ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All right, time to come clean. Despite the fact we have five hosts who know more about cooking than a canary knows about cats, the demands of producing a five-day-a-week cooking show are formidable. From the very beginning, our stars have relied on a wonderful team of young men and women who are the food heart of The Chew. Their kitchen is about twenty feet from the set, tucked away behind the staging equipment, oozing delicious smells and creative fervor from the early morning hours. After each show, our hosts talk to Ashley Archer, the senior producer, about what they want to cook the following day. Ashley then takes the recipe to her team of kitchen Jedi, Kevin Mendlin, Hugh Jernigan, Jackie Rothong, Lauren Palmeri, Ian McNulty, and Devan Dror, who then begin to put the food side of the show together. It is their job to make sure every recipe is tested, priced, and then artfully presented for still shots and beauties—long before we even warm up the studio lights. All restaurants live or die by the speed and efficiency of the line cook. All cooking shows live or die by the skill and speed of their culinary team. They set the pace, fire the imagination, create beauty for the audience, and make sure every ingredient is exactly where it needs to be at exactly the right time. The skill, fun, and confidence of our hosts are supported by the very same vibes coming from the kitchen. So before we do publish one more page let me say thank you. I love what you do, and so do all our viewers. —Gordon Elliott, Executive Producer CONTENTS How to Use This Book Acknowledgments Introduction by Gordon Elliott ALL-AMERICAN CLASSICS Game Day Fourth of July Labor Day Picnic HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas Hanukkah Valentine’s Day Easter Mother’s Day MILESTONES Shower Wedding Anniversary Party BIG BASH Awards Night Elegant Dinner Party New Year’s Eve Party Playlists Credits INTRODUCTION A couple of years ago I watched Clinton Kelly explain why he loved to entertain and celebrate so much. “I love my friends and family, but I feel like we never have the time to just hang out anymore, we are all so busy. So when I do see them I want to show how much I care by all the little things I do to prepare the meal.” I watched Michael, Mario, Carla, Daphne, and the studio audience smile in recognition of this truth. We all understood it’s our very personal, very personalized gift to people we care for. No matter the event, we are really celebrating our friendships. So when it came time to make a new book, we wanted to show you some beautiful dishes that will knock your loved ones’ socks off but not leave you a joyless stress case by the end of the meal. These are the easiest, tastiest, most spectacular celebratory meals our five fabulous hosts have in their repertoires. We hope it will inspire you to turn a meal into a celebration. —Gordon Elliott, Executive Producer