Holiday Survival Guide - Parties

10:56 AM CST on Monday, December 12, 2005

By JOYCE SÁENZ HARRIS / The Dallas Morning News

Pam Anderson's No. 1 rule for entertaining at home?

IRWIN THOMPSON/DMN

Pam Anderson tastes a soup before adjusting the seasonings during her cooking class.

"Drop the word 'entertaining' from your vocabulary. Just 'have people over,' " she advises.

She's an acknowledged expert on that. As the Julia Child Award-winning author told her recent cooking-demonstration class at Central Market, "I'm in a position in the community where I have to have people over a lot."

Ms. Anderson, a columnist for USA Today's weekend magazine and the former executive editor of Cook's Illustrated, didn't reveal precisely why she might have as many as 250 guests at once. But this self-described "Everycook," the mother of two teenage girls, also is an Episcopal minister's wife. Spouses of clergy are expected to entertain often and well, and to do it on a budget.

No wonder Ms. Anderson's new cookbook is Perfect Recipes for Having People Over (Houghton Mifflin, $35). It's full of uncomplicated dishes designed to make life easier for home cooks who generally dread having company to feed. Each recipe includes tips on shortcuts, make-ahead feasibility, side dishes, even coping with leftovers.

Ms. Anderson's favorite ways of feeding an informal crowd include letting her guests assemble and customize their own hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches, shish kebabs or pizzas.

Her secrets for serving homemade pizza to a crowd?

First, she forms the pizza dough into long rectangles to bake two at a time: "The centers will crisp up better," she notes. Another way to streamline the process: "You can also sauce the pizzas and bake them several hours ahead. Then, shortly before serving, top them (or better yet, let guests do it), and reheat them at the last minute in a low-temperature oven to melt the cheese and recrisp the crust."

E-mail jharris@dallasnews.com

You will need about 1 ½ cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (a 6-ounce) package.

Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions and heat oven to 425 F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese onto 1 sheet, then spread it into a round with your fingertips so that cheese is more or less in a single layer. Repeat with remaining cheese, keeping cheese disks about 1 inch or so apart. (You should get about 12 wafers on a large sheet.)

Bake until the crisps stop bubbling, 9 to 10 minutes, switching sheets after 5 minutes if they appear to be cooking unevenly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tips: Crisps can also be served in or with a first-course salad. Shredded Parmesan may be substituted for cheddar if desired. For peak freshness, make the crisps no more than two days before serving, and store in an airtight tin. Leftovers may be stored the same way.

Note: Because shredded cheddar cheese available in packages is less moist and oily than freshly grated cheddar, it is preferable for this recipe.

SOURCE: Pam Anderson's Perfect Recipes for Having People Over

When people are due at your house any moment for a casual holiday gathering, but you're running short on time and energy, take these tips from Pam Anderson and her new cookbook, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over.

Don't panic:

"When there's no time to make the quesadilla appetizers or smoked salmon toasts after all, don't fret. Proudly set out a big bowl of pistachios and cherry tomatoes. Or just skip the toasts and serve the smoked salmon with some nice crackers, and let your friends assemble their own."

Bon appétit: "An appetizer bar invites guests to create their own hors d'oeuvres ... Buy rather than make the tortilla chips, pita chips and toast rounds. Also consider fine crackers, bagel chips and sturdy flatbreads. Buy spreads instead of making them."

Hefty helper: "Whenever possible, mix disposable tableware with the real stuff to lend an air of substance. Plates and silverware are easy to pop in the dishwasher, so you could pair them with disposable plastic glasses. Or consider real dishes for the main course and paper ones for dessert."

Skewed views: "Shish kebabs allow you pretty last-minute to have people over, because there's really very little preparation. ...Once people arrive, they do half the work for you; they skewer it, and then you can throw it on the grill for them. That frees you from having to worry whether someone's a vegetarian or allergic to shrimp."

Sure bet: "Instead of the dessert you planned on, put a couple of scoops of sherbet in nice goblets and garnish with a little fresh fruit. You don't have beautiful berries? Thinly slice or mince an apple for a handsome garnish."

And finally: "When apocalypse threatens, let them sip champagne!"

Joyce Sáenz Harris