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By Jorj Morgan of www.Jorj.com

Often times, the most challenging aspect of hosting a dinner party is creating a menu that is elegant but accessible. After all, for the party to be a true success, the hostess should enjoy herself as much as the guests!

Here are some simple menu planning tips and suggestions for entertaining with ease:

•    Start with the menu. The key to your success is in the planning. Try to combine dishes that can be made in advance with those that need prepared at the last moment.
•    If you have your heart set on making individual items, like omelets or several kinds of pasta, then plan on a kitchen party and invite your guests to don an apron and pitch in. I like to party at my parties, so I choose dishes that are mostly prepared in advance and then finished just before serving.

Suggestions for a partying menu:

•    Offer a tossed salad as a first course. Prepare the salad veggies, mix together the vinaigrette, and chill the dishes. At the last moment toss the salad and serve.
•    Vegetable Lasagna, Braised Veal Shanks, Roasted Herb Chicken and Prime Rib Roast are all examples of dishes that can be prepared in advance, cooked and allowed to rest while the salad is enjoyed. Alternatively, entrees that are grilled, stir-fried, or incorporate delicate sauces must be made at the last moment before serving.
•    Choose a vegetable in a casserole that can be kept warming while you present the main course, or steam a small vegetable at the last moment. If you choose the steaming method, make sure that your sliced veggies are sitting in the steamer basket, inside the pan with a small amount of water. All you have to do is turn up the heat!
•    For dessert, offer a deliciously frosted cake instead of a feisty chocolate soufflé.

Jorj Morgan is the author of five cookbooks, including “Gorgeous! The Sum of All Your Glorious Parts,” “At Home in the Kitchen” and “Fresh Traditions.” She has twenty-five years of entertaining and cooking for her family of three sons, eight nieces and nephews, and hundreds of extended family friends. Visit her website at www.Jorj.com