I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence Issue #29

By Amy Sedaris (Warner Books, 304 pages, $27.99)

By Cortney Harding
Published: September 1st, 2006 | 12:00am

If you kidnapped Rachael Ray, fed her lots of drugs, and then put her in front of a computer, you’d probably end up with something like Amy Sedaris’ new book, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

In her sprawling etiquette guide and recipe book, Sedaris covers everything from making treats for your pet rabbit to how to handle a visit from a rich uncle. She also offers tips for entertaining children (including having the tykes “play grown-up” by simulating drunken cocktail-party brawls) and reminders to open gifts in private, because you never know if they contain drugs. Despite its eccentricities, however, Sedaris assures us in the foreward that this is not a joke book — instead, it’s a real book about the real joys of good old-fashioned entertaining. The recipes she provides actually work and mostly kick ass. For instance, the monkey cake — despite the odd name and the inclusion of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits as a key ingredient — is really delicious.

I Like You is a gigantic book, topping 300 pages and crammed to the gills with drawings, pictures, and random bits of clip art. Much like Sedaris herself, the book gleefully veers all over the place and takes delight in gently offending readers (see the aforementioned “playing grown-up”). Still, the heart of the book is the anecdotes about the Sedaris clan and the food they love, and many of the recipes are credited to her kin. In her own bizarre and amusing way, Sedaris reminds us that making a dish or two for friends, family, or pets is one of the most valuable things you can do — even if your cupcakes will never be as good as hers.

ABOUT THE BOOK

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence (Warner Books)
By Amy Sedaris
304 pages
$27.99