So, cooking for one is a snap, right? I received a couple of nice e-mails from folks who found my ideas helpful.

One of these days, I'll write about and provide the recipe for lasagna for 75 people. Needless to say, that's a two-day project.

In the meantime, I thought readers might be interested in a sit-down dinner for 36 prepared in a private home. Let me say right up front that the work was done by professionals, not amateurs such as myself.

The occasion was a dinner for La Chaine des Rotisseurs at the Riverside Drive home of Jim and Deborah White. (For those who may not know, La Chaine is an organization for wine and food connoisseurs.) The professionals were Chef Silvestro Antonioli and staff from his eponymously named restaurant in Cocoa Beach.

Interestingly enough, this dinner was not catered, per se. It was prepared on site, meaning everything was freshly prepared as it was served -- certainly a plus for any large dinner. The evening began with hors d'oeuvres accompanied by a Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine while attendees mingled and pictures were taken. Once this was accomplished, it was time to be seated and begin a fabulous repast.

The first course was a Zuppa de Mare, consisting of tiny shrimp, scallops and mussels in a light broth. A perfect beginning; very light but with a hint of spiciness. This was followed by an Insalata Tricolori, a three-color salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Both dishes were accompanied by a Maso Poli Pinot Grigio.

Next came a sampler with three pastas: gnocchi, farfalle and ravioli. All were tasty, but a plate of the outstanding gnocchi could have made a pleasant meal. This came with an Allegrini Verona La Grola, a light red from the Veneto.

Stay with me, we're just getting started.

For the seafood course, we were served Branzino alla Tuscana, which in laymen's terms is sea bass. Flaky and cooked to perfection, it could only have been prepared moments before hitting the table. With this course, a Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany was poured. Are you beginning to get the picture here?

Now comes the main course, an Australian Rack of Lamb with mixed herb demi-glace. Not just any rack, mind you, but one roasted over a wood fire. With a fine Barolo from the Piedmont of Italy in my glass, I was listening for the trumpets announcing my departure from this mortal coil. As we Southerners sometime observe, I was eating ". . .high on the hog."

All this should end with a spectacular dessert, and it certainly did -- with a Vesuvio ai Frutti di Bosco, a towering concoction topped with a hollowed strawberry into which cognac was poured and flamed. Hey! Just like its namesake volcano! Of course, there was a Moscato d'Asti to complement this.

This is a condensed description of a fabulous dinner I thought worth sharing.

OK, so you can't do this for three dozen or so of your closest friends, but it wouldn't be too much of an effort to replicate this for four.

Next week, I'll walk through some easy steps to do a similar dinner for four or so.

Contact Cate at CATECOOKS@aol.com