Lifestyles

Do dinner parties have to be complicated?

No, says this unharried host.

I'd rather have friends and family around the table more often and serve a simple, good meal than spend hours in planning, organizing and executing a masterpiece that I won't enjoy because I'm too stressed out.

Or worse, I don't invite anyone over because it seems like too much work.

Wait a minute.

Repeat after me: Entertaining isn't that difficult.

Case in point: today's menu. The main course is a slow-cooked pork roast braised in Asian spices, with a dark rich gravy that shouts out for mashed potatoes. Make that sour-cream mashed potatoes.

I serve it to company with pride -- but I also serve it to the family for Sunday dinner. It's just plain good.

I serve it to company because, let's be frank, how many home cooks prepare roasts these days? This is a welcome novelty at most tables. And even if it weren't, the spices change this dish sufficiently to make it new.

I prefer to make the roast in the slow cooker, the busy person's favorite kitchen tool. There's nothing more pleasing than to come home to a kitchen fragrant with dinner almost ready to eat. Entertaining couldn't be easier. The meat also can be made in the oven or on top of the stove, if you're around to watch it.

The ingredients -- especially the spices -- seem far too abundant, but they are correct. Yes, all the ginger and sesame seeds are necessary for the resulting flavor. For my family, these are the flavors of fall.

Every menu needs a starter, and this one begins with tender butterhead lettuce topped with warm mushrooms and parmesan shavings. When you're cooking for company, think of little twists on the familiar, such as this. There's nothing significantly different about this salad, except that the lettuce is topped with something warm, an unexpected treat in cold weather.

Green beans are roasted to perfection while the potatoes cook. Once again, this is a variation on the more traditional presentation of green beans, but it doesn't take any more time. These roasted beans are sure to become a favorite.

A hearty gingerbread with a delicate lemon sauce ends this robust meal. Make it ahead, and you can whip up a dinner party after a day at the office.

Now that's my kind of entertaining.

All the recipes are from my Taste cookbook, "Come One, Come All, Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus" (Minnesota Historical Society Press, $29.95).

To shave parmesan, use a grater with coarse holes to make larger shavings of the cheese. Butterhead lettuce comes in loose heads with floppy leaves; they are the most tender of lettuces. Baby spinach leaves could also be used.

• 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 4 to 6 ounces fresh mushrooms (button, portabello or other), sliced

• 6 cups butterhead lettuce, such as Boston or Bibb (see Note)

• 6 tablespoons parmesan shavings

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Freshly cracked pepper (tricolor peppercorns look particularly nice), to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are wilted.

Portion the lettuce leaves on salad plates. Top with the mushroom slices and parmesan.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle over the salad immediately before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Basically a braised piece of meat, this roast is easy to cook whether in a slow cooker, in the oven, or on top of the stove in a Dutch oven. When prepared in the slow cooker, the roast doesn't need to be marinated in advance because the meat marinates during the lengthy cooking time. But for ease in the morning, it's helpful to prepare the marinade the night before.

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 3 or 4 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons ground ginger

• 2 tablespoons molasses (any type)

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cups water

• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar

• 4-pound pork shoulder roast (with or without bone)

• 3 tablespoons flour for gravy, if desired

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over low heat until golden and fragrant. Place the seeds in a bowl with the green onions, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, molasses, salt, curry powder, pepper, water and wine vinegar; stir to mix thoroughly. Place the meat in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the meat. Marinate, covered, for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

To prepare in a slow cooker: Place the meat and marinade in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for about 3 hours.

To prepare in the oven or on the stovetop: Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, reserving the marinade. Brown it in a Dutch oven or frying pan. To continue in the oven, place the meat and marinade in a covered casserole dish and roast at 300 to 325 degrees for 3 hours. (The roast should be falling apart when it's done.) To continue on top of the stove, place the meat and marinade in the pot and heat until the marinade is boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook, turning the meat once or twice, for 3 hours.

Serve the meat with the pan juices, or make gravy.

To make gravy: Pour the pan juices into a 2-cup measure. Skim off the fat, returning 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan. If the defatted pan juices do not equal 2 cups, add enough water or chicken broth to reach the 2-cup measure.

Whisk 3 tablespoons flour into the fat in the pan and cook over medium heat on the stovetop until bubbly, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the flavor from the juices cooked to the pan. Slowly stir in the pan juices and cook until the gravy thickens, stirring constantly.

Makes 6 servings.

Russet potatoes, also called Idaho potatoes, are best for mashing because of their high starch content.

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• Salt

• Water

• 1/4 cup milk or cream

• 2 to 4 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• White pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot; add 1 tablespoon salt and enough water to cover potatoes.

Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until tender,for about 20 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the potatoes. Drain.

If you have a potato ricer, run the potatoes through that first (it makes for a lighter mashed potato). In the pot or a large bowl, add the milk and butter to the potatoes. Mash by hand or using a hand mixer. Mix in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings.

Variations: Add about 8 roasted garlic cloves (about 1/4 cup roasted garlic puree) to the potatoes and sour cream. Or, for a tangier flavor, substitute 4 ounces goat cheese (chevre) instead of the sour cream. Or you could add a little horseradish or chopped fresh sage to the recipe.

Why is it that the concept of roasted beans sounds so foreign? These are wonderful, inspired by those served at 20.21, Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. They remind me of green French fries.

• 1 1/4 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed, if desired

• Olive oil

• Coarse salt, to taste

• Freshly cracked pepper (tricolor peppercorns look particularly nice), to taste

Heat the oven to 350 degrees (see Note).

Toss the beans in the olive oil and place in a baking dish. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the beans are cooked through. They will have shriveled slightly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the beans with coarse salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: The beans can be roasted at whatever temperature your oven is already set, if you are cooking something else at the same time.

Variations: Add a sprinkling of black sesame seeds, which are available in the spice section of upscale supermarkets. (However, black sesame seeds are not recommended for this meal because white sesame seeds are used in the roasted pork.) Or, roast the beans with 1/2 cup raw cashews.

The recipe originates with Duluth, Minn., cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas. Serve it with hot tea or strong coffee.

For the Gingerbread:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup flour

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt or buttermilk

• 1/4 cup light molasses

• 1 egg, slightly beaten

For the Lemon Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (zest)

• 1/4 cup water

• Strips of lemon peel, for garnish

To make the Gingerbread: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square or round cake pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons butter.

In another bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Blend into the creamed ingredients until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Transfer a third of the mixture to another bowl, and reserve.

To the remaining mixture, add the baking soda, yogurt, molasses and egg. Stir until the batter is evenly blended. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the Lemon Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, lemon rind and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring until the mixture is clear and slightly thickened. Serve warm over the gingerbread. Top with strips of lemon peel, if desired.

Makes 8 or 9 servings.

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