A veteran cookbook writer and descendant of a long line of great cooks, Angela Shelf Medearis covers a year's worth of holidays and special occasions, from Emancipation Day and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. There are suggestions for an Afrocentric baby shower, a Rites of Passage ceremony for teenagers, and a "jumping the broom" wedding feast, all rounded out with pertinent information about traditional rituals and modern adaptations.

Medearis provides aspiring hosts with indispensable advice on when to send invitations, scheduling preparations, setting a table, decorating ideas, and getting guests to mingle, all in an accessible, hospitable voice that assures readers they can manage a delightful celebration whether large or small. "Ideas For Entertaining From The African-american Kitchen" is a one-of-a-kind resource, sure to be welcomed by cooks everywhere.