BRINGING DINNER FOR SIX

Making this stunning Root Vegetable Carpaccio is easy if you have a sharp mandoline.

Q: “I'm a fan and really miss your columns in The Denver Post. I'm supposed to bring a dish to share for six. . . .Any suggestions? Main dish, salad or dessert. Room temp or heat there. Gluten-free or vegetarian . . . [N]o culture or ethnic preferences. . . . Gosh, if you can help me out, greatly appreciate it.” Gwenn

A: Dear Gwenn, ever since I published this recipe in The Denver Post a few years back, I've received nothing but accolades for it. It remains one of my own favored recipes for myself, too. It is Subji, an Indian dish, and can be served hot, warm or at room temperature (hence, good for cooking at home and bringing-to).

This is another all-veg dish (here from Italy) and delicious warm or at room temp. It tastes better if made the day before & left to sit overnight in the refrigerator.

As with those first two recipes, the orzo recipe in this post also benefits from being made a few hours ahead and is also delicious at room temp.

This recipe for Fossolia is simple & straightforward and, again, very OK at room temp. For greater authenticity, you could go to an Ethiopian grocer and buy some injera flatbread to go with it.

As a portable appetizer, you could make the hummus from this posting & accompany it with some very well-made pita. And another appetizer would be this surprisingly good vegetable “carpaccio.” You will need a good mandoline in order to slice the root vegetables see-thru thin.