Rick Rodgers

Cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers’s immediate family isn’t too large (he has two brothers, also excellent cooks), but his extended family is very big. His great-grandmother had nine children, and his maternal grandmother had seven, so, many relatives show up for the family reunions that occur on an irregular basis. “We often use my mom’s birthday as a reason for us all to get together—last year it was thirty-five hungry people. Spareribs are the favorite main course. My method grew out of a necessity to serve everyone.” Rick says that he prefers big,meaty spareribs to baby backs because he can get more servings from the spareribs. He also recommends having many filling side dishes as a way to keep everyone’s plate filled and to cut down on the work required by the person attending the grill.

Rick Rodgers, author of Celebrations 101, shares this menu for casual, low-key entertaining:

I'm always fussing with my baked ham recipe, looking to perfect the time-honored combination of rich smoky ham and sweet-tangy pineapple. I think I can stop experimenting now, because this version is just right. Always start with the best ham you can find, which should have a minimum of additional flavorings or glazes. I go out of my way to buy a shank-end half ham from a Polish butcher whose product is highly regarded, and it is worth the trip.

This delicious hybrid, the specialty of my dear friend Jean Turpen, is one of those desserts that American bakers love -- it is relatively easy, makes enough for a crowd, and is utterly irresistible. Baked in a jelly-roll pan, it's a cross between a cobbler, a pie, and a big cookie. The pie can be made with just about any seasonal fruit -- peaches, nectarines, and Italian purple plums are all excellent substitutes for the apples -- adjusting the amount of sugar as needed. A layer of crushed cornflakes on the bottom crust soaks up and thickens the fruit juices so the consistency is always perfect.

This refreshing salad goes perfectly with the ham. To make short work of trimming the green beans, use kitchen scissors.

On paper, yams (a.k.a. sweet potatoes) should make a great-tasting salad with a gorgeous golden color. However, my first attempts turned out mushy and cloyingly sweet. The answer to the problem turned out to be to use a combination of roasted yams with boiled potatoes (peeled after boiling, for the same reason), and a brightly acidic lemon vinaigrette to balance the sugary yams. Mint supplies a fresh note, but cilantro or parsley can be substituted. Use medium potatoes so they cook evenly and with relative speed.

This tender, buttery cake is based on the Marble Gugelhupf at Demel in Vienna, although I've added baking powder to give it the lighter crumb Americans prefer.