glasses off.

If you entertain a lot, and I love feeding people, you think a lot about logistics. I never really think that far ahead if it’s just a friend or two coming over, but I go for menus that allow you to do most of the prep the night before if I’m having a bunch of people over right after work, which I find I do regularly, and which I did tonight for the Religious Freedom Council.

I am generally governed in choosing a menu by the following:

• I like recipes in which most of the prep can be done the night before.
• I like a menu that doesn’t require too much chopping. Chopping and setting aside veggies or fruit too early dries them out, which means I have to do that prep immediately before dinner, and I hardly ever have a lot of prep time when I am doing dinner right after work.
• I like foods that require no more than one utensil to eat, basically that don’t require a knife to eat. It’s fine if I’m having up to 3 people here in DC or 6 in New York, but more than that, it’s just too much bother because people end up spilling off the dining table into the living room, where eating with the plate in your lap should be made as easy as possible. Not that that’s stopped me from serving roasts much ever since I got addicted.

The following recipes are not very precise. I tend to eyeball everything. Low maintenance dinner for ten:

MEDITTERANEAN CHICKEN SALAD:

• 2 whole chickens or 5 large chicken breasts should be enough for ten.• Advance work: Roast, saute, or steam chicken. Shred. Mix in salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in fridge until and hour before dinner. (You don’t have to, I just like this recipe because you can.)• The rest: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over chicken, add flat-leaf parsley, squeeze in juice of 1 fresh lemon or lime. Gently mix after each addition.• Just before serving dinner, toast sliced almonds in dry frying pan until light brown and sprinkle over the top.

POLENTA WITH SAUCE:

Polenta can be made either soft or firm. I like polenta because it’s different from the usual carb, it goes with almost any topping, it’s comforting, and it’s easy. Also a plus above pasta is it’s impossible to overcook (I hate pasta that is even 30 seconds more done than al dente), and you don’t have to drain it!• About 2 1/2 or 3 cups of polenta (about 12 oz.) should be enough for ten.• Advance work: Loosely, cooking it requires boiling it in water for about 20-30 minutes. You need a 1:3 ratio of polenta to water, so you’ll want to boil about 8-9 cups of water. More water (or less polenta) for softer polenta. Add polenta to boiled water slowly, turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, add butter and salt to taste. The final consistency should be thick.• The rest: Can be combined with cheese, marinara sauce, mushroom sauce, or almost anything you would like on pasta, but those three basics I think are the best. With the Meditteranean Chicken Salad, the marinara and mushroom are the best. Adds some color, too. In a jam, just buy the sauce. How to make a basic tomato sauce is another post (but I always keep an onion, a jar of peeled whole tomatoes, and good salt around for a reason).

• Overnight option: Also if you are serious about not doing real cooking the day of your dinner, it’s easy to reheat. I prefer to make firm polenta in that case. You can cook the polenta the night before, spread it evenly into a casserole or bake pan, about 1 or 2 inches high, and set it in the refridgerator. Just before dinner, pop into preheated 500 degree oven (can be cut into squares or triangles) for 6 minutes.

• Sauces: If you want to use cheese, mix shredded cheese into the polenta before refridgerating and/or just put it across the top of the baking dish before putting it into the oven. Otherwise, sauce can be served on the side.

• An added yumminess can be achieved by cooking the polenta in chicken stock instead of water. Unless you are Ina Garten, just buy the stock!

DESSERT:

For dessert, freshly baked cookies are my dessert of choice because the dough can be refridgerated or frozen the night or days before, and then it’s just ten minutes in a preheated oven while people are clearing dinner plates. Buy some miniature chocolate chips and follow the recipe on the back. I like to add random things, orange zest, cinammon, something to give it a bit of a kick.I also like a Charlotte, which is really easy to make, but I have no idea how to explain it. It involves lady fingers, fruit compote, and freshly whipped cream. Just layer it, press it, refridgerate it, turn it over, and serve. I am leaving out insane details here, so might want to Google it or call Anne-Laure first!Also a nice touch for drinks is some combination of a slice of kiwi or strawberry and orange, lime, or lemon in your water pitcher. I overheard someone say once, “I feel like I’m at a spa!” after taking a sip at a New Year’s dinner I had. Or try 1:1 ratio of cranberry, grapefruit, or pomegranate juice to sparkling water. It’s the tiniest effort but I think it makes every meal nicer.

I like this menu because it is sort of season-less, although it’s a pretty light meal, so maybe better for spring and summer. I also like it because I can remember it! Just need to know the ingredients, there isn’t anything really complicated.