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Yes, you can be desperate and still be a great host
No more harried get-togethers, dreary take-out, or dreading it being "your" turn to have friends and family over. The Desperaton Cooks solve the entertaining conundrum with the same brilliant approach they bring to everyday dinner dilemmas--by concocting delicious, crowd-pleasing dishes using timesaving techniques, shortcut ingredients, and tried-and-true planning.
The desperate details
1. All recipes can be made in 20 minutes or less or in phases where actual hands-on work is 20 mintues or less.
2. Bottled chopped garlic, washed salad greens, precooked bacon, individually quick-frozen shrimp--wisely used convenience foods save time while boosting flavor.
3. The Crock-Pot--if you have one, dust it off. If not, think about investing in one.
4. The Desperate Pantry, easily stocked during weekly shopping trips, okays the spontaneous "Let's have dinner at my place" whim.
5. The plan--decide on the who, what, an