Easy entertaining: Three simple courses

Do dinner parties have to be complicated? No, says this unharried host.

Sesame Pork Roast

Serve 6

Basically a braised piece of meat, this roast is easy to cook whether in a slow cooker, in the oven, or on top of the stove in a Dutch oven. When prepared in the slow cooker, the roast doesn't need to be marinated in advance because the meat marinates during the lengthy cooking time. But for ease in the morning, it's helpful to prepare the marinade the night before.

Roasted Green Beans

Serves 6

Why is it that the concept of roasted beans sounds so foreign? They remind me of green French fries. The beans can be roasted at whatever temperature your oven is already set, if you are cooking something else at the same time.

1¼ pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed

Olive oil

Coarse salt

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6

Russet potatoes, also called Idaho potatoes, are best for mashing because of their high starch content.

2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Salt

¼ cups milk or cream

2 to 4 tablespoons butter

½ cup sour cream

White pepper

Butterhead Lettuce With Parmesan and Fresh Mushrooms

Serves 6

Note: To shave Parmesan, use a grater with coarse holes to make larger shavings of the cheese. Butterhead lettuce comes in loose heads with floppy leaves; they are the most tender of lettuces. Baby spinach leaves could also be used.

7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 to 6 ounces fresh mushrooms (button, portabello or other), sliced

Gingerbread With Lemon Sauce

Serves 8 or 9

The recipe originates with Duluth cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas. Serve it with hot tea or strong coffee.

Gingerbread

½ cup sugar

4 tablespoon (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Culinary SOS: A cool banana rice pudding

Dear SOS: My trips to Santa Barbara, Calif., are not complete unless I have the rice pudding with bananas and pistachios from Pierre Lafond. I would love the recipe. Hope you can help. Thanks.

- Irene P. Ayala

Los Angeles