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.