EXTRAVAGANTLY EASY KEEP IT SIMPLE - AND SIMPLY DELICIOUS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Stop entertaining and just have people over.

That's the advice of Pam Anderson, author of the new cookbook ``Perfect Recipes for Having People Over'' (Houghton Mifflin Company; $35). She says the philosophy makes it more fun and less stressful.

Good advice now that we're settling into the fall season with the holidays just ahead.

``The word 'entertain' makes most people cringe'' - and implies a big production with fancy food, hours of preparation and a house and garden that's in perfect shape, Anderson adds. If you're just inviting people over for a casual gathering, don't obsess - pick things up around the house, put in stacks and pull a few towering weeds out of the garden.

``Plan a realistic menu - one that you might really have time to shop for and make,'' says the former caterer.

``Remember that most people cook so infrequently that any home-cooked meal is special.

``Relax. It's not about you - it's about bringing people together.''

This cookbook, like Anderson's three previous, was an outgrowth of her real life experiences. The wife of an Episcopalian minister, she finds it's no longer a big ordeal to have people over.

``The food has to be good, but you don't have to slave away and try to impress people,'' notes the monthly food columnist for USA Weekend magazine (which appears Sundays in the Daily News) who also teaches cooking classes around the country.

Out of necessity (with a full-time job, two young children and numerous activities), Anderson changed the way she cooked, without lowering her standards, more than 20 years ago.

``Great food doesn't have to be difficult.''

Her menus are simple and flexible now, her parties mostly spur-of-the moment, casual affairs.

To appeal to today's busy lifestyles, the former editor at Cook's Illustrated magazine uses accessible recipe ingredients along with some convenience items like rotisserie chicken, bagged lettuces, canned beans, canned tomatoes, chicken broth in cans or cartons, packaged ladyfingers, frozen corn, shredded cheeses and frozen puff pastry.

``There is no reason not to use things that make your life easier,'' adds event planner/caterer Randy Fuhrman, owner of Randy Fuhrman Events in Burbank.

``That doesn't mean the food can't be incredibly fabulous without having 35 ingredients and steps.''

Trader Joe's is a great place to pick up potstickers, spanikopita, Armenian breads, hummus, various olive tapenades, ginger and other salad dressings, desserts like finger cookies and egg white meringues (top with lemon curd mixed with whipping cream and fresh berries) and much more, suggests Fuhrman. He makes a fabulous salad by combining apricot Stilton cheese with assorted greens, candied pecans or walnuts, dried cherries and bottled raspberry vinaigrette dressing mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Anderson views recipes as guides and has made the 200 in the book user-friendly. She offers several options for shortcuts, varying flavors, when and what to serve with them, make-ahead dishes and how to handle leftovers.

``I take legitimate shortcuts and give people lots of flexibility and permission to do what they need to do,'' she says. However, be aware that ingredients, humidity, altitudes, equipment, pots and pans and cooks' skills vary.

``My mission in life, whether helping people make the perfect brownie or the ultimate muffin or teaching people to cook without a book on weeknights or having people over - is to empower and inspire the cook and get people in the kitchen as often as possible, because I think what happens around the dinner table is really important.''

Whatever you serve, don't forget about presentation.

``It should be beautiful but simple.''

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

MIXED GRILL WITH TANDOORI FLAVORINGS

This mixed grill offers something for everyone. If you want the chicken, lamb and sausages to come off the grill at the same time, stagger them, cooking the chicken first, then the lamb, and finally browning the steamed sausages.

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons ground cumin 

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 lamb loin chops

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

12 chicken legs, skin removed

2 pounds spicy OR mild Italian sausages, cut into 8 pieces

Mix oil, cumin, curry powder, garlic powder, ginger, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Scrape 1/2 of mixture into another medium bowl. Add lamb chops to one bowl and turn to coat well. Stir yogurt and vinegar into other bowl of spices, add chicken legs and turn to coat well. The meats can marinate at room temperature up to 2 hours or be refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before cooking.

Meanwhile, place sausages and 1/2 cup water in a large (12-inch) skillet, cover, and bring to a simmer. Steam until sausage loses its raw color throughout, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

About 30 minutes before serving, heat a gas grill, with all burners on high, for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a wire brush to clean grill rack, then use tongs to wipe a vegetable-oil-soaked rag over grill rack to prevent sticking. Close lid and return to temperature.

Place chicken legs on hot grill rack, close lid and grill-roast a total of 20 minutes - 8 minutes on first side, 8 minutes on second side and then 4 minutes longer, turning as needed toward the end to ensure doneness. Add lamb chops and grill-roast for a total of 8 minutes - 4 minutes on first side and 4 minutes on second side. Add sausages and grill-roast for a total of 4 minutes - 2 minutes on first side and 2 minutes on second side. Serve hot or warm. Makes 8 servings.

POTATO CRISPS WITH SMOKED SALMON AND HERBED CREAM CHEESE

For this recipe, Terra Chips are recommended. Classic thin chips are often too large or broken. Kettle chips taste great, but you have to pick through to find whole ones.

1/4 cup packed fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

3 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

36 whole bite-size potato chips

3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, sliced OR pulled into bite-sized pieces

Process parsley in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, pinch salt and a few grinds pepper. Process until pale green and smooth. Scrape cream cheese into a small zipper-lock bag. Squeeze it down to one bottom corner, and snip 1/4 inch off corner.

Top each chip with 1 or 2 pieces salmon, pipe on a dollop of cream cheese, and garnish with a small piece parsley. Serve. Makes about 3 dozen crisps.

NOTE: For a shortcut, buy and use flavored cream cheese. Microwave for a few seconds until soft enough to pipe. Chips can be assembled 30 minutes before the party starts.

APPLE CROSTATA

When the occasion calls for apple pie but you don't have time to make dough for a crust, try this rustic fruit tart. Cooking the apples first keeps them from releasing too much liquid when they're spooned over the puff pastry, so it stays crisp. The stewed apples must be cooled before using, but if you spread them out on a large baking sheet, they'll cool in minutes. (Set that sheet in the freezer, and they'll be cold by the time the pastry is rolled.)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds crisp apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pound juicy, soft-textured apples (such as McIntosh), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm brand from a 17.3-ounce box), thawed but still cold

1 large egg white, beaten

Melt butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and 1/2 cup sugar, cover and cook until apples release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently, until juicy apples fall apart and juices thicken to a thin syrup, about 5 minutes. Pour onto a large rimmed baking sheet to cool.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Roll puff pastry sheet out on a lightly floured work surface to a 10x16-inch rectangle. Slide onto cookie sheet.

Spread apples over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold pastry edges over apples, then unfold corners and pleat so dough is not a double thickness. Brush pastry border with egg white and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake on lowest rack in a preheated 400-degree oven, 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipes from ``Perfect Recipes for Having People Over,'' by Pam Anderson.

Make it hassle-free - a few tips for successful partying

--Don't make it a big production. Keep the party casual and simple and don't be a slave to the food or menus.

--Choose your main course first and the rest - salad, bread, side dishes and dessert - will fall into place.

--Create a time line for the evening or meal. Type up the menu and break down items that need to be purchased along with the stores where you'll buy them. Buy dry goods a couple of weeks in advance and produce a day or two ahead.

--Be flexible at the grocery store, in the kitchen and at the table. If you decide to make a recipe with cherry tomatoes, but you can't find good ones, switch to another vegetable that looks good and make a different recipe.

--Set the table before you start to cook. That way you look ready (and it sends a welcome message to guests) whether you are or not.

--To avoid getting stressed out, be sure to buy and have backup food items in your fridge or pantry in case you're running behind and can't complete every recipe you planned. No one will ever know what you didn't make.

- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Simply sensational

It doesn't have be difficult to wow your guests

(2 -- color) POTATO CRIPS WITH SMOKED SALMON AND HERBED CREAM CHEESE

Photo by Rita Maas, from ``Perfect Recipes for Having People Over,'' Houghton Mifflin Co.

(3 -- color) PAM ANDERSON

Box:

Make it hassle-free - a few tips for successful partying (see text)