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SUGGESTED SOUP: Baked Potato and Greens Soup with Potato Wedge Croutons

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Strawberry-Rose Water Cobbler with Lemon-Poppy Seed Pastry

MEDITERRANEAN COMFORT MENU

Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Stew with Chickpeas • Soft Poppy-Seed Polenta • Roasted Cauliflower

SUGGESTED SALAD: Portobello Salad in Spicy Mustard Dressing

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Tea-Poached Pears in Chocolate Sauce

DOWN-HOME GOURMET MENU

Cheater Baked Beans • Smoky Grilled Tempeh • Sautéed Collards

SUGGESTED SOUP: Creamy Tomato Soup

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream

FANCY-SHMANCY MENU

Chickpea Cutlets • Mustard Sauce • Roasted Asparagus

SUGGESTED SALAD: Roasted Fennel and Hazelnut Salad with Shallot Dressing

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Sweet Crepes with Not-Tella

GREEK TO ME AND YOU MENU

Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans • Lemony Roasted Potatoes • Easy Stir-Fried Leafy Greens (made with a blend of dandelion and kale)

SUGGESTED SOUP: French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Lemon Bars

LAZY INDIAN GOURMET

Samosa Stuffed Potatoes • Sautéed Spinach and Tomatoes • Five-Minute Mango Chutney • Jasmine Rice

SUGGESTED SALAD : Garden Salad with Curried Vinaigrette

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Vanilla Yogurt Pound Cake with Fresh Fruit

THE VEGAN GHOST OF JULIA CHILD MENU

Sautéed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach • Herb-Scalloped Potatoes

SUGGESTED SALAD: Bulgur, Arugula, and Cannellini Salad

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Heart-Shaped Apple Galettes

PICNIC MENU

Apricot Baked BBQ Tofu • Prospect Park Potato Salad • Grilled Corn

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Lower-Fat Banana Bread

SMASH YOUR TV DINNER MENU

Mac Daddy • Roasted Zucchini • Roasted Butternut Squash with Coriander Seeds

SUGGESTED SOUP: Tomato-Rice Soup

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel

MEXICAN, NOT MEXICAN’T MENU

Black Beans with Chipotle Adobo Sauce • Guacamole • Mexican Millet

SUGGESTED SALAD: Jicama-Watercress-Avocado Salad with Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

ROMAN GODDESS MENU

Chickpeas Romesco • Saffron-Garlic Rice • Roasted Green Beans

SUGGESTED SALAD: Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Croutons

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Biscotti and Espresso

RUSTIC GODDESS MENU

Tomato Couscous with Capers • Rustic White Beans with Mushrooms

SUGGESTED SOUP: Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs

SUGGESTED DESSERT: Berry-Coconut Cris

Timing Is Everything!

SMARTY-PANTS cooks prepare as much as possible a day or two in advance and store it in airtight containers. Use the following guide to plan out your next major event and you’ll have plenty of procrastination time on your hands as a present to yourself.

UP TO TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE: Any soup, dip, most sauces, and baked goods such as cookies and pie crusts can be made up to two days in advance.

THE DAY OR NIGHT BEFORE: Homemade seitan, stuffings, or other grain dishes; marinated overnight tofu/tempeh; sandwich fillings; and any casserole can be assembled a day before and cooked the day of. Prepare and shape bean balls, burgers, and patties, and keep tightly covered in the refrigerator. Bake and wrap any cakes, cupcakes, or muffins.

TWO HOURS (AND COUNTING) BEFORE: A few hours before serving the big meal is the ideal time to wash and dry salad greens, and prepare the dressing and store it in the fridge. Cut any fresh fruit, and assemble the appetizers. Also, bake or reheat the preassembled casseroles, wrap them tightly in foil, and keep them warm in the oven at 200ºF (or the “warm” setting) until mealtime. Pasta, however, should be boiled and served as close to serving time as possible. For things that need to be served right away, give yourself an extra half hour to relax before cooking them. It also allows you some additional time to get everything together and check that there’s no spinach between your teeth before your guests start rolling in.

Because your mother isn’t here, we might as well remind