This week’s recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

“Don’t ask me how it happened. I can’t tell you. But certainly these elements came into play: planning too far ahead, not writing things down, friends finally getting back to us with the one possible date they could come for dinner in months, visitors in town for just one night.

“All of a sudden my husband and I realized we’d signed ourselves up to cook dinner parties six times in the same week. At the time, it seemed not ideal, but (almost) doable. Think of it this way, I told him, let’s pretend we’re private chefs for a family who likes to entertain a lot on the spur of the moment.

‘It will be fun.’”

So begins S. Irene Virbila’s tale of six dinner parties in one week. She shares the trials, tribulations and fun, along with some recipes that might inspire you to host a dinner party or two.

This week’s recipes include:

• Cold almond and garlic soup
• Burrata with speck, English peas and Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Steamed corn with clams and bacon
• Hog’s Breath Inn’s artichoke soup

When you try one of this week’s recipes or any L.A. Times recipe, let us know! Upload a photo to the “Our Recipes, Your Kitchen” gallery to share your take on the recipe and tell us about yourself. Your photo will be posted online on our L.A. Times Food page.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.