To keep from sacrificing entertainment in the era of $4-a-gallon gasoline, cookbook author Anne Byrn offers a retro suggestion: Try a potluck.

Ms. Byrn, who wrote the popular Cake Mix Doctor series and The Dinner Doctor, has expanded her cookbook line with the What Can I Bring? Cookbook, a book of recipes, tips and menus celebrating the art of the potluck. She was in town recently to teach cooking classes at Dallas and Fort Worth Central Market stores.

This was a book, she says, that she always wanted to write.

While she was on the road promoting other books, she would ask people whether they entertained with potlucks. The answer was a resounding yes, although it is more popular in some parts of the U.S. (the South and Midwest) than in others.

"Potluck has had a bad rep in our country," Ms. Byrn says. "You tend to think of it as thrown-together."

She wanted to turn that notion on its head, offering fresh takes on time-worn classics such as tossed salad, baked beans and potato salad.

Original recipes such as Missy's Chicken Tortellini Soup, Blue Cheese Pecan Wafers and Ann's Home-Smoked Salmon With Olives and Lemon also have a place in What Can I Bring?

(In case you're interested, the fresh salsa from Matt Martinez's Rancho Martinez, called Andy's Stolen Salsa, is on Page 12, along with the story of how she acquired it.)

"I think ... [potluck entertaining is] going to be embraced even more because the whole idea of preparing one dish is more economical than staging a whole party," Ms. Byrn says. "Right now, everybody is looking for ways to cut back. There are choices to make to save money. I think entertaining is one that is often axed for most people. Staying home is one way to do that."

BEST ENTERTAINING TIP: The smaller the party, the more planning is needed. Parties with more guests can absorb a greater variety of dishes.

BEST TIP FOR TOTING: Strive for a dish with the "wow" factor without the "wow" effort. Work toward finding signature recipes that friends and family request.

BOOK HIGHLIGHTS: Notes on how to transport each dish; menu ideas; extras such as 10 grab-and-go food gifts from the supermarket; and a personal favorite, the Deviled Egg of the Month Club.