Having dinner guests is so much easier in the summer: you can light up the barbecue, sit outside, and generally, get away with a more casual (read imperfect!) atmosphere. When it comes to summer entertaining, everyone needs a few go-to recipes that are crowd-pleasers and easy to throw together. Here are a few of mine:

If you’re in a dinner party club, you know the one-upmanship and stress they can create. I’ve been in a dinner party club for the last decade or so. We meet once a quarter and take turns hosting. And while I’m lucky to be part of a group whose members don’t try to outdo each other, I must admit I generally try to outdo myself. I feed off of making people happy with food. Just call me Monica Gellar.

Up winding stone stairs off Vancouver’s main drag, Robson Street, lies a classic Italian institution: CinCin. Slinging wood-fired pizzas since 1991, this restaurant feels like it has been around forever, which unfortunately means it slips our minds from time to time. But there’s a reason CinCin is a stronghold in the ever-changing Vancouver restaurant scene, and after last night’s epic meal, it’s back at the top of our list.

I recently found myself in a foreign city with an evening to myself. I was thirsty and starving. It would have been easier to stay in and order room service and a movie. When I say foreign city I do not mean Paris or London, where there are endless options for a wonderful dinner for one and no one bats an eye at a woman dining solo. I was in Victoria, B.C., the city said to be a perfect spot for “newlyweds and nearly deads”.