Too many cooks in the kitchen? No way!

"What exactly are soft peaks?"

The earnest question from our friend Ben - someone with more experience microwaving Kraft Easy Mac than whipping egg whites for chocolate mousse - was our first clue that this would not be a traditional dinner party.

We knew, of course, that inviting a motley crew of friends for a Mediterranean-themed cooking party would test their limited culinary skills. Ben's efforts to brush a cumin-paprika sauce onto pita toasts had all the awkwardness of a child learning to write in cursive. But his diligence assured us that this experiment in merriment would be tasty indeed.

Entertaining has a different flavor this season. Upscale restaurants have been hit hard by the sagging economy. For the first time in a decade, the frequency of eating out is projected to decline by at least 3 percent, according to the 16th-annual "Eating Patterns in America" report, conducted by the NPD Group.

Perhaps more noticeable, however, are the cuisines that have reemerged as American favorites. Seven-syllable foods that end with "gras" are out. Comfort foods such as meatloaf, potatoes, and chicken pot pie are in.

The emotional fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks put a new premium on spending quality time with family and friends, leaving Americans yearning for food and company with substance - but not necessarily seriousness.

But a need to fill the holidays with feel-good foods is no excuse to limit appetizer fare to eggnog, cheese, and gingerbread cookies. The definition of comfort foods has broadened, enlivening Christmas culinary clichés, allowing hosts to fulfill their guests' desires for comfort and creativity.

Traditional dinner parties, in theory, celebrate the twin virtues of order and harmony. Flawless timing and immaculately presented food create a warm and dignified environment for the guests. The food's preparation is "a cinch, really," if it's mentioned at all - no matter how ornate a dish may appear to awestruck onlookers. In reality, formal dinner parties can be expensive and stressful for the host and disconcerting for guests.

So why serve your guests when they can help cook - and do the dishes? A dash of democracy can greatly spice up a dinner with friends.

Would-be holiday hosts should remember that a successful cooking party is like a good dance: Creative themes make both a lot better. The bold, earthy flavors of Mediterranean food, in particular, allow friends with a wide variety of cooking skills to team up and create simple appetizers from common ingredients.

The Mediterranean diet has been hailed for its nutritional qualities, but its real appeal for our purpose is the diversity of appetizers it offers. Jorge Ramirez, executive chef at Boston's Tapeo restaurant, says a common staple binds the spectrum of Mediterranean flavors.

"[The cuisine of] Spain and Portugal, also, the south of France, Italy, and Greece - they call all these 'Mediterranean foods,' " says Mr. Ramirez. "Olive oil, olives, lambs, goats, a lot of fish, tomatoes - it's similar from one country to another."

To capture the richness of the region, we created a menu that worked like a clockwise tour. It included Spanish tapas, French hors d'oeuvres, Italian antipasto, Middle Eastern mezze, and North African appetizers. Each of the six guests was assigned a partner and a couple of recipes from a particular cuisine.

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