It's All in the Timing: Plan, Cook, and Serve Great Meals with Confidence

At the outset of her career, acclaimed food writer and cooking instructor Gail Monaghan graduated from culinary school knowing a multitude of professional techniques and boasting a vast repertoire of delicious recipes. But alone in her own kitchen, she quickly realized that orchestrating "dinner for company" wasn't as simple as it seemed. The rib roast overcooked while the garlic custard refused to set. A first-course soufflé was on the table—and falling—while guests were stuck in traffic. Friends had finished off the hors d’oeuvres while the turkey remained raw in the oven.

Even for the most experienced home cooks, seamless meal preparation can be a chronological puzzle. The more elaborate the meal, the more difficult it is to serve each dish on time—and at the right temperature. Monaghan has spent years mastering the fine art of culinary timing, which she now shares with her cooking students. It's All in the Timing, Monaghan's ultimate guide to smooth, stress-free home entertaining, enables readers to learn her secrets of prep and process and use them in their own kitchens.

Like all classic cookbooks, It's All in the Timing teaches readers the how-tos of its recipes. Uniquely, it also shares the when-tos by organizing the recipes into more than 20 well-crafted menus. Culled from Monaghan's more than 30 years of home entertaining and culinary instruction, this book demystifies the preparation of each menu, treating the entire meal as an extended recipe.

The book offers tips for meals that range from the modest and basic to the elaborate. From the simple luncheon to the grand holiday dinner, each menu begins with an Order of Preparations list—a snapshot of what to make, when to make it, and how to avoid common problems, ensuring your meal unfolds like clockwork. Each menu includes not only detailed recipes for each component but also Monaghan's thoughtful commentary and variation suggestions. The book also includes an additional section of bonus recipes, pantry essentials, and other secrets to culinary success.

This step-by-step guide to serving flawless, flavorful meals at home provides readers with the invaluable insights and hard-earned wisdom Monaghan has offered her culinary students for more than 15 years. With more than 130 recipes, 21 well-crafted menus, and countless tips from Monaghan's deep knowledge bank, It's All in the Timing is required reading for ambitious home cooks everywhere.

Gail Monaghan is a food writer, editor, and cooking teacher who lives and works in New York City. She writes regular features for the "Off Duty" section of the Wall Street Journal, hosts the Wall Street Journal Digital Network web series "Cooking Confidential with Gail Monaghan," and has been a regular guest on ABC's The Chew. Monaghan's writing has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Food and Wine, Martha Stewart Living, and the New York Times, among other places. She has written several cookbooks, including Perfect Picnics for All Seasons, The Some Like It Hot Cookbook, Lost Desserts, and The Entrées. She has edited others, including James Beard Award–winning chef Jeremiah Tower's cookbook Jeremiah Tower Cooks and Lora Zarubin's Julia Child Award–winning I Am Almost Always Hungry. Find her at GailMonaghan.com.