Connie Fairbanks has been cooking since she was five, so it was only natural that her first cookbook would be a user-friendly book of family favorites and the how-to's of entertaining with style and ease. Scratch That includes 18 seasonal menus that you can prepare every night, and more than 110 recipes that you can make with ease as a home chef. Each menu includes suggestions for the perfect wine with each meal. Connie's Notes accompany each recipe, along with tips on shopping for seasonal ingredients, explanations of cooking terms, suggestions for food presentation, table decor, and anecdotal travel stories. Dozens of recipes are accompanied by tantalizing photographs.

Two introductory chapters offer advice on essential kitchen equipment and necessary know-how for beginners and pros alike, including a selection of basic recipes, and tips on how to make a perfect cup of coffee and stock your spice rack. Following the menus, Scratch That concludes with two chapters: a wine and beer primer for perfect pairings, and Connie's advice on how to optimize the dining-out experience.