Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins tell how to throw a party without being stuck in the kitchen. The wizards behind an international line of gourmet foods and two best-selling cookbooks make genial hosts in this handsome guide to hospitality. They present seasonal menus for a sit-down dinner, an all-occasion hoopla, video get-togethers (invite guests to dress as favorite characters), a country weekend and a wine-tasting fete. The partners don't follow the usual pinch-of-this, dash-of-that format of cooking demos. (The 30-plus recipes, some taken from The Silver Palate Cookbook and The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, are included in a companion pamphlet.) Instead the 40-minute video is peppered with tips. Arrange flowers two days before your party so they have time to bloom; prepare ready-to-cook pouches of shrimp and prosciutto in advance, then spend more time with your guests; froth milk in a blender for cappuccino. There are clever ideas for serving, a guide to choosing cheeses and caviar, glorious-looking food and much scripted clinking of champagne glasses between the jovial hosts. (Paramount, Simon and Schuster, $24.95)
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