Every holiday, there is a meal like this -- when the guest list is full of people I want to make happy and who have a wide variety of palates.

On Christmas Eve, I had done roasted turkey, dressing and a small pork loin for my folks and their friends. Then, on Christmas Day, it was a standing rib roast and sesame-soy marinated salmon for the non-beef-eaters.

The marinade for the salmon is super-simple. It's one part soy sauce to three parts dark sesame oil (make as much as you need). I don't recommend marinating longer than two or three hours, as the fish can get too salty. Then coat the fish in sesame seeds and pan-broil over medium-high heat until the seeds are toasty and the fish is done.

But now comes the main event. This is the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup all rolled into one.

It's New Year's Eve, and the guest list includes both sets of my son's grandparents, my partner's half-brother and his wife and my good pal Annie DuBois, whom some of you may know as the Salsa Queen.

One of the biggest challenges when cooking on the road is having to work in an unfamiliar kitchen. I know when my oven at home tells me it's at 350°, it's lying by 25 degrees. I know where all my knives, skillets and saucepans are. If I run short of an ingredient, I know the complete contents of my pantry and refrigerator and what I might grab for a substitute.

When I first started venturing out to cook, I'd take along my "security blanket," a couple of tools or ingredients that would be my insurance against failure. But part of the thrill now is the unknown ... within reason.

When her mom was up visiting us in North Carolina a couple months back, I whipped up a chicken dish with a spice blend of my own invention, topped by Alton Brown's Cashew Sauce. It was simple, and tasted like it wasn't. Perfect.

On the side, I decided on Paulette Mitchell's target="_blank">Catalan Spinach, a flavorful but simple dish with a dark-green color that would set off the chicken nicely.

I made my menu selections known, and set about making sure I had the ingredients on hand to complete the task.

I very quickly ran into a brick wall. You see, one of the original components of the spice blend was the most-awesome Chipotle Chicken Rub from TexMexToGo.com. It's got a sweet-edged heat that makes you want to eat it with a spoon.

There's just one TINY problem: while it is available easily on the TexMexToGo site, I couldn't find it anywhere in Houston.

This is where a good sense of smell comes in handy. When I invented this spice blend (recipe coming, be patient), I was noodling around in my spice basket, opening various bags and jars and sniffing to find some that would play well together. So off I went to Central Market, to go through its bulk spice bins in search of the magic elixir to make up for my lack of chicken rub.

An hour later, my nostrils aflame from exposure to dozens of spices, I settled on an unholy mixture of chili powder, paprika and Cajun seasoning. It was by no means a copy of the chipotle rub, but in its own way just as pleasing from an olfactory standpoint. My confidence, which had been teetering, quickly returned.

Dinner time arrived, and I laid out the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and coated them well with the following mix:

2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Hungarian paprika
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1 tbsp. yellow curry powder

You can, of course, make more or less of this blend as needed. If you have leftover blend, store it in an airtight jar or bag in a cool, dry place.

After coating, spray the breasts lightly with nonstick cooking spray and let them sit while the oven heats to 375°. I like to use the Reynolds "Release" nonstick foil in the pan when cooking this one, as the spices can tend to come off the meat.

Cook the breasts for 15-20 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165° is reached. Top with cashew sauce.

I like to lay one chicken breast atop fresh-cooked white rice, then lay a dollop of sauce on top of the chicken. It makes for an attractive plate presentation, especially accompanied with a little grilled asparagus.

Oh, and if you, like me, have to hold the cashew sauce for a long period and it breaks, a quick spin in the food processor will set things to rights. Since it's basically an emulsion, it can be recombined easily.

And how did it come out? Well, would I be writing about this if I'd failed?

OK, actually, I would. You're all my close, personal friends and I can share my failures with you. But it didn't fail. Dinner got rave reviews.

Just remember: When you're in a high-pressure situation, it helps to have at least one "simple but elegant" recipe that you've made before and with which you're completely comfortable. If you don't have one, you're welcome to borrow mine. I won't tell.