PPPPPPP*

Good Morning.

I know people who stew over a menu for a dinner party for days. The fretting is probably because the cook wants to impress his or her guests with a crown roast of something, all

royal-looking and admittedly fabulous, or maybe he or she wants present something nobody has ever had before from a country nobody can spell or pronounce. I stick to stuff I know and like myself. My main concern is being organized enough so I can have a beverage with my guests rather than coming unglued in the kitchen with half a dozen recipes that have to be made at the last minute, and there you are, with flour in your hair, an egg on the floor, and a sauce curdling away on the stove. Not good.

Here's a menu with several items that can be done ahead, or at least several steps of several items. We begin with my husband's absolute favorite appetizer, Potted Shrimp. He made it

at least once a month and served it in individual ramekins on individual plates.

1 pound - 16 to 20 count - raw shrimp

1 tsp. curry powder

Pinch plus of ginger, nutmeg, cumin, and garlic powder

Freshly ground pepper

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Peel and devein the shrimp ahead of time and keep them in a bowl, covered, in the fridge. Give your guests a cocktail while you do the final preparation. In a skillet, melt the butter and add all the spices except the pepper. Immediately saute the shrimp for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn them after two minutes. Don't overcook. They are done when they turn pink. Toss with some freshly ground pepper and remove from the heat. Place the shrimp in the ramekins and pour the seasoned butter over them. Provide cocktail forks or toothpicks. For four people.

I would do a salad of mixed greens, avocado, mandarin oranges, crumbled bacon, and pine nuts toasted for a minute or two in a dry skillet. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, apple cider vinegar,

salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a titch of dry mustard. Everything can be done ahead up to this

point. I'd keep the nuts and the crumbled bacon in a baggie until serving time. Shake up the dressing and moisten the salad but don't drown it.

For the entree we suggests Chicken and Spinach Lasagna.

Lasagna

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 small white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 cups ricotta

2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast

2 10 oz. packages of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

More Parmesan

Cook the lasagna according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the flour and salt and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the broth and milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and add a cup of Mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Add the basil, oregano, and pepper, remove from the heat and set aside. Spread some sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with lasagna, then some ricotta, then some chicken pieces. Cover with some of the sauce, then some of the spinach. Top with some of the remaining

Mozzarella, some cheddar, and some Parmesan. Repeat these layers and end with some sauce on top and a good sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes and let sit for ten minutes before cutting into squares. One of the best lasagnas imaginable.

Serve with an Herbed Garlic Bread.

A loaf of French bread

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. each oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, and sage

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Cut the bread lengthwise and place each half on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, minced garlic, seasonings, and cheese. Spread on each side of the bread. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until bubbly. Make this up ahead of time and pop in the oven right before serving. Cut into pieces after the bread has cooled for a minute or two.

For dessert we have Meringues with Berries, sort of a Pavlova.

5 egg whites

1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

Just a titch of cinnamon

3 cups strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

8 oz. whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. orange liqueur

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Add the granulated sugar very gradually, a teaspoon at a time. Add the cinnamon at the end. Continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and has stiff peaks. Spread about half a cup of the mixture in three inch circles on the parchment paper. Using the back of a teaspoon make little nests with rims around the sides. Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour and a half and do not peek. After the cooking time, turn off the oven without peeking but leave the meringues for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. This can all be done ahead of time. Wash the berries and drain. Slice the strawberries and check the blueberries for stems. Mix them with the granulated sugar in a bowl and put in the fridge. Whip the cream with the confectioner's sugar and add the orange liqueur at the end. Refrigerate. To serve, put a meringue on each dessert plate, top with whipped cream, and finish off with some berries on top. Serve with coffee. Make that while you're doing the shrimp.

Load the dishes in the dishwasher. Or not.

Best regards,

Elisabeth

* Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance.