Instructions: You love to have people over, but not necessarily the idea of cooking for everyone? The appetizers, the three-course meal, the dessert - who has time to make all that?

The obvious answer is to throw a potluck party. Youll spend less time on planning, and youll have fewer things to prepare.

When youre inviting guests over the telephone, you might feel squeamish about saying the word "potluck," since it implies that you are asking for food. Dont be - in this day, a potluck party is a civilized, efficient way to get together with friends. And many people recognize that the alternative to a potluck is often no get-together at all. If youre truly shy, you can call people up and invite them over, then hope theyll say those precious words, "Can I bring anything?"
The last time I held a party (a Sunday brunch for neighbors) almost every guest asked that worthwhile question. One couple brought orange juice, one brought two lovely crusty loaves of bread, and one brought a huge fruit salad.

It made preparation of the rest of the party food much easier. I had fewer items on my shopping list, and only three things to prepare, plus tea and coffee.

I saved time by having a friend help me make the apricot tarts on Saturday afternoon. She enjoyed it because we got to spend time together, and she was delighted to learn something new that was easy and elegant. The night before, I prepared the ingredients for the fritatta and cut up the salmon for the eggs.

The next morning, there was little left to do other than preparing the table.

Another time-saving way to host a potluck is to make a one-pot meal, such as chili or spaghetti and meatballs. At this time of year, a grilled main course is often the way to go. Your guests bring the extras: wine, bread, salad, and dessert. People love coming to a party where theres a big pot of something aromatic bubbling on the stove. One guest could be in charge of setting up a condiment bar with bowls of grated cheese and chopped onions for the chili. It makes one less thing to do and allows guests to help themselves.

Think ahead to how you want the potluck to turn out. Sometimes it works fine just to say its a potluck and then deal with whatever people bring over.

After all, thats what the word means: everyone takes potluck.

This approach has its downside. Ive twice gone to a dinner of all women where they all brought salads, followed by chocolate cake for dessert. It sounds stereotypical, but no one complained. Other times Ive been to potlucks where guests brought plenty of fabulous desserts, but hardly any entrees. If youre comfortable enough to go with the flow, an unstructured potluck could be just the thing.

If not, feel free to pass out assignments of entrees and desserts when you issue the invitations. Create a list of whos bringing what. You can even have a guest bring paper plates, napkins and utensils.

A few days before, decide where to set up the food, and make a grocery list of whats left to purchase and prepare. If youre still feeling overwhelmed, buy something ready made, or ask a friend to be in charge of drinks, or tea and coffee for after the meal.

Dont assign drinks and appetizers to someone whos chronically late. In fact, its best to take those on yourself, since you know that at least you will be there when the party starts. If youre having fancy drinks, enlist a friend to come over early and prepare them.

Simple appetizers and snacks - such as bowls of tortilla chips, salsa, nuts, and pretzels - are perfectly acceptable for a potluck party. If you are feeling exotic, put out some flavorful types of cheeses, a few different kinds of olives, and some crackers. If youre going wild, add a jar of roasted red peppers.

Then you can feel comfortable, knowing that as guests arrive and the music plays, they can consume your hors doeuvres while awaiting other unknown but certainly delicious foods. If you are a control freak, this image might drive you crazy. But if you can relax and enjoy it, potlucks can be so easy that youll be willing to entertain more often. And thats something everyone will appreciate.

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