Guacamole Salad | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Guacamole Salad** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Girls That Grill”

The Set-up: Ina and some lady friends are showing the guys how it’s done with their own cookout. Laura’s hosting, Valerie is setting the table and providing granddaughters.

The Menu: East Hampton Clam Chowder, Blue Cheese Burgers, Guacamole Salad, Chocolate and Vanilla Sundaes

0:39 – As Ina describes the premise of the episode I realize that she’s doing all the cooking, while the others just bring table settings. The least they could do is bring beer!

1:10 – First up, and frankly most important: the Blue Cheese Burgers. Pro Tip #1: use a combination of ground chuck (moisture, aka fat content) and ground sirloin (flavor.)

2:51 – Ina forks together the ground beef with breadcrumbs, steak sauce and eggs before forming the patties. How do we feel about this meatloaf-esque mix? I'm not so sure….

3:36 – While the burgers chill before the party, we get an interlude with Laura (the hostess) at her oceanfront home. I take it back, all she needs to do is keep paying the mortgage; I’ll bring the beer.

4:44 – We’re back with Ina to make the Chocolate Sauce sundaes. In her catering days she’d make sundaes for the children at family barbecues and fancy desserts for the adults, but guess who wanted sundaes too? Sundaes = crowd-pleaser.

5:12 – Pro Tip #2: add a little brewed coffee to bring out the chocolate flavor. This is a classic Ina recommendation, but worth repeating.

8:49 – Road trip! Ina’s taking us to The Seafood Shop to buy the clams for East Hampton Clam Chowder.

9:18 – We get a brief lesson on clams (steamers = best for linguini with clam sauce, little necks = small & expensive) as she searches for the right clams for chowder. Colin, our Seafood Shop rep, comes to the rescue with chowder clams that fortunately have already been shucked. How convenient….

10:37 – Back in the kitchen to start the chowder the best way: onions sautéed in butter. Always a good decision.

11:14 – Over to Valerie for a table setting discussion. Ah-ha! Valerie seems to own a home décor shop and now I understand why she’s in charge of the table. I’m betting there won’t be a paper plate in sight!

12:59 – Onward with the clam chowder! Ina makes a case for fresh clam juice, and while I’d like to tease her about this the idea of bottled clam juice gives me the chills

13:06 – Next, the roux (melted butter + flour + whisking) and Ina give us a super helpful Pro Tip #3: to prevent flour-y lumps whisk a ladle of the hot clam stock into the roux before adding it to the larger pot.

14:23 – Now I see why the clam juice is so important. The diced clams, which only need to cook for 2 minutes, are added at the very end and don’t really have time to flavor the chowder.

15:02 – This chowder looks so, so good. I’d love to be near the ocean with a cup and some oyster crackers right now….

19:17 – Time for the Guacamole Salad, which is essentially the vegetables you’d find in guac but diced larger and tossed in a lime vinaigrette.

20:29 – Ina mentions that she doesn’t like really hot dishes, so I’m surprised that she’s adding jalapeños to the salad. Honestly, I usually skip them when I make guacamole.

22:34 – A little last minute prep montage – charcoal chimneys being filled, tomatoes being sliced, paper napkins being put into Mini Coopers – all set to the Barefoot Contessa “things-are-afoot” music.

23:15 – Two things: one, that is a GIANT cooler; and two, Ina is super Prepared (capital P) with storage containers.

27:36 – I can’t tell what time of year this is, but if I had to guess I’d say September. Valerie’s granddaughters are rocking their cable knit sweaters (grey & lemon yellow if you’re wondering.)

28:03 – Laura is put in charge of the grill, but I saw her and Ina both pressing down on the Blue Cheese Burgers with a spatula, which is a no-no. Ladies, I know it’s tempting, but you know better than that! Think of the juices!

28:52 – The granddaughters decline the blue cheese, but earn their keep by helping with the Guacamole Salad.

29:41 – Last but not least: a toast to girls grilling (and ruling!) with the Chocolate and Vanilla Sundaes. That’s my kind of toast…yum.

Final Thoughts:

These are all really approachable recipes that I could honestly imagine at a back yard cook-out.

I love New England Clam Chowder and if I could get Colin to shuck the clams for me I think I could actually manage it.

I wonder who drew the short straw and had to clean up after dinner? I’m guessing Valerie’s daughter…

Lessons Learned:

I love, love, love guacamole so I was really interested to try the Guacamole Salad which seems to be a slightly healthier twist on a classic. This recipe consists almost entirely of chopping produce, so if you can dice bell peppers and rinse black beans you’ll be in good shape.

I’m kind of fussy when it comes to prepping vegetables and in this case I focused on keeping the major components (i.e. the tomatoes, peppers, avocado) medium-diced and what I consider the ‘flavoring’ ingredients (red onion, garlic, jalapeño) minced quite small. Biting into a giant chunk of any of those ingredients is not my favorite.

I was looking for a moderate spice, not a blast of hot jalapeño, so I also de-seeded. Depending on your preferences I’d adjust the size/seeds/amount accordingly. I'd also suggest adding some chopped fresh cilantro if you’re sure everyone likes it (I do.)

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a medium bowl to mix together the vegetables, a medium sieve for draining and rinsing the black beans, a medium cutting board, a chef’s knife, a small paring knife, and a large spoon for tossing the ingredients together.

For the dressing you’ll need a liquid measuring cup, microplane grater, and measuring spoons.

The Verdict:

I made Guacamole Salad to bring as a side dish to a cookout we were attending in Connecticut. I wanted something fresh, a little unusual, and portable since we were taking the train out to the suburbs – this absolutely fits the bill for all three.

One note of caution: this salad isn’t the best choice if it’s going to sit on a buffet table for very long. Definitely wait until the last possible second before serving to add the diced avocado, otherwise it begins to turn brown and slightly disintegrate in the dressing (not very appealing.) I brought whole avocados with me and borrowed a knife to prepare them before we ate.

However, the flavors are bright with a nice balance of acidity from the lime juice, and spice from the jalapeño and cayenne. I’d definitely make this again as an accompaniment to burgers or serve as a dip with tortilla chips.

Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and her cookbooks are already a source of guidance for basic recipes but her show serves as my inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts. So now that I’ve got the essentials down it’s time to branch out. I’ll choose a recipe from an episode of the Barefoot Contessa to try in my tiny New York kitchen. We’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Roasted Shrimp Salad; Image: Laura Messersmith — Roasted Shrimp Salad; Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Episode: “Pack and Go Party”

The Set-up: Ina is planning a casual, elegant picnic in the garden for her friends.

The Menu Roasted Shrimp Salad, Tabbouleh & Feta Stuffed Pita, Ultimate Ginger Cookies

0:55 – First things first: dessert, the most important part of the meal. Ina’s making the Ultimate Ginger Cookies - yum.

1:34 – Even though these are ginger cookies the recipe also calls for cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. No weak-tasting cookies for Ina and I wholeheartedly agree – if something is supposed to taste spicy then go for it!

1:48 – Ooh, good trick – in addition to the ground spices, Ina has also minced up crystalized ginger and mixed it into the dough. Normally it’s chocolate or nothing for me, but it’s official, I need to make these cookies.

2:32 – Before the ginger cookies go in the oven a finishing roll in white sugar - a la the snickerdoodle. But, frankly these look a lot better than any snickerdoodle I’ve ever seen.

3:01 – Inspiration has struck! Why not serve the ginger cookies with fresh peaches? That does actually sound pretty good. Count me in, Ina!

3:05 – Ina calls up her friend Barbara Liberman to see if she can stop by the farmstand for peaches. Barbara agrees, but does her one better and offer to get splits of champagne for everyone. Clearly Barbara knows her audience and now I really wish I were going to this picnic.

3:07 – Also, based on the number of horses standing around behind her I’m guessing that Barbara lives on a horse farm. Please don’t tell me if I’m wrong.

7:12 – Now Ina is making Roasted Shrimp Salad with orange zest and a hit of white wine vinegar. I think shrimp is fairly sweet, so something a little tart seems like a good balance.

8:59 – For texture and additional seasoning she’s adding minced red onion, chopped dill, and drained capers. I’m not so sure about this flavor combination, but Ina has never steered me wrong before so I’m willing to trust her on this. Don’t let me down!

9:22 – Over to Pikes Farm Stand to check on Barbara’s progress with the peaches. She’s in luck; they have several bins of ripe fruit which look picture perfect in the afternoon light. Oh, the Hamptons where even the peaches have gorgeous lighting.

10:05 – Shrimp roasting time. Ina says that she got the idea to cook them this way after they started to roast chickens for chicken salad at Barefoot Contessa and found that the meat had better flavor.

10:15 – I am all about things that require almost zero fussing, so roasting things in olive oil, salt, pepper the way Ina taught me has become my go to cooking method. Thank you Ina!

11:43 – Shrimp are out of the oven and have been allowed to cool a little bit. Pro tip #1: slightly warm shrimp will absorb the orange, dill, and caper sauce better.

11:47 – Pro tip #2: add the sauce to the shrimp so that you can adjust the proportions more easily. I hate over-sauced food, so this is a good one to remember!

16:02 – Tabbouleh is in progress and Ina suggests using hot house or English cucumbers since they have a sweeter flavor than traditional cucumbers. I’m not sure I ever noticed the difference, but I do like the smaller seeds and less juicy center, so I’m more than willing to go along with this recommendation.

18:17 – Back to Barbara and her search. This time she’s on the hunt for splits of champagne and manages to find a half dozen bottles at the local wine shop. As Ina says, “Now that’s a party!” to which I say, “Yes, and Amen.”

19:21 – I think ‘bulgur’ drew the short straw - what a terrible name for something that doesn’t look that different from the much cuter sounding ‘couscous’, or exotic and unpronounceable ‘quinoa.’ Poor bulgur.

19:25 – A point in its favor, though, is that it looks really easy to cook. Hot water, lemon juice, salt, pepper and let it sit. That I can totally handle.

20:04 – Ina is a wealth of knowledge! Pro tip #4: Use fresh herbs whenever possible and in this tabbouleh salad it is 100% required. [Stern, but fair.] And, Pro tip #5: making the salad in advance gives the flavors a chance to develop and combine.

24:36 – Ina is filling up the pita pockets with tabbouleh and is putting a giant slice of feta in as well. It looks cool to have such a big piece, but I think I’d prefer some crumbled feta. Maybe I just don’t love feta enough? Where are my priorities?!

25:09 – Picnic packing time and Ina is knocking it out of the park with these cute little orange bags, white paper take out containers, and Barefoot Contessa branded ribbon to tie up the cookie bags. She is not messing around with the presentation.

26:18 – Barbara has arrived! Triumphantly bearing peaches and a bag full of Veuve Clicquot. Am I the only one who noticed that the orange labels match the picnic bags & napkins perfectly? These ladies are gooood.

26:39 – The peaches and champagne have been distributed to the bags and the guests have arrived. This really is a very charming idea - fancy(ish) food & great wine in an informal setting. They’re eating with clear plastic forks!

27:14 – Ina, Jeffrey & Co are popping bottles after which Jeffrey claims this is the best picnic he’s ever been to. I’m inclined to agree with this assessment - they look like they’re having F-U-N.

28:33 – True to form Jeffrey offers to do the (non-existent) dishes and in classic husband logic claims he should get credit for trying to be helpful. Nice try Mr. Garten, Ina may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.

29:15 – Fade out on the picnic and the setting sun.

Final Thoughts:

So much good cooking advice in this episode about getting a dish just right – texture, sauce to food proportion, fresh herbs, flavors improve and develop with time.

I’m dying to have a picnic now – thank goodness the warmer weather seems to be on the way!

I would really love to see this crowd at the end of the night when all that V-C is gone… I bet they get rowdy.

Tabbouleh and Feta Stuffed Pita; Image: Laura Messersmith — Tabbouleh and Feta Stuffed Pita; Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Lessons Learned: Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day here in New York – perfect for a lighter, summery menu so I decided to make both the Roasted Shrimp Salad and the Tabbouleh & Feta Stuffed Pita. Both recipes call for relatively little cooking and consist more of preparing one base ingredient – the shrimp and the bulgur – and then measuring sauce components, chopping some herbs and a few vegetables. Super, super simple.

Now, I must confess I did forget Pro Tip #2, so my shrimp salad was a little over-sauced for my taste and I also neglected to add the lemon juice, etc. to the bulgur until after it had already been soaking for 10-15 minutes. Luckily, these are both easily corrected mistakes in the future and since the recipes are really forgiving they didn’t make a noticeable difference in the outcome.

Both the Shrimp Salad and the Tabbouleh & Feta Stuffed Pita are both definitely small kitchen friendly recipes. Even making both simultaneously I still only used two large bowls, a sheet pan for roasting the shrimp, a cutting board and a few basic kitchen tools (measuring spoons, spatulas, chef’s knife, microplane zester).

The Verdict:

I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the flavors in the shrimp salad. The orange and dill compliment each other nicely and are a lovely balance to the shrimp. Mike particularly liked the contrast of the salty feta with the brightness of the lemon and fresh vegetables in the tabbouleh. He’s a carnivore at heart, so the addition of a protein like grilled lemon chicken would have put this one over the top for him.

A quick note on the colors – the coral, deep pink, red, and bright greens are gorgeous and make these dishes look as appealing as they are tasty. I’d definitely recommend them both for a summer lunch when you want to eat something light, pretty, and satisfying.