Come Together

To coincide with Hunger Action Month, Macy's has launched a new campaign, entitled Come Together, that urges people to host a dinner party. However, when guests ask the inevitable, "what should I bring?" the answer is nothing. The money that guests would spend on the requisite bottle of wine should be donated to the cause. Although Macy's has created a special website where you can make and send invites and put together a menu, we've partnered with Iron Chef Cat Cora to bring you an exclusive party idea! Cat's menu consists of barbecue classics like brisket sandwiches and coleslaw, so I recommend inviting a big group of people over on a Sunday for a football-viewing party. Cheer on your favorite team while enjoying a delicious, informal meal. To get you started, we've got Cat's variation of baked beans. She combines three types of beans with barbecue sauce and a touch of cinnamon. The resulting beans are my new favorite: they're slightly sweet and depending on the sauce you use, sticky and spicy. The addition of garbanzo beans is genius. To use Cat's recipe to host a Come Together party, read more

Last week, I caught up with East-West cooking authority Ming Tsai. He hosted an event at Macy's to encourage home cooks to get involved in their Come Together campaign, a fundraising effort that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. The concept: host a dinner party, but in lieu of accepting gifts, ask guests to make a donation.

Chef Ming is a huge supporter of the idea. "Not every corporation's doing this, especially during these economic times," he says. In addition to dishing on his pantry essentials, he also shared tips on throwing a worry-free dinner party at your place. Want to stress less at your own soirées? Then keep reading.