Back cover text Having been in the food service industry since my teens, owning a restaurant and upscale catering service, I've collected many wonderful recipes. My experiences ran the gamut from A to Z - creating menus for a romantic dinner for two to a spring brunch adorned with tulips, to a Christmas cocktail party for 500 at an estate overlooking Biscayne Bay, enchanting yacht christenings, weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs. Every event was a unique experience. Fitting together seamlessly, the food matching both the occasion and the host. I have assembled here easy to make recipes that don't require extensive, exotic ingredients. Have fun! Awaken the senses! Get the nose, tongue, eyes and ears aroused. If you want to be intimate, create the ambiance. Candles, linen, roses. Aphrodisiacs? Use dark chocolate paired with a robust red wine. If you want to be hot & spicy, use cayenne and chilies. If you want to be silky and sexy, express it with your sauces. Having 30 friends enjoy an afternoon barbeque? Crank up the music and the grill! Prefer a more staid cocktail party? Doily lined platters, servers donning white gloves and black bowties, soft classical music wafting throughout the room sets that stage.