Suggested Menus for Entertaining Simply but Elegantly

Twenty years ago when I was much younger and more naive (I am a lot older now but no wiser), I entertained extravagantly. My dinner parties would have a minimum of twelve guests and never less than twelve courses. I would spend days preparing elaborate and obscure Chinese dishes. I had much more time then and I took great pleasure and enjoyment in preparing those meals. However, now that I have a heavy travel schedule with all the pressures of a modern busy life, my style of entertaining has changed radically. Now when I entertain, I usually have no more than six guests and just three courses. I discovered that my friends enjoyed those intimate dinners just as much as my lavish spreads of the past.