HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING : Fast Feasts : Elegant Party Menus From Four of L.A.’s Top Caterers

WE BEGIN BY pleasing the senses--first the eyes, then the mouth,” rhapsodizes Carl Bendix, co-owner with David Corwin of Ambrosia Caterers. Their Southwest holiday dinner is a celebration of color--golden turkey with a cascade of tamale corn stuffing flavored with purple sage and Anaheim and pasilla chiles. Cilantro pan gravy, squash rings and jalapeno corn sticks round out the dinner. For dessert, chocolate hazelnut bread pudding edges out traditional pumpkin pie.

Recipes indicated with asterisks begin on Page 64.

A SOUTHWEST HOLIDAY DINNER FOR 8 Santa Fe Turkey * Tamale Corn Stuffing * Cilantro Pan Gravy * Squash Rings Jalapeno Corn Sticks Chocolate Cinnamon Hazelnut Bread Pudding

COCKTAILS OR TEA--both put pre-party frenzy on a back burner. Robert Willson, executive chef of Parties Plus, suggests a chic cocktail menu of Italian breads known as bruschettas topped with vegetable-based spreads. “Bruschettas are an alternative to crudites ,” says Willson. “It’s inexpensive and easy to prepare.” Likewise, a formal tea is a swank, relatively trouble-free fete. “We do a lot of teas as opposed to cocktail parties,” says Andrea Bell of L.A. Celebrations!. “Nowadays, tea sandwiches are made with butters seasoned with fresh herbs and edible flowers.” Bell sometimes dispenses with bread altogether, nestling smoked duck in radicchio leaves with a dab of pear preserves. How many sandwiches does it take for a tea? Three to five per person, Bell says. The etiquette for eating them--one bite or several? “Tea sandwiches aren’t like canapes. Generally, it’s two or three bites.”

COCKTAILS FOR 20

Bruschettas and Spreads: Nicoise Olive Bread Anchovy Onion Bread Sun-Dried Tomato Bread Garlic Toast Foccacio with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Toppings Roasted Yellow Peppers and Tomatoes with Capers * Yellow Tomatoes and Purple Basil Whole Roasted Garlic

TEA FOR 22 Scones with Devonshire Cream and Jams Cucumber and Nasturtium Tea Sandwiches * Smoked Duck Salad in Radicchio with Pear Preserves * Sweet Pepper, Basil and Mozzarella Tea Sandwiches * Poppy Seed Cake

JUST DESSERTS. WITH no appetizers to prepare and no dinner to serve, it’s the easiest party of all. But will guests relish the idea of a lavish, high-calorie dessert party in this weight-conscious age? You bet, says Patricia Murray, owner of Patticakes, who advises the party-giver to expect sighs and moans of pretended dismay from guests. “Everyone wants to satisfy their sweet tooth,” she says. “People often come into the shop and ask me, ‘Which cake has the least amount of sugar?’ Then they invariably order the cake with the most calories.” For a dessert party, Murray advises, pick a variety of sweets. Match something light, such as the Concorde, a white chocolate mousse cake encircled in crunchy meringue sticks, with a heavier, dark-chocolate sweet such as the Autumn Leaf cake, a hazelnut mousse cake wrapped in chocolate and topped with a curly chocolate flower. The Sun cake only looks like health fare: Underneath the exotic fruit topping is an ultra-rich chocolate mousse.

A SUMPTUOUS DESSERT PARTY Sun Cake * Concorde White Meringue Cake Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake White Chocolate Mousse Autumn Leaf Hazelnut Mousse Cake

A SOUTHWEST HOLIDAY DINNER FOR 8

From Ambrosia Caterers

SANTA FE TURKEY WITH TAMALE CORN STUFFING AND CILANTRO PAN GRAVY 1 10- to 12-pound turkey Mesquite Honey Marinade

Marinate turkey 1 to 3 days ahead. Stuff with cooled Tamale Corn Stuffing, and roast according to size of turkey. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 20 minutes. Serve with Cilantro Pan Gravy. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Mesquite Honey Marinade 2 cups olive oil 2 cups white wine 2 bunches purple sage, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic 2 tablespoons kosher salt 4 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons ground white pepper 1/2 cup mesquite honey

Combine above ingredients and pour over turkey, making sure to coat inside of turkey as well. Cover and refrigerate from 1 to 3 days.

TAMALE CORN STUFFING 1/2 pound unsalted butter 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup Spanish onion, chopped 2 cups celery, chopped 3 bunches purple sage, chopped 1 to 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock Bread-Crumb and Tamale Mix 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts Kosher salt Fresh, cracked pepper 1 cup Zante currants

In large saute or roasting pan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery and sage, and saute until onions are transparent and begin to turn brown. Add 1 quart chicken stock and bring to boil.

Remove from heat. Add Bread-Crumb and Tamale Mix. Mix until all is moistened. Add toasted pine nuts and currants and season to taste with kosher salt and fresh, cracked pepper. If stuffing is too dry, add additional chicken stock.

Stuffing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Bread-Crumb and Tamale Mix 2 pounds cubed day-old bread, lightly toasted and cooled 2 to 3 bunches purple sage, chopped 2 cups tamale mix (best is Quaker Masa Harina corn-flour mix, available in local grocery stores) 3 whole Anaheim chiles, roasted, seeded and chopped 3 whole pasilla chiles, roasted, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients.

CILANTRO PAN GRAVY 1 bottle of beer 2 cups chicken stock or water 1 tablespoon arrowroot 2 tablespoons cold water 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Remove all fat except 2 tablespoons from pan. De-glaze pan with beer. Bring to a slow boil, stirring 5 minutes to remove drippings stuck to pan. Add chicken stock or water and cook 10 to 15 more minutes. Dissolve arrowroot in the cold water and add to gravy mixture.

Simmer and cook gently to desired thickness.

Remove from heat, pour into serving dish and add fresh chopped cilantro. Stir and serve.

COCKTAILS FOR 20

From Parties Plus

ROASTED YELLOW PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH CAPERS 4 roasted yellow peppers, diced 10 roasted tomatoes, diced 2 tablespoons Nicoise olives, chopped (optional) 2 tablespoons capers Extra-virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar Broiled Baguette Slices Italian parsley

Combine peppers, tomatoes and capers (and olives, if desired). Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Top each baguette slice with a heaping teaspoon of mixture and garnish with a piece of Italian parsley.

Broiled Baguettes 1 baguette (skinny loaf of bread) Extra-virgin olive oil

Slice baguette into 1/8-inch slices. Brush one side with extra-virgin olive oil. Place baguette slices under broiler and toast lightly. Flip them and toast on other side.

TEA FOR 22

From L.A. Celebrations!

SWEET PEPPER, BASIL AND MOZZARELLA TEA SANDWICHES 24 slices pumpernickel bread 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil infused with 4 garlic cloves 4 balls fresh buffalo-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced Salt Pepper 4 sweet red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded 4 sweet yellow peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded 48 basil leaves 1 basket cherry tomatoes, sliced

Cut bread into 2-inch squares and toast. Brush squares lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese with additional oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble cheese, roasted peppers, basil and tomatoes into decorative pattern. Makes 24 open-faced sandwiches.

CUCUMBER AND NASTURTIUM TEA SANDWICHES 24 thin slices brown bread 1 cup Watercress Mayonnaise 6 English cucumbers, sliced paper thin 2 dozen nasturtiums, petals separated Salt Fresh ground pepper

Cut bread into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Spread each round with Watercress Mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste. Arrange cucumber slices and nasturtiums in decorative pattern atop each round. Makes 24 open-faced sandwiches.

Watercress Mayonnaise 1/2 cup watercress leaves 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice Salt Pepper

Blanche watercress and squeeze out all water. In food processor with a cutting blade, combine watercress with rest of ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste, for 1 minute or until well incorporated.

SMOKED DUCK SALAD IN RADICCHIO WITH PEAR PRESERVES 2 smoked duck breasts, skin removed 1/2 cup water chestnuts 1 stalk celery 1 carrot 1 small piece daikon radish 18 snow peas 2 heads baby bok choy Peanut Oil Dressing 48 small radicchio leaves Pear preserves (for garnish) Daikon sprouts (for garnish) Black sesame seeds (for garnish) Salt Pepper

Cut duck breasts, water chestnuts, celery, carrot, daikon and snow peas into thin match sticks and combine with a chiffonade of bok choy. Lightly toss duck and vegetables with Peanut Oil Dressing .

Place a dollop of salad in each radicchio leaf and top with pear preserves. Garnish with daikon sprouts and sesame seeds. Makes 48 open-faced appetizers.

Peanut Oil Dressing 1/4 cup peanut oil 2 tablespoons Oriental sesame oil 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced 1 teaspoon soy sauce Pepper

Combine oils and whisk into vinegar. Add remaining ingredients, including pepper to taste.

A DESSERT PARTY

From Patticakes

SUN CAKES 2 Almond Genoise Cake Layers Chocolate Mousse 4 cups raspberries (to be used between layers of mousse) Fresh Fruit for Topping 2 Chocolate Bands

Place each of 2 Almond Genoise Cake Layers into its own 10-inch springform pan. Top each layer with 1/3 of its portion of Chocolate Mousse and then 2 cups raspberries. Add remaining Chocolate Mousse to both cakes. Chill 2 hours. Unmold cakes. Place on platters. Pick up 1 Chocolate Band with one hand at each end of the band. Set center of band flush against 1 cake. Move band outward around cake, keeping a gentle, steady pressure on band so as to stick band to cake and overlap ends. Repeat with 2nd cake, and chill both 20 minutes.

Remove 1 cake from refrigerator and peel back parchment from end that is stuck to cake. Cut the other end with scissors to make a straight seam. Hold a heated knife against the seam to melt ends and stick them together. Repeat for 2nd cake.

Set fresh fruit atop cakes and apply Apricot Glaze. Makes 2 cakes.

Almond Genoise Cake Layers Melted butter (to prepare cake pans) 1/2 cup toasted almonds 1 cup cake flour Pinch of salt 8 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Line 2 10-inch springform pans with parchment, 1 pan for each cake. Brush with melted butter and dust with flour.

Toast almonds in 350-degree oven until lightly brown. Grind to fine texture. Sift flour and salt together. Combine with almonds. Separate eggs into two big bowls. Beat yolks with sugar until thick. Add almond extract. Beat whites to soft peaks. Alternately fold flour mixture and beaten whites into yolk-sugar mixture. Divide batter into two pans. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and springy to touch. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out of pans and peel off parchment. Cool completely.

Chocolate Mousse 2 pounds semisweet chocolate 4 whole eggs 8 eggs, separated 4 cups whipping cream 1 cup confectioner sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt chocolate in large bowl over hot water. Whisk in 4 eggs and 8 additional yolks. Beat separated whites to soft peaks. Beat cream to soft peaks; add sugar and vanilla. Beat to firm peaks.

Add 1/4-cup whipped cream to chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold whites and remaining cream into chocolate. Divide into 2 portions, 1 for each cake.

Fresh Fruit for Topping Strawberries Kiwis Raspberries Grapes Blueberries Papayas 1 cup Apricot glaze

Heat apricot glaze.

Chocolate Bands 1/4 pound semisweet chocolate 1 sheet parchment 4 drops vegetable oil

For each cake:

Melt chocolate with oil over hot water. Cut 1 2 1/2x18-inch strip of parchment. Place on back of cookie sheet. Pour chocolate slowly down middle of strip. Spread with spatula to cover. Chill 20 minutes. Remove band and let sit at room temperature 3 to 5 minutes.

A SOUTHWEST HOLIDAY DINNER FOR 8: Catering by Ambrosia Caterers, 1717 Stewart St., Santa Monica; (213) 453-7007; Plates from Luna Garcia Studio, Venice; glasses, napkins, flatware from Steve, Beverly Hills; table, chairs, rug, candlesticks from K. Spiegelman Interiors, West Hollywood. Photographed at the Kay Spiegelman residence.

COCKTAILS FOR 20: Catering by Parties Plus, 3455 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 838-3800; glasses, napkins from Tesoro, Los Angeles; knives from Steve, Beverly Hills; ‘50s furniture, tableware and accessories from HaRry Showroom and HaRry Antiques Warehouse, Los Angeles. Photographed at the Harry Segil residence.

TEA FOR 22: Catering by L.A. Celebrations!, 1716 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 837-8900; cake stand and sugar bowl from Lucy Zahran & Co., Beverly Center; floral china and tongs from Tesoro, Los Angeles.

A SUMPTUOUS DESSERT PARTY: Catering by Patticakes, 1900 N. Allen Ave., Altadena; (818) 794-1128; plates and napkin cones from Tesoro, Los Angeles; platter from Steve, Beverly Hills.

Food styling by Alice M. Hart / Food for Film