A Cure for Dinnerphobia

Many home cooks would like to invite friends for dinner but dread all the extra work and the accompanying uneasy feeling that they don’t cook well enough to pass muster.

After a year and a half of teaching adults who knew nothing about cooking, it became evident to me that many grown-ups suffer from “cooking fear.”

Children, on the other hand, learn quickly and happily, as I discovered during two years of teaching children to cook in the early ‘90s. They thoroughly enjoyed the process and never thought about failure.

We adults imagine all kinds of obstacles and humiliating moments associated with cooking and presenting food to others. (I flunked computer, so I know the feeling.) If we could only adopt the attitude of “The Little Engine That Could” (“I think I can. I think I can. . . .”), believe me, we would be a nation of home cooks.

The bonuses of cooking at home are many: the money saved, the soothing escape cooking induces and, most important, the pleasure of sharing food at the table with others. Many of this country’s most famous chefs left other successful careers behind when they were irresistibly drawn to the kitchen. You should at least give this wonderful activity a chance.

I have created an ideal dinner for those who shy away from inviting friends to their table. It’s perfect company fare, with virtually no problems in preparation and serving. For this meal, the oven is your best friend; it does the cooking work while you enjoy the company of your friends. Set the timer to alert you when you need to return to the kitchen.

To help everything run smoothly when company arrives, do what you can ahead of time. Prepare the Potato Gratin, cook the asparagus, prepare the dressing, bake the apples and set the table the morning of your party.

If you need to serve bites of something with drinks before dinner, make it easy: Serve olives and salted nuts.

Cunningham is author of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook” and several other cookbooks, including “Cooking With Children” (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995).

Tri-Tip Beef Roast

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

The triangle tip is part of the bottom sirloin. It’s fairly tender with a good bit of marbling, which gives it a good flavor.

4 large onions

Salt, pepper

1 (2- to 3-pound) tri-tip beef roast

2 tablespoons shortening for greasing pan

* Trim stem and root ends from onions. Remove skins and halve from stem ends to root ends.

* Generously salt and pepper each side of roast. Place roast fat side up at one end of greased baking pan large enough to hold meat and onions in single layer. Place onions cut side up in pan.

* Roast at 425 degrees 40 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into center of roast registers 150 degrees for rare center and medium to well done on outer ends.

* Place roast on warmed platter and slice. Arrange roasted onions around roast on platter and serve.

4 servings. Each serving: 319 calories; 209 mg sodium; 128 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 46 grams protein; 0.67 gram fiber.

Potato Gratin

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 65 minutes

The beauty of this dish is that it can be partially baked ahead of time if you have only one oven. Bake the potatoes at 350 for 45 minutes, remove them from the oven and set aside. Then put them in the oven with the roast during the last 20 minutes of cooking. These potatoes are delicious reheated for leftovers.

5 to 6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, about 2 pounds

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups half and half or milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

* Peel potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

* Grease bottom and sides of 2 1/2-quart casserole or oval gratin dish with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle garlic over bottom of baking dish. Place 1/3 of potatoes in 1 layer with slices overlapping in baking dish. Lightly sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 1/3 cup half and half.

* Repeat with another layer of potatoes, salt and 1/3 cup half and half. Place remaining potatoes in overlapping layer. Season with salt and pour remaining half and half and whipping cream over potatoes. Dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter (or more if desired).

* Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Return to oven with roast during last 20 minutes of cooking time until potatoes are easily pierced in center with fork. Cover with foil if potatoes begin to brown too quickly. Serve hot.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 4 servings: 504 calories; 1,063 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.98 gram fiber.

Baked Apples

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 large Fuji apples

1 pint caramel ice cream, optional

* Bring water, salt, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice to boil in small pan. Stir and remove from heat.

* Peel away top 1/3 of apples and remove core. Place apples peeled side up in baking dish and pour some of syrup over each apple. Cover with foil and crimp edges of foil to baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon some of syrup in pan over top of each apple. Sprinkle each apple with 1 teaspoon or more of sugar. Cover with foil and return to oven until center of apple is easily pierced with tip of knife, about 15 more minutes. Remove from oven but leave in pan so they can be easily reheated just before serving.

* Put ice cream in bowl and let melt. Stir and refrigerate until ready to serve. Spoon melted ice cream over each apple and serve.

4 servings. Each serving, without ice cream: 141 calories; 74 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.69 gram fiber.

4 servings. Each serving, with ice cream: 421 calories; 149 mg sodium; 95 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.69 grams fiber.

Asparagus With Sesame Oil Mayonnaise Dressing

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Buy asparagus with medium-thick stems. The sesame oil gives the mayonnaise a rich, nutty taste that enhances the flavor of the asparagus.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 pounds asparagus

Salt

* Combine mayonnaise and sesame oil and refrigerate until ready to use.

* Cut stems off asparagus where stems begin to look green.

* Bring enough water to cover asparagus to boil in large skillet. Add salt to taste and stir. Put asparagus in skillet and let boil 1 to 2 minutes. Remove 1 spear and cut off piece of thickest bottom part and taste; if tender but not soft, asparagus is done.

* Remove asparagus from skillet and spread on wax paper to cool. When cool, wrap and refrigerate.

* Remove asparagus from refrigerator several hours before serving to bring to room temperature. Place asparagus on plates with spoonful of dressing on the side.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 4 servings: 169 calories; 287 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.88 grams fiber.

Cunningham’s latest book is “Cooking With Children” (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995).

Game Plan

Morning of: Prepare Potato Gratin and bake 45 minutes. While gratin is baking, trim and cook asparagus, let cool and refrigerate. Combine mayonnaise and sesame oil for dressing and refrigerate. Prepare syrup for Baked apples. Bake apples but leave in pan to reheat just before serving. Set Table.

3 hours before: Remove asparagus from refrigerator.

1 1/2 hours before dinner: If using ice cream with apples, put in bowl to melt.

1 hour 15 minutes before: Set out olives and nuts if serving.

50 minutes before: Begin roasting tri-tip and onions.

20 minutes before: Put Potato Gratin in oven with roast.

10 minutes before: Remove roast from oven to platter. Place asparagus on plates with dressing on the side.

5 minutes before: Slice roast and arrange onions around roast on platter.

Just before serving: Remove potatoes from oven. Just before dessert: Put Baked apples in oven to warm. *

Plates, napkins and place mats from Sur La Table, Pasadena.