European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Entertaining. Minus the fus it s party season. Whether you want to Host an elegant cocktail reception for 50 or have a few friends Over for a casual dinner there a a Knack to doing it right. There Are ways to organize to survive the planning and preparation so that you too can enjoy the event. The stories in today s food Section will help you get on the right track with Holiday  Suzanne Martinson Scripps Howard news service if you suffer from fear of entertaining maybe you spend too much time worrying and too Little time planning. Take it from Cookbook writers who love to entertain. They follow the three p s of party giving a Pun. A prepare food in Advance. A participate in the fun. In Short relax. Hosts  try to duplicate restaurant meals. Some dishes should be served Only in restaurants a says Diane Morgan who with three friends wrote very entertaining menus for special occasions. Before publishing its award winning predecessor entertaining people in 1987, Morgan taught cooking was a restaurant and corporate chef and worked As a caterer. She sees a trend toward less fussy entertaining. Many hostesses Are cutting dinners from five courses to three a salad entree and dessert perhaps a and serving Quot comforting Quot foods with emphasis on fresh ingredients rather than preparing intricate sauces. For example the Cookbook includes recipes for such Comfort foods As lentil and Barley soup baked Beans and hungarian stuffed peppers. For Home entertaining Morgan recommends Only one last minute dish a usually the vegetable. Deciding when a food will be cooked is As important As what will be prepared. She suggests this sequence a decide on the menu. A make a shopping list and buy the groceries Early. Most Likely everything but salad ingredients can be purchased in Advance. A decide when you la Cook what. Many dishes can be prepared ahead and Frozen. Quot make some things ahead rather than spending All your time the Day of the party then it does t seem slaving Quot she says. Menu planning because deciding the menu is often More difficult than finding the recipes her step by step Cookbook features full menus and no nonsense directions. Unfortunately some would be hostesses get Hung up on Quot company food Quot but husband Greg Morgan s advice is to serve what you re comfortable eating. If you like to eat burgers off the Grill serve them to guests. If you Arentt comfortable baking bread buy a loaf at a Good bakery. When trying a new dish prepare it True to the recipe the first time a without substitutions advises Diane Morgan. Then you can refine it. Remember even the pros have occasional failures she says recalling a chocolate Cranberry roulade. Quot we made it five times a it looked like pesto Bis Mol. It went Down the  Southern touch to Wilson co editor with Shirley Farmer of an aria of culinary delights the Cookbook of the women a auxiliary Pittsburgh opera inc., brings a Southern graciousness to her entertaining. Recently she gave what she Calls an Quot alphabet Shower Quot for her late husbands Secretary. Guests were assigned letters of the alphabet and asked to bring gifts for Quot him her or  the letter s gift continued on Page 14