Ingredient Title Chef Category

Dishes that travel well to picnics and barbecues

You're lucky if a pot luck really works. Better to be bold and say what would you like to bring so that you'll recognize a hole when it appears in the menu, before it is too late to patch it up.

There are a few generalities that generally actually work. For eight people you need one appetizer, one salad, one entree and one dessert. For 16: two of each item, and so on. One bottle of wine should serve three or four wine lovers but most people solve that problem by asking everyone to bring whatever they would enjoy as a beverage.

Here are some portables that won't make you wish you'd stayed home.

SPINACH SALAD

Mix dressing in a jar, close lid tight and carry along. Remaining ingredients go into plastic bags which are kept in the cooler en route. They get dressed in the salad bowl at their final destination.

6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
3 quarts (10 to 12 oz.) washed spinach leaves, stems removed
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 ½ cups garlic-flavored croutons
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Combine first 3 ingredients to make dressing. At the table toss spinach and dressing first then add eggs, croutons, cheese, slat and pepper. Toss lightly. Makes 8 servings.

QUICK, EASY AND INEXPENSIVE COCKTAIL SAUCE

Make dip up to 1 week ahead, cover and chill.

1 pound (30 to 35 pieces) shrimp, cooked
1/3 cup catsup
3 tablespoons cream-style horseradish, or to taste lemon or lime wedges, optional
parsley or dill, optional

Peel shrimp and refrigerate. Combine catsup and horseradish, making it as hot as you want to separate the men from he boys. Serve shrimp with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. You can dip the edge of the lemon or lime wedge in chopped parsley or dill to make it more interesting, or just garnish the bowl of shrimp with parsley or dill if you like.

WESTERNIZED TABBOULEH

This favorite Middle-Eastern dish is based on bulgur wheat which is sometimes sold in grocery stores as wheat pilaf. By any name it is delicious, but if none is available you can substitute wild rice mixed with white or brown rice, or perhaps even pasta.

3 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups bulgur wheat
½ cup minced Italian parsley
1 cup diced, peeled jicama or thinly sliced water chestnuts
1 small cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced
5 sprigs fresh mint, minced or 1 tablespoons dried mint
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Bring broth to a boil; add bulgur, cover and remove from heat. Let stand until bulgur is tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Drain and save liquid. Pour bulgur into bowl and let cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Add parsley, jicama, cucumber, tomato, mint, lemon juice and oil; mix and add reserved liquid to moisten to taste. Season and serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes 6 cups, about 8 servings.

CHERRY TURNOVERS

You can make these using frozen pie dough and you can used canned pie filling doctored up a bit with a bit of kirsch or lemon juice and nutmeg.

3 pounds Bing cherries, pitted
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pounds frozen puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup sugar

In saucepan cook cherries over low heat, stirring, until they soften and release most of their liquid, about 10 minutes. Drain cherries, pressing lightly to extract as much juice as possible; reserve cherries separately. There should be about 2 cups juice, if short add hot water. Bring juice, granulated sugar and lemon juice to a boil. Meanwhile, stir cornstarch into water until smooth. Add to cherry juice, stirring constantly. Add cherries, bring to a boil and cook until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla; refrigerate until chilled. Roll out pastry 1/8-inch thick. Using a 7-inch saucer or bowl cut 10 rounds; if needed, stack scraps, reroll and cut more rounds. Refrigerate round until firm. Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Working 1 pastry round at a time, brush edge with the egg. Spoon a scant 1/2 cup of cherry filling in the center of the round and fold the dough over to make a half moon. Press edges to seal and crimp the seam with a fork. Transfer the turnover to baking sheet. Refrigerate turnovers until firm, about 10 minutes. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Cut three 1-inch long gashes on top of each turnover. Bake 35 minutes until golden. Cool on rack. They can stand overnight at room temperature. To re crisp use 325⁰F. oven. Makes 10 turnovers.

WHY DOES EVERYTHING TASTE BETTER OUTSIDE?

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