagan (also out this month), Dinner Party Animal by Jake Cohen, and Party People by Brie Larson and Courtney McBroom. Then there are what Saxena describes as “party-adjacent” books like Rosie Kellett’s In for Dinner (the EYB Cookbook Club selection for October) and Potluck Desserts by Justin Burke. All of these books (and more) provides an outline for hosting informal events. Jenny listed a few more titles in her March 7th Weekly Roundup as well.

Of course that’s just scratching the surface; the EYB Library has 1,611 books with Party in the title, with 549 of those specifically categorized as Entertaining and Parties. If you don’t limit the name of the book, there are a whopping 2,545 books in that genre in the Library. Few of them predate Entertaining, with the bulk of them being published after 2000.

What sets these apart from regular recipe books, says Saxena, is that there are “thematic through lines” such as having batched cocktails, tips on decorating and setting the table, and even how to invite the right people for the party to be a success. The biggest similarity, however, is that the books make some attempt to justify themselves, saying that having people over is not just a fun time, but necessary. Larson and McBroom discuss the current loneliness epidemic before declaring that “We need to feel seen, heard, and understood by those we care about in order to combat loneliness. One of the best ways to do that is to throw a party.”

Whether or not you believe that dinner parties are a necessity, you can find guidance in an abundance of cookbooks that offer ideas and recipes for every kind of crowd imaginable. Plus, in a climate where eating out can put a serious dent in the budget, having people over can be a way to socialize without breaking the bank. Long live the dinner party.

A few more titles of interest are:

• She’s a Host: An Unbuttoned Cookbook for Elegant Entertaining by Erin Lichy
• Glorious Table: Beautiful Food for a Delicious Life by Gloria Jang
• Welcome to My Table: A Cookbook of Delicious Recipes, Celebration Menus, and Hosting Inspiration to Bring People Together by Jeannie Jacobs
• Last Minute Brunch Party: Over 100 Inspiring Dishes to Feed Family and Friends at a Moment’s Notice by Amelia Wasiliev
• Lucky Dragon Supper Club: Asian-inspired Dinner Party Ideas for Home Cooks by Stephanie Feher