EDITOR’S NOTE

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IS THE DINNER PARTY DEAD?

A few years ago, I read an article in the New York Times that chronicled the death of the dinner party. Turns out, nobody was having them anymore. People are too busy; people like to eat in restaurants; people no longer know how to make conversation (!). I read the story with sadness and, well, relief. Sadness because sitting down at a table with interesting people is much more enjoyable than standing up for hours at a cocktail party, trying to balance a glass and a tippy plate in one hand. And relief at finding out that it wasn’t just my husband and I who were no longer getting invited anywhere.

Am I having dinner parties? Uh, no. And I don’t particularly miss the menu planning, house straightening, and worrying about whether anyone is allergic to my dogs. But I do miss gathering interesting people around my table. So this summer, inspired by the feature “Life’s a Picnic” (page 136), I have found a solution. What do you get when you combine old-fashioned dinner parties with crowdsourcing? Potlucks!

As is often the case, others at Real Simple figured this out before me. I asked the editorial staff for their go-to summer potluck dishes and quickly got a number of responses (see right). I hope you use the many ideas in this issue to gather your interesting friends and keep the modern (potluck) dinner party alive for years to come.

REAL SIMPLE HAS PODCASTS? Yes! Four of them, to be exact, on everything from negotiating household conflicts (The Labor of Love) to navigating the confusion of your 20s (Adulthood Made Easy), handling irritating personalities (I Want to Like You), and boiling down kitchen basics (Things Cooks Know). There are new episodes every week. Go to realsimple.com/ podcasts and listen for free.

THE RS POTLUCK HALL OF FAME

I bring my “summer salad.” (1) It’s so gorgeous—everyone raves about how pretty it is, and (2) it’s easy and yummy. The ingredients: spinach and romaine + blueberries + strawberries + red onion + candied pecans + Asiago cheese + Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette.

—HEATHER MUIR, beauty director

My new go-to is Watermelon Mango Poke (a Hawaiian salad). Perfect for summer. It requires no oven—just marinate in the fridge and go.

—JACKIE MONK, deputy managing editor

Turkey meatballs with Feta and sundried tomatoes.

—YOLANDA WIKIEL, senior editor

Black bean salsa (black beans, blackeyed peas, cucumbers, red onion, and tomatoes, with a homemade vinaigrette that has a little sugar in it, so it’s slightly sweet) is a nice alternative to the typical dips. Plus, it fares better in hot weather because there’s no mayo.

—BRIGITT HAUCK, senior editor, RealSimple.com

A crowd-pleaser and a belly-filler I always make in summer is quinoa with cherry tomatoes, red onion, toasted pine nuts, and lots of fresh parsley. Room temperature, dressed with balsamic and extra-virgin olive oil.

—DANIELLE CLARO, deputy editor

My husband makes a really good Mediterranean tuna salad with capers, thinly sliced onions, and extra-virgin olive oil that we put on crusty sourdough rolls, top with tomato slices, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Yum! Travels well, too.

—LORI SETO, reader service editor

Rainbow fruit skewers: raspberries or strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, green grapes, blueberries, and purple grapes.

—BETSY GOLDBERG, home director

A galette! I baked a savory butternut squash, onion, and Asiago galette for a potluck, and it went over big time.

—FILOMENA GUZZARDI, editorial production director

My friends and I do “mini food” potluck parties during the summer, with individual-serving–size items (like seven-layer dip in clear cups) and bitesize foods (sliders, deconstructed BLTs on skewers). It makes everything easy to eat when you’re playing lawn games or jumping on and off the boat.

—STEPHANIE SISCO, staff home editor