Friends for dinner: the easiest party ever - includes Mexican food recipes - bocaditos, a Mexican-style dining presentation

Sunset, March, 1999 by Andrew Baker

"Little bites" mean little work

Imagine a party where all the foods are made ahead but stay fresh. Where guests serve themselves while you enjoy the conversation. And where napkins - no plates or utensils - do the job of dinnerware. This Mexican-influenced menu of bocaditos (little bites) is just that kind of gathering.

It's also a party designed for movement: Guests circulate to sample foods arranged at various stations. Begin with refreshing agua fresca and a selection of Mexican soft drinks and beers on a beverage tray positioned to greet arriving guests. Place a salad course of romaine hearts with pipian nearby, and a Jerusalem artichoke dip and morsels of mushroom bocadillos in separate locations. Grill the steak ahead, to serve cold - or just before guests arrive, to serve hot - and present it sliced to stuff into little rolls for two-or-three-bite sandwiches. Combine handheld fruit wands and pine nut cookies for dessert.

Mango-Mint Agua Fresca

PREP TIME: About 20 minutes

NOTES: If making up to 4 hours ahead, cover and chill pureed mixture; add ice just before serving.

MAKES: About 12 cups; 8 servings

3 pounds firm-ripe mangoes

4 cups orange juice

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, rinsed and drained

About 1/4 cup lemon juice

Ice cubes

Mint sprigs

1. Cut and discard pits and peel from mangoes. Cut fruit into chunks.

2. In a blender or food processor, in batches, whirl the mangoes, orange juice, mint leaves, and 5 cups water until smoothly pureed; pour into a pitcher. Stir in 1/4 cup lemon juice, or to taste.

3. Pour agua fresca into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Per serving: 136 cal, 2.6% (3.6 cal.) from fat; 1.6 g protein; 0.4 g fat (0.1 g sat.); 34 g carbo (1.9 g fiber); 6.9 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Romaine Hearts with Pipian

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes

NOTES: If making dressing up to 1 day ahead, cover airtight and chill. Serve at room temperature. Buy romaine hearts or use tender inner leaves from heads of romaine lettuce.

MAKES: About 1 1/2 cups pipian; 8 servings

3 dried California or New Mexico chilies (4 to 5 in.)

1/2 cup shelled roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro

Salt

24 to 32 romaine lettuce leaves (6 to 7 in.), rinsed and crisped Ice cubes

1. Discard chili stems. Shake out and discard chili seeds. Put chilies in a bowl and pour 11/2 cups boiling water over them. Let stand until soft, 6 to 7 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over high heat, stir or shake pumpkin seeds until they smell lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Put pumpkin seeds in a blender or food processor. Lift chilies from soaking liquid and add to blender. Add garlic, vinegar, tomatoes, and cilantro. Whirl, adding enough chili-soaking liquid (about 1/2 cup) to make pipian mixture thin enough to scoop but not drippy. Add salt to taste. Scrape pipian into a small bowl.

4. Stand romaine lettuce leaves, stem ends down, in closely fitting bowl and drop ice cubes among the leaves to keep them crisp. To eat, scoop leaves into pipian dressing.

Per serving: 39 cal., 36% (14 cal.) from fat; 1.9 g protein; 1.5 g fat (0.3 g sat.); 6 g carbo (2 g fiber); 6.2 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Sunchoke Dip

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 40 minutes

NOTES: This hummus-like dip was created by Loretta Barrett Oden of Corn Dance Care in Santa Fe and Josiah Citrin of JiRaffe in Los Angeles for the Cuisines of the Sun program at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel in Hawaii. Jerusalem artichoke (also known as sunchoke) is the root of a native American variety of sunflower. You'll need about 8 cups of chips.

MAKES: About 2 cups dip; 8 servings

1 1/2 pounds Jerusalem artichokes

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno chilies

Salt

Blue or red corn chips (or a combination)

1. Peel Jerusalem artichokes and rinse.

2. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add Jerusalem artichokes and cook until tender when pierced, about 12 minutes. Drain.

3. In a blender or food processor, whirl Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, lemon juice, and oil until smoothly pureed; scrape container sides as needed. Add chilies and salt to taste. Scrape into a bowl.

4. To eat, scoop up dip with corn chips.

Per serving: 92 cal., 50% (46 cal.) from fat; 1.3 g protein; 5.1 g fat (0.7 g sat.); 11 g carbo (1 g fiber); 3.8 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Mushroom Bocadillos

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes (about 35 minutes in a convection oven)

NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cool, cover, and chill. Serve at room temperature or reheat: bake, uncovered, in a 325 [degrees] oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

MAKES: 8 servings

About 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 pound sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

4 large eggs

1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs