Despite a life online, I still admire and enjoy hardcover books, and that admiration extends to my beloved cookbooks. A new one I discovered, and subsequently enjoyed a complimentary copy, is called Inspired Bite: Unexpected Idea for Entertaining, from Pinch Food Design and published by Abrams Books.

The authors of the Inspired Bites Cookbook are Bob Spiegel and TJ Girard with Casey Barber. TJ and Bob are co-owners of a catering company called, you guessed it, Pinch Food Design. Their book offers trade secrets and irresistible recipes, paired with fun, creative and classy do-it-yourself presentations. My perfect trifecta.

It is the cookbook to have on yourself if you love the elegance of entertaining but have too busy of a lifestyle to be catering caviar, or when you want to “Wow” at the next Moms Popluck Supper Night but have a hectic week of kid schlepping.

One pairing is salted chocolate cookie rosemary ice cream sandwiches. Or how about truffled quail eggs on mini English Muffins. It is at once high style and yet approachable entertaining – a blend that I love trying to achieve. The book also gives advice on how to present food like a professional (and beyond.) You have to check out the page on presenting food with a parasol or the one that uses tree branches.

So chic!

It retails for about $35 and you can find it at major book retailers or on Amazon. (affiliate)