Conference turris::cooks

    Another thought might be to arrange a Mexican buffet.  You can make
    the chili ahead of time (even freeze it), then serve it in a crock
    pot, along with tacos, warmed flour tortillas, and all the [rather
    inexpensive] ingredients.  Some guests could chop the tomatoes,
    peppers, onions, lettuce, etc.  The prep. work isn't very extensive,
    all who chose may participate, and when it's all ready, the buffet
    "flows" nicely!  With the grilling season just beginning, you could
    do this outdoors and include beef/chicken fajitas.  Can't you just
    TASTE the Margaritas now?!
    
    Sue

    I have lots of ideas - as I entertain a lot on a shoestring.  I'll be
    glad to enter some of the ideas in this note, if you would like, or
    send them to you offline.
    
    Pizza is a fun thing and, I have found, can be varied so many ways. 
    One that I made about 3 weeks ago was hit so I'll share it with you.  
    I make my own dough as I find it cheaper and it tastes better.  I'll
    enter the recipe for the toppings - if you would like the recipe for
    the dough please let me know.
    
    I take a large cookie sheet and put a thin coating of olive oil (I
    guess you could spray it with PAM) and then sprinkle corn meal.  
    Then I take the dough and shape it on the cookie sheet - forming a
    ridge around the edges.  Sprinkle a little corn meal (keeps the sauce 
    from plopping in your lap) all over the dough.  Take a small can of 
    plum tomatoes (drained) and chop them coarsely with a fork...place 
    on pizza.  Take fresh spinach leaves (cleaned and dried) and cover the 
    tomatoes.  I then put on a couple slices of prosciutto ham (I buy 1/4 lb 
    at the deli which comes to about $1.95) over the spinach.  Sprinkle some
    Feta Cheese over this - then a thin layer of sliced black olives.  
    Drizzle some olive oil all over, sprinkle on fresh basil and then shake 
    a good portion of grated Romano cheese.  Place in a 425 degree oven for 
    about 25 minutes or until you can lift the corner clean off the cookie 
    sheet.
    
    I have also sliced up some black olives and put that on there as well.
    
    Have a homeade cream of zucchini soup - and then serve the pizza with a 
    large tossed garden salad.
    
    

    I do a lot of entertaining at home and it is not expensive at all if
    you compare it with a restaurant.
    I make very nice London broils (1 steak for 3/4 people, under 2.50 lb)
    (I nuke potatoes and then broil them along the meat)
    steamed broculi or other vegies,
    mixed salad,
    homemade apple pie (because it is a favorite with my family and
    friends) and a nice bottle of wine, 
    expresso coffee and... we have a wonderful time at just a fraction
    of what it would cost to eat out!
    
    I also serve lots of fish, or stuffed cornish hens, shrimp scampi is
    elegant for entertaining, I serve lots of pattes, salmon mousse...
    there are lots of nice, elegant foods to serve to friends,
    I shouldn't forget "paella" it is a hit at home, I get so many requests
    for it that I no longer care for it (ate too many of them...). I have a
    paella pan that feeds 16 people (I need 2 burners to do it when I use
    the stove) and whenever I make it, it is the star of the party!
    
    I use my imagination to prepare good menus that would complement a
    meal and we have very good times, we might get the guitar out and have
    fun with it too! I enjoy being at home and cooking for family and
    friends and prefer it to going out anytime. (we have from 6 people to
    20, we could not afford to feed them at restaurants on a regular
    basis!) At home it is much more convenient and more fun.
    

One of my favorites is "Make Your Own Shish-Ka-Bobs" with whatever veggies
are in season and what ever meat, fish is on sale.  You can use sausage, 
shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, etc.

Have several bowls of glaze/sauce for folks to make their creations special.

Serve with large green salads, lots of lettuce and some colorful additives.  I
will often go to a grocery salad bar and get a bowl of the extras and buy my
own lettuce.  That way, you don't have extra veggies to throw away.

Dessert can be home made ice cream, or an angel food cake or pound cake, with
fresh, in season fruits and ice cream or whipped topping or a liqueur sauce.

Guests BYOB to cut costs, then I have plenty of club soda or seltzer and fruit
juices to add to them and fresh fruit to add to them.

Appetizers can also be brought by guests.


dana

    When the weather's cool again, we'll have friends for traditional
    American-style turkey dinner, which is good anytime.
    
    The usual roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, etc.
    
    During barbecue weather we like lamb kebabs.   My husband cubes the
    lamb and marinates it in vinegar and his secret spices, for 2 - 24
    hours.  We assemble the kebabs on skewers with cherry tomatoes, chunks
    of green pepper, chunks of onion, and mushrooms.  Brush with olive oil
    and grill.  Serve with rice.
    
    Lasagne is inexpensive and as good as its ingredients.
    
    In season, the best fresh fruit is a delicious ending.

ITALIAN:

Make a nice meatless sauce (lots of veggies simmered in the sauce) and
toss a salad of lettuce, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot, tomato,
green and red pepper, black olives with a tangy vinegarette.  Bake up
a loaf of sourdough bread spread with garlic butter and wrapped in foil,
just until the loaf is hot and smells wonderful.  Serve iced tea, let
folks bring wine if they choose.  For dessert:

	fresh fruits with some rich cheeses (very continental)
			- or -
	spumoni (store-bought) with biscotti and coffee
			- or -
	sara lee pound cake sliced lengthwise into 6 sections;
	spread cream cheese spread between layers.  Wrap in
	foil and chill for at least 3 hours.  Slice and
	place on plates and drizzle with dark chocolate sauce
	when ready to eat:

	cream cheese spread:  beat 8 oz. cream cheese or lite
		cream cheese with 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar (to taste),
		1 teaspoon good vanilla.  Mix well.  Fold in
		a handful of mini choco chips.  You can add a
		shot of rum to this instead of vanilla if you
		prefer.

	choco sauce:  2 cups chocolate chips melted gently over simmering
		water in a double boiler or by placing a small
		sauce pan in a larger pan with water.  Or melt in
	 	the microwave at 50% power, stirring frequently to
		make smooth.  Stir in enough heavy cream to make a
		nice sauce.  Add a teaspoon vanilla.  Chill until
		ready to use.  Heat over low heat until warm and
		drizzle over cake.


SOUP AND SALAD SUPPER:

make a giant pot of homemade soup, bake up some cornbread, toss a salad.
Make a "comfort food" dessert....chocolate pudding with whipped cream on
top...an old fashioned vanilla wafer/vanilla pudding/bananna trifle....
bread pudding (recipes all over this conference - look for the Cajun
bread pudding recipe - it is a killer) topped with custard sauce or
whiskey sauce....bake a berry or apple crisp.  Offer hot mulled cider.
Let guests bring wine if they choose.

Soups to try:  bean; minnestroni; corn chowder; vegetarian vegetable
with noodles.

MEXICAN:

Enchiladas with black bean relish, chips and salsa, mexican rice, tossed
fresh vegetable salad (feeling frisky?  add a dash of jalapeno juice to
the dressing!).  Dessert:  fresh fruit and/or pineapple sherbet.  Beverage
should be iced tea and/or beer - tecate or dos equus.

Enchiladas:  Buy Old El Paso Brand red enchilada sauce - easy way out.
				- or -
	     buy a pound of dried large red chile peppers. place in pot
	     with 2 cups hot water.  let sit overnight.  slit peppers
	     and remove seeds and stems.  place peppers and enough water
	     to make it possible to puree peppers in the blender.  Work
	     in batches if need be. (water at this junction is the water
	     you soaked the peppers in overnight).  Place pepper puree,
	     a dash of vinegar (cider preferred) in a pot and heat to
	     a simmer.  cook for approx. 30 minutes over low heat.  If
	     sauce is watery, add thickener.  If you can get it, use
	     2 tlbsp. masa harina in 1 cup water - mixed well - and
	     stirred gently into the sauce.  flour will do.  Cook the
	     sauce until slightly thickened and remove from heat.    
	     Depending on the peppers this sauce can be anything from
	     mildly entertaining to lethal.  I prefer whenever possible
	     to use the canned for consistency.

	assemble the casserole.  You will need:

		3 cups shredded longhorn or mild cheddar cheese
		2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese mixed together

		3 cups sweet onion, chopped

		1 cup chopped black olive 

		1 pkg. corn tortillas (usually 12/pkg)

		enchilada sauce, cool enough to handle

		optional - diced jalepeno pepper (only for the brave)
			(canned is fine - handling these suckers can
			 be painful)

	traditional method:  fry each tortilla in enough oil to cover
		just until it is softened.  drain on paper towel.
		cook all tortillas and then allow to cool enough to
		handle.

	new method:  wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven until warm
		and softened enough to be pliable or heat in microwave
		at 50% power while wrapped in saran wrap - just to become
		pliant.

	dip a ladle of sauce into the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan or glass
	baking dish.  dip a tortilla into the pan of sauce, move to pan and
	"fill" with a generous handful of cheese, a couple of tablespoons
	of onion, a teaspoon of chopped olive, and a little jalepeno
	(if used)..form into a "cigar" shape around the filling and lay
	in the pan, seam side down.  It'll spread a little - don't worry.
	If you do it right, your pan will be stuffed with these enchiladas.
	When all tortillas are used (you may have to set two of the
	"cigars" along the long side of the pan to make all fit), ladle
	more sauce over the top.  cover liberally with cheese, sprinkle
	with olives, and optiona chiles.  Bake at 350 degreees F. for
	at least 45 minutes - up to 1 hour.

	black bean relish:  cooked, drained black beans mixed with
		chopped red/spanish onion, diced green peppers, chopped
		ripe tomatoes.  Toss with copious amounts of fresh,
		chopped cilentro, stir in vinegar softened with a pinch
		of sugar.  Hold for several hours to overnight.  Serve 
		chilled.  a dash of jalepeno juice works nicely here too.

None of these menus will break the bank....and my friends LUV them.

>>        <<< Note 3050.6 by FORTSC::WILDE "why am I not yet a dragon?" >>>
>>                          -< good food/not expensive >-

>>ITALIAN:

pasta is assumed.....sorry about that!