Book tip of the week: What makes guests happy - The handbook

Everything perfect: table, ambience, drinks and recipes
© EMF Publishing House
© EMF Publishing House
18. May 2025

 | Editorial team

With her stylish handbook “What makes guests happy”, Katerina Vetter Kapagiannidou opens up a fascinating perspective on how food, ambience and communication work together to create unforgettable experiences. This book is much more than a classic cookbook – it is a source of inspiration for hosts who want to delight their guests not only with food, but also with thoughtful details and a unique atmosphere.

The 40 recipes, divided into six chapters and tailored to different occasions – from relaxed evenings with friends to elegant business dinners and romantic dates – combine indulgence with aesthetics. It’s not just about the right choice of food and drink, but also about the art of creating an atmospheric table setting that stimulates or deliberately directs communication.

The author’s in-depth specialist knowledge is particularly enriching, as she is an impressive communications expert and experienced hostess. Her anecdotes from her work – such as hosting state dinners or encounters with personalities like Karl Lagerfeld – give the book a personal and practical touch. The numerous tips on topics such as the right choice of wine, perfection in small mistakes and setting up an inviting kitchen make it an indispensable reference book.

Info:
Edition Michael Fischer / EMF Verlag
ISBN 978-3745920253
256 pages

Our conclusion

“What makes guests happy” is a coffee-table book that combines specialist knowledge, aesthetics and culinary art. It inspires us to view hospitality as an art form and to create extraordinary moments both in everyday life and on special occasions. A must-have for anyone who wants to host with attention to detail - stylish, warm and unforgettable.

A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît!
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© EMF Publishing House

Book tip: Lasagna, Moussaka, and Co. – Happiness in Layers

Ilse Fischer's “Lasagna, Moussaka, and Co.” is a culinary journey through Europe in casserole form

Casseroles are underestimated. They are often considered cozy, filling, a little old-fashioned—but they are actually culinary narrative forms. This is exactly where Ilse Fischer comes in. Lasagne, Moussaka und Co.: Das Glück in Schichten (Lasagna, Moussaka and Co.: Happiness in Layers) is not just another “lasagna book,” but a collection of cultural identities, layered in dough, vegetables, sauces, and memories.

What sets this book apart from classic recipe collections is its focus on the principle of layering. Fischer shows that whether it’s Italian vincigrassi, Greek pastitsio, Alsatian baeckeoffe, or Savoyard tartiflette, ingredients are layered, interwoven, and combined in the oven to create something greater than the sum of its parts throughout Europe. It’s about more than technique. It’s about origin, climate, availability, and food culture.

INFO:
Lasagne, Moussaka and Co. – Happiness in Layers
Author: Ilse Fischer
Illustrations: Gudy Steinmill-Hommel
Publisher: Christian Verlag GmbH
Publication date: November 2025
Length: 256 pages
Binding: Hardcover
Language: German
ISBN: 978-3-9895101-6-6

How price acceptance actually arises

Why guests are happy to pay the price for menus, rooms, and non-alcoholic alternatives when quality and character match

Price has long been more than just the result of a calculation. It is a signal. For attitude, for standards, for credibility. Guests read prices as a silent message about what a business stands for and how consistently it lives up to its promise of quality. Today, guests no longer pay for the cheapest option, but for the most harmonious one. For an offer where price, product, and atmosphere form a coherent whole.

Highballs, Deep Cuts & Vienna's New Underground

How Salon Paradise at The Hoxton is reinventing the night—and why Vienna's most exciting cultural space is emerging beneath it.

Vienna has many bars. But only a few places that truly create their own world. Salon Paradise is exactly that: not a nightclub, but a state of mind. A dimly lit basement bar where conversations become deeper, drinks taste clearer, and music doesn’t accompany, but leads. After the summer break, Vienna’s most iconic underground bar returns to The Hoxton, Vienna on November 22—with a new tempo, a new sound, and a sharpened attitude. The rebellious soul remains, but it now beats with greater focus.

quick & dirty
What makes guests happy - The handbook © EMF Publishing House
Book tip of the week: What makes guests happy – The handbook

With her stylish handbook “What makes guests happy”, Katerina Vetter Kapagiannidou opens up a fascinating perspective on how food, ambience and communication work together to create unforgettable experiences. This book is much more than a classic cookbook – it is a source of inspiration for hosts who want to delight their guests not only with food, but also with thoughtful details and a unique atmosphere.

The 40 recipes, divided into six chapters and tailored to different occasions – from relaxed evenings with friends to elegant business dinners and romantic dates – combine indulgence with aesthetics. It’s not just about the right choice of food and drink, but also about the art of creating an atmospheric table setting that stimulates or deliberately directs communication.

The author’s in-depth specialist knowledge is particularly enriching, as she is an impressive communications expert and experienced hostess. Her anecdotes from her work – such as hosting state dinners or encounters with personalities like Karl Lagerfeld – give the book a personal and practical touch. The numerous tips on topics such as the right choice of wine, perfection in small mistakes and setting up an inviting kitchen make it an indispensable reference book.

Info:
Edition Michael Fischer / EMF Verlag
ISBN 978-3745920253
256 pages