Thanks to Betty Crocker, we can entertain like it's 1959

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Having friends over for dinner doesn't have to cost a lot of money. It's a nice way to relax and put the stresses of the recession aside for a while.

Comfort food and simple menus are what we need right now.

Just released from General Mills and Wiley Publishing is the 1959 facsimile of "Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining" (Wiley, $16.95). Although money might be tight, the book is a gentle reminder of how important it is to entertain in a manner that reflects true hospitality.

The guide suggests that the hostess think of giving a party as a gift to her friends: "A gift of people with whom they'll have fun, a gift of food they will enjoy, a gift of herself by having that food ready to serve without confusion, and a gift of confidence by letting them know what kind of a party is planned and how to dress for it."

Although we don't plan things the way folks did in 1959, we can follow the guidelines suggested by the book. Some of the advice is a little outdated, some is way outdated, but it's fun reading.

The book says that the first rule of entertaining is: Be ready. "Table set, food to the point where it needs no attention for a while, ice cracked, cigarettes, matches, and ashtrays in place."

Here are recipes from the book for a small dinner.

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CHILLED TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SOUP

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon curry powder

10Âľ-ounce can condensed cream of tomato soup

2 cups buttermilk

1 medium cucumber, chopped

Cracked black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce and curry powder. Stir in soup. Add buttermilk slowly, and stir until completely blended. Add cucumber. Chill thoroughly. Sprinkle cracked black pepper on top of each serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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CHEESE SNACKS

1 cup Bisquick

½ cup grated sharp yellow cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

About 1/3 cup milk

½ cup chopped parsley or chives

1 tablespoon grated onion

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, add Bisquick, cheese, mayonnaise and milk. Blend thoroughly with a fork. Shape into ½-inch balls. Roll in mixture of parsley and onion. Bake on greased baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 30.

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OLIVE CREAMED POTATOES

6 medium potatoes, boiled

2 cups sour cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Dice potatoes. Pour sour cream into skillet; add potatoes. Heat slowly over medium heat until sour cream bubbles over potatoes. Add onion and olives. When potatoes are thoroughly heated, add salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with paprika and parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

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SHRIMP REMOULADE

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cooking oil

ÂĽ cup Creole or prepared mustard

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

ÂĽ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons paprika

1 hard-cooked egg

½ cup minced celery

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons minced green pepper

1 pound shelled, cooked shrimp

Beat oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, Tabasco, paprika and yolk from hard-cooked egg with rotary beater until thick and blended. Chop hard-cooked egg white. Fold into yolk mixture with celery, onion, parsley and green pepper. Mix with shrimp. Let stand in refrigerator several hours. Serve in cocktail glasses or on a platter garnished with lettuce.

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© 2009, Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.).