It’s a time to gather around the table with family and friends.

Daisy Avenue is a normal, everyday street in the Wrigley neighborhood, which is a normal, everyday area of Long Beach, which is a normal, everyday city.

Normal, that is, except for one night a year. On that night--usually the second Saturday in December--Daisy Avenue and Wrigley shed their calm exterior for a Christmas parade that is, for me, the be-all and end-all of Christmas parades.

Down one side of the boulevard-like Daisy Avenue and back up the other march a procession of high school and junior high school bands, scouting groups, city workers, politicians and quasi-celebrities.

But though that may sound like your average small-town, Nick-at-Night parade, this one is saved by a liberal spicing of the exotic. At my first Wrigley parade, it was an Elvis impersonator (very definitely bloat-period Elvis), dressed as Santa, badly singing Christmas carols on the back of a flatbed truck.

A couple of years ago, it was the Garden Grove Samba School--a dozen bikinied men and women in feather headpieces, looking for all the world like Vegas dancers who accidentally wandered into a Cub Scout meeting.

“Leave it to Beaver” meets Fellini, and one can only gape in awe. Take that, Hollywood!

We’ve lived in Wrigley about four or five blocks from the parade almost seven years--since that first baptism-by-Elvis--and each year we’ve held a big open house before and after. People arrive early so the kids can feed the horses (the L.A. County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol sets up in front of our house) and then come back afterward for something warm.

Even for those who entertain fairly regularly, an open house is a little different. Dinner parties are a matter of control: You arrange the menu and time the courses in such a way that the guests and the cook move through the evening smoothly.

Open houses are controlled chaos, like being pushed on a sled over the crest of a great big hill. Once it gets started, all you can do is hold on and enjoy the ride.

To survive reasonably intact, it pays to take precautions. The most obvious one is to have absolutely everything ready before the party starts. You do not want to have to elbow your way into the kitchen to prepare a last-minute dish, nor is the middle of a party the time to run out to buy beer (not since college, anyway).

Beyond that, it’s simple. So simple, in fact, that it can be summed up in a series of one-word mantras.

* Paper. Open houses are not the time to show off your good china. If anyone is bothered by eating off paper plates, you’ve either prepared the wrong menu or invited the wrong people.

* Stew. You can make stews in advance and reheat them just before serving. They stick securely to the bowl and everyone likes them, especially after a couple of hours of standing outside in the cold.

* Sandwiches. Put out the meat, bread and toppings and let people fix their own. A little audience participation is always entertaining, and if anybody doesn’t like what they’re eating, they have only themselves to blame.

* Cookies. The ultimate in hand-held desserts.

* Help. Get it. Even if it’s just bringing in the neighborhood baby-sitter to watch the kids and help set up before and clean up afterward, an extra pair of hands (or two, or three) are worth their weight in gold.

Above all, relax and have a good time. When it gets crazy, remember Christmas and open house come only once a year.

MENU

Posole

Roast Turkey Tortas

Vegetarian Black Beans

Grandma Smith’s Christmas Cookies

Biscochitos

Almond Cookies

Kathy’s Hello Dollies

Mulled Wine

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SHOPPING LIST

6 to 7 pounds sliced roast turkey

4 dozen torta rolls

1/4 pound bacon

3 dried morita or 2 dried chipotle chiles

3/4 pound cotija cheese

1 bunch cilantro

2 1/2 pounds pork butt

2 split pig’s feet

2 pounds pork neck bones

2 (1-pound) bags frozen posole corn (nixtamal)

Colored sugars

1 1/2 pounds blanched almonds

2 cups coconut

2 cups chocolate chips

2 cups chopped pecans

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

2 ounces ground New Mexico chile

1 pound red onions

4 sprigs thyme

3 (1 1/2-liter) bottles hearty red wine

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STAPLES

Salt

1 head garlic

Celery

Green bell peppers

2 pounds dried black beans

3 yellow onions

Bay leaves

Freshly ground pepper

Dried oregano

Oil

Shortening or margarine

Sugar

Flour

Eggs

Milk

Baking powder

Brandy

Anise seeds

Vanilla extract

Butter

Graham crackers

Black peppercorns

Whole cloves

Whole allspice

Cinnamon sticks

Distilled white vinegar

Bay leaves

2 oranges

1 lemon

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GAME PLAN

7 days to 2 days before: Make doughs for Biscochitos and Grandma Smith’s Christmas Cookies and prepare and bake Hello Dollies and Almond Cookies.

6 days to 1 day before: Bake and decorate Biscochitos and Grandma Smith’s Christmas Cookies and store in airtight bags or canisters.

2 days before: Do shopping and order rolls for tortas. Brine turkey. Prepare pork broth for Posole and refrigerate in covered pan. Cook Vegetarian Black Beans and refrigerate in sealable freezer bag.

1 day before: Finish preparing Posole and refrigerate in sealable freezer bag. Drain turkey and store overnight in open container in refrigerator to dry.

5 hours before: Pick up rolls and any last-minute necessities or additions.

4 hours before: Put turkey in oven to roast. Prepare pickled red onions.

3 hours before: Get out bowls and platters and arrange in serving rooms and buffets. Fill coolers with beer and pop. Take nap.

1 hour before: Reheat Posole and Vegetarian Black Beans in serving pans. Prepare Mulled Wine.

45 minutes before: Remove turkey from oven and tent with aluminum foil (can be done earlier if turkey is ready; if more than 1 hour earlier, refrigerate turkey and bring out 30 minutes before serving to come to room temperature). Refry some of Vegetarian Black Beans for Turkey Tortas.

30 minutes before: Load CD changer. Make sure everything is in platters or bowls and ready, including putting out garnishes and cookies. Make sure dogs are outside. Take shower.

15 minutes before: Carve turkey.

5 minutes before: Relax a few moments before guests arrive.

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Turkey Tortas

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

The best turkey meat for this sandwich is roasted at home. It’s even better if it is brined overnight. Dissolve 2/3 cup salt in 1 gallon of water and pour that over the raw meat. Leave it to refrigerate overnight. Pat dry and roast at 350 degrees to an internal temperature of about 145 degrees (about 2 hours). Tent the turkey breasts with aluminum foil and set aside for 20 minutes before slicing. Also, round--rather than disc-shaped--red onions are easier to slice into circles. If you choose, you can refry the Vegetarian Black Beans in vegetable oil instead of bacon. Of course, they will end up on a meat sandwich anyway . . .

2 slices bacon, optional

3 cups Vegetarian Black Beans or other beans of choice

1 pound red onions

1 cup water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

10 black peppercorns

5 cloves

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs thyme

4 dozen torta rolls (bolillos)

6 to 7 pounds sliced roast turkey

3/4 pound cotija cheese, crumbled

* Chop bacon coarsely and cook over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Add Vegetarian Black Beans and cook, smashing beans against bottom of pan with spatula. Starch from beans will thicken most of their liquid into firm paste in about 5 minutes. Set aside.

* Slice red onions 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick, separate into rings and place in bottom of mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine water, vinegar, salt and sugar and stir until well mixed. With mortar and pestle, lightly crush peppercorns and cloves and add to vinegar mixture. Pour marinade over onions and add bay leaves and thyme. Cover onions tightly with plastic wrap and set aside until onions are rosy pink and soft but still crisp, at least 4 hours. (For faster results, begin by placing onion rings in colander and pour boiling water over them. Onion rings prepared this way will be ready in 30 minutes).

* Slit rolls almost through. Spread 1 tablespoon refried black bean paste on bottom of roll. Add turkey and garnish with pickled onions and cheese.

48 servings. Each serving, with bacon added to beans: 299 calories, 493 mg sodium, 51 mg cholesterol, 7 grams fat, 33 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein, 0.36 gram fiber.

Vegetarian Black Beans

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 3 hours * Vegetarian * Vegan-Adaptable

2 tablespoons oil

2 stalks celery

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 pounds dried black beans

Water

1 bay leaf

3 small dried morita chiles or 2 large dried chipotle chiles

2 teaspoons salt

Vinegar-based hot sauce

3/4 pound cotija cheese, crumbled, optional

1 bunch cilantro, minced, optional

Heat oil in bottom of large heavy sauce pot or Dutch oven. Add celery and onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and bell peppers and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add black beans and 8 cups water. Tuck in bay leaf and chiles and stir in salt. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, cover and reduce heat to just maintain simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until beans are cooked through, about 2 1/2 hours.

Season to taste with salt and vinegar-based hot sauce, and serve beans in deep bowls with cheese, cilantro and hot sauce passed separately as garnishes.

12 to 14 servings. Each of 14 servings without cheese and cilantro: 246 calories; 346 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 3.62 grams fiber.

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Posole

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 days * Plan Ahead

Posole, spelled pozole elsewhere, is as New Mexican as farolitos--the little candle-lit paper bags that light the way for the Christ child (which are frequently called, incorrectly, luminarias). As a last resort, if you can’t find frozen nixtamal (slaked hominy kernals), substitute canned hominy, draining and rinsing well and adding it, at the most, half an hour before serving.

4 1/2 pounds pork butt

2 split pig’s feet

2 pounds pork neck bones

2 onions

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup ground New Mexico chile

Water

2 (1-pound) bags frozen posole corn (nixtamal)

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

* Trim as much visible fat as possible from pork butt. Cut remaining meat into 1-inch cubes, reserving any bones.

* Place pigs feet, neck bones and pork bones from pork butt in bottom of 6- to 8-quart stock pot and add cubed meat on top. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves and chile. Fill pot with water. Bring to boil, skim scum that floats to top. Reduce heat to very low and cook 4 hours. Remove from heat and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

* Next day, using slotted spoon, skim congealed fat from top of stock. Remove onions, bones and bay leaves and discard. Remove pigs feet and separate meat from bones. Chop meat (including skin) coarsely and return to stock pot.

* Place over low heat and cook another 2 hours. Add posole corn and cook another 2 hours, at least, until kernels open and meat is falling apart. If soup becomes too dry, add more water. Season to taste with salt and plenty of pepper. Add oregano. Stir and cook another 30 minutes to let flavors meld.

10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 295 calories; 272 mg sodium; 92 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 30 grams protein; 1.74 grams fiber.

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Grandma Smith’s Christmas Cookies

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

This is an old favorite from my family.

1 cup shortening or margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

5 1/2 cups flour

Colored sugars or icing

* Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in milk.

* Sift baking powder and flour together. Reduce speed and, with mixer running, add flour to creamed mixture, 1 cup at a time. Continue beating until mixture pulls cleanly away from sides of work bowl, 30 to 45 seconds. If necessary, add a little more flour.

* Chill 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Roll out dough 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut in shapes and transfer to ungreased baking sheet. Decorate with sugar and bake at 350 degrees until light brown, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, cut in shapes, bake at 350 degrees until light brown, and then decorate with icing.

6 dozen cookies. Each cookie: 81 calories; 46 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

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Biscochitos

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

This recipe comes from “The Best From New Mexico Kitchens” (New Mexico Magazine, 1978).

6 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups lard or shortening (1 pound)

1 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons anise seeds

2 eggs

1/4 cup brandy

1 tablespoon cinnamon

* Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

* Cream lard and 1 1/2 cups sugar by beating in bowl until light and fluffy. Add anise seeds and beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in brandy. Add flour mixture and beat until dough pulls cleanly away from sides of work bowl, about 1 minute. Chill 1 hour.

* Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

* Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Roll out 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick on lightly floured board and cut in desired shapes (fleurs-de-lis are traditional). Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, dust with cinnamon sugar and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

6 dozen cookies. Each cookie: 111 calories; 28 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.04 gram fiber.

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Almond Cookies

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

1 1/2 pounds blanched almonds

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 egg whites, lightly beaten

* Grind almonds in food processor fitted with metal blade just until finely ground. Add sugar and vanilla extract and grind to powder. With motor running, add egg whites and process until mixture forms single mass. Dough will be very sticky.

Moisten your hands with water to keep dough from sticking. Break off piece of dough about size of small walnut and roll into ball. Place at least 1 inch apart on baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes. Very carefully, remove from paper immediately to cooling rack.

5 dozen cookies. Each cookie: 100 calories; 5 mg sodium; 0cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.26 gram fiber.

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Kathy’s Hello Dollies

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

These bar cookies are my wife’s contribution to Christmas every year.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

22 graham crackers (3/4 pound), crushed

2 cups shredded coconut

2 cups chocolate chips

2 cups chopped pecans

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

* Melt butter in bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan in 325-degree oven. When melted, add graham cracker crumbs, mix thoroughly to moisten and spread evenly across bottom of pan. Distribute coconut evenly across graham cracker crust. Distribute chocolate chips evenly over coconut. Top with pecans, distributed evenly. Pour sweetened condensed milk over all, being careful to coat top evenly without stirring, which will disturb layers below.

* Bake at 325 degrees until center is bubbly and light brown, about 45 minutes. Cool and cut in squares.

50 cookies. Each cookie: 303 calories; 319 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.69 gram fiber.

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Mulled Wine

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

3 (1 1/2-liter) bottles hearty red wine

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 tablespoons whole allspice

3 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon, broken in half

2 oranges

1 lemon

* Combine wine and sugar in large soup pot and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves.

* With mortar and pestle, lightly crush peppercorns, cloves and allspice and add to wine along with cinnamon sticks. Slice oranges and lemon, leaving unpeeled, and add to wine. Bring to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Keep warm until serving.

48 servings. Each serving: 46 calories, 4 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol, 0 fat, 5 grams carbohydrates, 0 protein, 0 fiber.