Join the Celebration! : A Collection of Favorite Recipes

Come, Join the Celebration! Whether you’re celebrating with a crowd, planning a small, intimate dinner party, or just looking for something wonderful for dinner tonight, you’ll find inspiration in Join the Celebration! from the Women’s Board of the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs. This exciting collection of 345 favorite recipes provides something for every occasion and every cook.

Developed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Board and the 125th anniversary of the famed Union League Club of Chicago, the cookbook contains recipes from celebrity cooks, professional chefs, and Club members around the world as well as a look back at the fascinating history of the Union League Club and the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs.

With cover art and delightful illustrations from renowned artist Guy Buffet, Join the Celebration! includes mouth-watering dishes such as Maple-Cinnamon French Toast Casserole, Crab Puffs, Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque, Pork Tenderloin with Port and Blueberry Sauce, Moroccan Lamb Tagine, Snapper Rangoon, Spa-Style Leek and Potato Gratin, Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cake, and Rum Chiffon Pie.

Reflecting the rich, ethnic diversity of American cooking today, many dishes incorporate influences from around the world, including Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Switzerland, Southeast Asia, India, and Cuba.

Cooks of all culinary levels will find simple, sophisticated, and innovative dishes sure to please family and friends. What a reason to celebrate!

All proceeds benefit the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, a non-profit organization serving the needs of disadvantaged inner-city children in Chicago.

About the Illustrator:
The illustrations gracing the pages of Join the Celebration! were created especially for the cookbook by world-renowned artist Guy Buffet, known for his signature drawings of chefs, waiters, and sommeliers. His art is in private collections and museums throughout the world, including La Musee de la Monnaie in Paris, the Honolulu Academy of Art, the Union League Club of Chicago, and the John Deere Museum. The official artist for Champagne Perrier-Jouet, Buffet's images have also been used for the Tour de France, Absolut Vodka, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, and Aloha Airlines. He was the official artist for the 2002 Winter Olympics. His droll restaurant denizens appear on numerous items, including ties, note cards, calendars, and a collection of dinnerware created exclusively for Williams-Sonoma. A Union League Club member, Buffet divides his time between homes in Paris, Hawaii, and the French Riviera.

About the Organization:
The Union League Club of Chicago has been part of the city’s life for one hundred twenty-five years. In 1919, club members created the Union League Foundation for Boys’ Clubs, opening the first of four clubs for boys (and later, girls) in 1920. In the 1970s, the Women’s Board of the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs was established for the sole purpose of raising funds to help meet the needs of the clubs. Located in areas where gangs, drugs, and violence are daily realities, the clubs provide a healthy, safe, and productive environment to more than seven thousand youngsters who participate in club activities every year.

In the twenty-five years since its founding, the Women’s Board has raised over $3 million for the clubs through various fund-raising projects, including its annual benefit ball (a ball at the Union League Club is pictured in the Guy Buffet painting on the cover) and the publication of this cookbook.

Join the Celebration! A Collection of Favorite Recipes is the culmination of a two and one half-year project. The Women’s Board solicited favorite recipes from the four thousand members and privilege holders of the Union League Club of Chicago located around the world as well as from well-known chefs. The 345 recipes selected represent a wide range of dishes and include beloved family recipes, ethnic and regional specialties, and exciting, contemporary American dishes. It is their hope that this cookbook finds a well-used place in kitchens everywhere.

Proceeds benefit the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs.