Here’s an eye-opening idea: invite family and friends to an easy yet elegant coffee and dessert party. You can serve buffet style. Simply set out an assortment of cakes, pies and cookies, a platter of cheese and crackers, and perhaps a few fine dessert wines, brandies or liqueurs. You can also have games on hand to keep everyone involved and socializing.

As for the coffee, a cappuccino machine is nice but not really necessary. Serve a variety of types and flavors including regular and decaf. For a satisfying dessert drink, jazz up your coffees by adding additional ingredients such as semi-sweet chocolate and cinnamon. Also, make sure to set out whole and skim milk, sugar and artificial sweetener for your guests. Consider serving rock candy swizzle sticks, they add a sweet playfulness that your guests will love or for a really elegant touch try chocolate-coated spoons. Here’s a tip on how to make your own chocolate-coated spoons: just melt semi-sweet or white chocolate, dip your spoons into the melted chocolate, cool on waxed paper, and serve with your coffee.

If you have demitasse cups, you can use them so guests can get to taste as many kinds of coffee as possible. If you don’t, use small coffee cups as opposed to mugs and fill them about three-quarters full.

To help your coffee house party further reflect your good taste, two new flavored coffees are available from Maxwell House. You can offer a rich and sophisticated coffee flavored with a nutty touch of hazelnut or a smooth, delicious cup of enticing vanilla coffee. Here’s a good recipe to try:

½ cup whipping cream

1 square BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups hot freshly brewed strong vanilla or hazelnut flavored coffee

Place cream, chocolate, sugar and cinnamon in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in coffee.

Pour into large cups or mugs. Sweeten to taste. Garnish with thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Cool Variation: Prepare as directed. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve over ice cubes.

hat I know about rhubarb could fit inside a thimble and still have enough room left over for my finger. When my editor asked me to write a book review of Grandma Mary’s Colossal Book of Rhubarb by Mary Bryan, I had to tell her honestly that I didn’t know a thing about rhubarb. "Great! It should be a very interesting write up," she responded.

I began thumbing through the filing cabinet of my mind for knowledge of rhubarb. What I did remember? A weekend my son, David, then 6, spent with his grandmother. During his stay she made a rhubarb pie. All we heard about was that "yummy roobar pie that Gramma made." We were impressed because he could barely pronounce rhubarb and because he is the pickiest eater in the house.

The author, Mary Bryan, moved into her home in 1977 and discovered she had a flourishing patch of rhubarb growing in her backyard. She did what any levelheaded frugal person did. She began making pies. She began to collect recipes to use up her thriving crop. Her most recent book is the result of 25 years of collecting rhubarb recipes.

The book deserves its title. Mary’s cookbook certainly is colossal. The 411 recipes are stored in a hard cover three ring binder measuring 11 by 11 inches. The binder is covered with an easy to wipe off shiny plastic finish. All the recipes can be removed from the binder for easy use in the kitchen.

The book includes chapters with recipes for beverages, sauces, soups, salads, compotes, breads, jams, jellies, chutneys, relishes, entrees, side dishes, puddings cookies, pies and tarts. The table of contents, which lists each recipe individually by name, makes it easier to find a favorite recipe again.

Here is a recipe I found interesting.

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

3-1/2 cups water

2 cups chopped rhubarb

¾ cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup lemon juice

In a saucepan, combine the water, rhubarb, sugar, lemon rind and the vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let mixture simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Stir in half of the strawberries and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool. Strain mixture and discard pulp. Combine the strained juice, the remaining strawberries and the lemon juice. Serve over ice. Makes about 6 servings.

To order Grandma Mary’s book send $34.50 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to Bryan Enterprises, P.O. Box 2442, Ames, Iowa 50010 or call 515-233-1365 for information.