Those of you who have been paying attention around here might remember the time I wrote a story about how to be a good dinner guest, and without realizing I was walking into a firestorm, wrote the wildly controversial phrase “Feel free to be fashionably late” followed by, “15 minutes late is a relief to a host who is, if they’re like me, probably express-showering or crash-cleaning the powder room at call time, and might appreciate a little breathing room. Even 30 minutes is acceptable, as long as you keep your host updated.” Well, people had strong opinions on this one, both for and against…but mostly against. The main issue was, understandably, the timing of the food: How could a late guest not realize they are throwing off the entire rhythm of the meal? A meal that someone likely spent a good amount of time thinking about and organizing and, of course, cooking. I get it — having people over can be stressful — and the purpose of today’s post is not to get everyone all fired up again, but to present an entire menu that can be served at room temperature, which is another way of saying it is late-guest proof.

It’s also another way of saying that you can attend your own party, and be fully present in conversation about, say, that crazy pygmy nuthatch story, instead of thinking about whatever might be burning in the oven. Last week, it was my turn to host dinner for a dozen of my YA book club members (we read Sunrise on the Reaping), and I decided to go with a self-serve situation since my dining room table can’t comfortably seat more than eight people. All the food was arranged on the table an hour ahead of time, and when the first knock on the door came, I was sitting on the couch playing Connections. I don’t even think I noticed when the last guest walked in, certainly more than a half hour later.

Here’s the menu and shopping list….