BoomerGirl Diary

Milwaukee — When it comes to serving a meal to guests in your home, it's not your mother's dinner party anymore. In fact, if you're of a certain age, it's not your dinner party anymore, either.

The dinner party has evolved from a formal, dress-up affair to a simpler, casual, laid-back - and often impromptu - gathering. And that's good news for anyone with a heavy schedule, a busy family, a stressful job - in other words, for anyone with a life.

Whether you are a twentysomething in your first home or a baby boomer in an empty nest, you are far more likely to share a one-pot meal in your great room than you are to set your dining table with silver, china and place cards.

Among the current trends is a move away from multi-course to one-dish meals, hosting lunch or brunch instead of dinner and purchasing a portion of the meal instead of making everything from scratch.

The common thread?

Simple, easy, casual, collegial. It's not unusual for guests to gather in the kitchen nibbling hors d'oeuvres while the cook finishes the entree.

Ina Garten, host of the "Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Network and author of the cookbooks by the same title, recalls her early dinner parties and contrasts them with how she entertains now.

"In the 1970s, when I first started doing dinner parties, I spent a whole week preparing," she said.

She'd begin Monday after work and cook every evening. The party would be Saturday night and the meal would include what she called "major meat," a vegetable and a dessert.

Come Sunday, "I'd say I'm never doing this again, and then I'd start cooking again on Monday."

Garten says the biggest change she's made in at-home entertaining is how she approaches a dinner. She thinks about her guests and what they would enjoy.

"I used to want to wow my friends," she said. "But people have a much better time if the food is more familiar. The simpler it is, the more fun people have."

These days, her meals are likely to have one rich, fabulous element and two simple things to support it.

For example, she might do a mustard rack of lamb and pair it with a simple orzo dish and roasted vegetables. Or she could make a roast chicken in a pan with roasted vegetables. "It's more balanced and measured rather than everything screaming at you."

Platters matter

Similar menus will be included in Garten's upcoming book, "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics," which will be published in October by Clarkson Potter.

Garten says she never serves a first course. She prefers to put all of the food out on platters rather than have to jump up to serve individual courses.

And she sometimes prepares part of a meal and purchases the rest. A simple dessert for her might be a purchased poundcake served with fresh berries.

Another switch for Garten is when she entertains. "I tend more not to invite people for dinner," she said. Instead, she'll host a breakfast, brunch or lunch, believing that people have more energy early in the day and then they'll still have the afternoon for other activities.

Other food professionals see many of the same trends.

"It comes as no surprise that people are looking for a more casual way to entertain," said Diana McMillen, senior food editor at Midwest Living magazine. "There are fewer `rules' ... people are having fun with it."

Years ago, hosts had to set a formal table, with china and silverware, invitations had to be sent at the appropriate time and people had to prepare everything themselves, she said.

Hosts still can do that, but it's more fun to share the effort. Maybe someone is good at making dessert, for example. Some hosts go so far as to assign recipes for dishes that will complete the meal.

Pitching in

Sometimes the guests get involved in the cooking after everyone has arrived, McMillen said. With the trend toward simpler food, it's easy to enlist help, and people get to make food the way they like it. Perhaps guests can add ingredients to chili or make their own shish kebabs, for example.

Other trends McMillen sees are tasting parties, during which guests sample varieties of a single item. Popular choices are beer, wine, cheeses or chocolates; and small-plate dining featuring items such as mini-burgers and accompaniments.

"The key is to know your guests and plan accordingly," McMillen said.

She herself has changed the way she entertains, paying more attention to making specific foods that her guests will enjoy. She doesn't seek out "adventurous food" as she might once have.

She often will prepare what she called traditional food with a twist, such as specially decorated cupcakes or mashed potatoes with unusual seasoning or flavors.

She's also grilling food more frequently because it sets such a casual atmosphere.

But one thing that won't change for McMillen is dessert. She says she goes for a "big dessert" and considers it an acceptable indulgence.

Kemp Minifie, executive food editor at Gourmet magazine, is in full agreement.

"Dessert will always be important," Minifie said. "We go to it as a reward. You want to end with a little something sweet."

Minifie has seen changing trends during 30 years at Gourmet.

"When I started, you had to have the first course ... it was fancier food," she said.

Gourmet had a reputation for focusing on French food, an image Minifie said the magazine staff fought. In the 1980s, the magazine introduced "cuisine courant," which morphed into more casual menus.

Finding their way

In helping home cooks plan meals and entertaining, it's important to focus on different cooks who have different needs, she said. Some want to plan challenging menus.

"For them, cooking is a sport. They relax when they do it." Minifie said.

But others, and she put herself into this category, are looking for a simpler way.

"I'm tired," she said. "I don't want to spend the weekend in the kitchen. A lot of my entertaining tends to be impromptu."

Minifie, like others, no longer serves a first course. She's found that guests like to gather for snacks before sitting down to a meal. "And it's on platters - it's not plated," she said.

She also sees a preference for a one-pot dinner. "You make a pot of something you can expand if someone brings a friend. You add bread or something else."

She has had success serving an entree of black beans with rice, because it can be personalized by having guests add ingredients.

"People love to make something their own. And it spurs conversation," she said.

Overall, hosts are willing to put time into preparing and serving delicious food - they just don't have a lot of time to do it. But in the end, what matters is the gathering itself, she said.

"It's about getting people together over food. ... It's conversation. It's sharing. ... It gets heart-to-hearts going."

Warm asparagus salad

Asparagus, dates, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette - with a few simple ingredients, this salad presents a wonderful complexity of flavors dinner guests are sure to appreciate. The recipe is from Midwest Living magazine (www.midwestliving.com).

Makes 4 side-dish servings

1 pound fresh asparagus spears

2 tablespoons bottled Italian salad dressing

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 cups mesclun or 1 package (5 ounces) baby mixed salad greens

¼ cup snipped pitted whole dates

4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

¼ cup pecan pieces, toasted

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)

Balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe)

Start to finish: 25 minutes.

Snap off and discard woody bases from fresh asparagus. Cut asparagus into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to just below bottom of basket. Bring water to a boil. Evenly arrange fresh or frozen asparagus in basket. Cover and reduce heat; steam 2 minutes. Remove.

Arrange asparagus in broiler-safe baking pan. Drizzle Italian salad dressing over asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Broil asparagus 4 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool slightly.

To serve, arrange mesclun on 4 large salad plates or 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle dates on top of mesclun. Sprinkle with goat cheese and pecans. Arrange asparagus on top. If you like, top with chopped tomatoes. Drizzle with some of the balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Balsamic vinaigrette:

Makes about ¾ cup

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 clove garlic

¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup olive oil

In food processor or blender, combine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process or blend until smooth. With processor or blender running, gradually add oil and process or blend until combined.

Serve immediately or cover and store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Stir just before serving.

Lemon-rosemary pork tenderloin

This quickly prepared entree is from Taste of Home.

Makes 8 servings

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 pork tenderloin (1 pound each)

Prep time: 10 minutes. Baking time: 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In small bowl, combine all ingredients except pork; rub mixture over tenderloins. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven 25 to 35 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Roasted capon

Capon is rooster that's been - how to put this delicately? - "altered" to become a hen. They are usually much larger than chickens - about 8 to 10 pounds - so they're a terrific alternative for a holiday dinner . . . or just for having friends over. The recipe is from Ina Garten, a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa.

Makes 6 servings

1 (8 to 10 pound) fresh capon

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

12 fresh thyme sprigs

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted (divided)

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 pounds carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks

Sprinkle outside of capon liberally with salt. Wrap well and refrigerate until you are ready to roast it. Capon can sit in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place capon breast side up in 16-by-13-inch roasting pan and pat outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside of cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place lemons and thyme inside cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string and tie wings close to body of capon. Brush capon with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Place onions and carrots in large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to onion mixture along with another 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well. Place vegetables around capon. Place capon into oven legs first. Back of oven tends to be hotter than front. Roast 1 ½ hours or until juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.

Remove capon from oven and cover pan with aluminum foil. If vegetables aren't browned, transfer capon to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Return vegetables to oven to cook while meat rests. Allow capon to rest 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the vegetables. Skim fat off pan juices and pour juices over meat and vegetables.

Panna cotta with balsamic strawberries

This springlike dessert, contributed by Ina Garten, was inspired by a recipe of Mario Batali, the famed Italian chef. According to Garten, it's surprising how the sweetness of the strawberries balances the acidity of the balsamic vinegar.

Makes 8 servings

2 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin powder

3 tablespoons cold water

3 cups whipping cream (divided)

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt

1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

¾ cup sugar

Balsamic strawberries (see recipe)

Freshly grated lemon zest for garnish

In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin into water. Stir and set aside 10 minutes to allow gelatin to dissolve.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 ½ cups of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract and vanilla bean.

In small saucepan over medium heat, heat remaining 1 ½ cups of cream and the sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add softened gelatin to hot cream and stir to dissolve. Pour hot cream/gelatin mixture into cream/yogurt mixture and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into 8 round ramekins or custard cups that are 3 ½ inches round and at least 2 inches high. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. When panna cottas are well chilled, cover with plastic wrap and let set overnight.

Thirty minutes to an hour before serving, prepare balsamic strawberries. Garnish with lemon zest.

Balsamic strawberries

4 pints (8 cups) sliced fresh strawberries

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

In bowl, combine strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar and pepper. Toss well and set aside at room temperature.

Pear and almond tart

Eau-de-vie, or fruit brandy, an Alsatian specialty, is used to great effect in this dish, bringing out the subtle nuances in the pears. A custardy, brandied layer over the tender fruit, along with a nutty topping, gives this tart a complex yet homey air.

The recipe is from Gourmet magazine (www.gourmet.com).

Makes about 6 servings

Pastry dough (see recipe)

Topping (see recipe)

2 firm-ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears (1 pound total)

2 ½ tablespoons poire William (French pear brandy) or cognac (divided)

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup creme fraiche or whipping cream

Pinch of salt

Make pastry dough and topping. Set aside.

To prepare filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core pears, then cut lengthwise into ¼ -inch slices. Toss pears with 1 tablespoon pear brandy in a bowl, then arrange, overlapping, in prepared tart shell. Put a pie shield on tart pan or cover rim with foil and transfer to baking sheet. Bake just until pears are barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Maintain oven temperature. Set a heavy baking sheet in the oven.

In small bowl, combine eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, creme fraiche, salt and remaining 1 ½ tablespoons pear brandy and whisk until smooth. Pour over pears.

Bake in preheated oven on baking sheet until custard is just set when tested 2 inches from edge. This will take about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and remove pie shield. Gently sprinkle topping over custard and return to oven on baking sheet. Bake until top is pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool tart to warm or room temperature in tart pan on a rack.

Notes: Dough can be chilled up to 2 days. Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature. Tart can be baked 8 hours ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Pastry dough:

1 ¼ cups flour

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ -inch cubes

1 large egg yolk

2 ½ tablespoons cold water

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Beat together yolk and water with a fork and stir into flour mixture until combined well.

Knead mixture gently in bowl with floured hands just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 4 or 5 times more. Form dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round.

Slide bottom of a fluted 9 to 9 ½ - tart pan (separate from rim) under dough, then set into removable rim. Cut off excess dough, leaving ½ -inch overhang, and fold overhang inward. Press dough against side of pan, pushing dough ¼ inch above rim. Lightly pierce bottom of shell all over with a fork and chill until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set oven rack in center of oven.

Line pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in preheated oven until side is set and edge is pale golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until golden, 15 to 25 minutes more. Leave oven on.

Topping:

1 cup sliced almonds with skins (3 ½ ounces)

¼ cup sugar

1 large egg white

Combine all ingredients and mix well.