Butternut Squash Risotto

April 23, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

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. I’ll follow along with an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, then choose a recipe to try in my tiny New York kitchen. We’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Butternut Squash Risotto  | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Butternut Squash Risotto** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Episode: “Weekend Lunch”

The Set-up: Ina and Jeffrey are booked solid with two weekend lunches. Ina’s solution: serve menus of easy, satisfying dishes to their friends.

The Menu: Warm Duck Salad, Blueberry Crumb Cake, Butternut Squash Risotto, Chocolate Sorbet

0:52 – Ina starts us off by declaring her love for entertaining at lunchtime (apparently well known among the Gartens’ friends.) I’m pretty confident that if Ina told people to show up at 4 am for dinner she’d still have plenty of takers.

1:17 – First up, the Blueberry Crumb Cake for Saturday’s lunch. Pro Tip #1: prepare the cake pan by rubbing a butter wrapper around the inside and dusting with a little flour. Tap the excess flour out for a light coating.

2:26 – Pro Tip #2: room temperature butter and eggs will result in a light, fluffy cake batter. It blew my mind when I figured out that the temperature of ingredients affects the outcome. But do I ever manage to take the butter out the night before? No.

3:39 – Mmm, this cake has blueberries, vanilla, and lemon zest in the batter; plus a sugar and spice crumb streusel.

4:44 – Ina is not playing - one stick of butter for the streusel alone. Good thing they’re having salad as the main course!

6:01 – Now a little field trip to Iacono Farm to buy the key ingredient for the Warm Duck Salad. Ina’s clearly a regular and the man tending the farm stand fixes her up with two picture-perfect duck breasts post haste.

9:05 – Back in the kitchen to make the salad and Ina explains that for lunch dishes she tries to balance lightness with substance. I presume this is to prevent the need for either an afternoon nap or an afternoon snack, neither of which I personally have a problem with…

10:14 – While the duck roasts she makes a vinaigrette (olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped shallots, and orange zest) and says that duck has a fuller flavor and can stand up to a stronger dressing. The first time I can recall eating duck was during tapas at Dali in Cambridge, MA. The Pato Braseado (duckling with berry sauce) is so good I now order one just for me. Selfish? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.

10:24 – The duck comes out of the oven and Ina offers Pro Tip #3: cover the sheet pan with foil and allow the duck to rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to return to the meat.

11:07 – Ina is assembling the salad and decides to use a blend of mache, endive, a supremed orange, some fresh raspberries, and toasted pecans. I definitely approve of fruit and nuts in salad – yum.

13:25 – The last step is to remove the skin from the duck, slice it into long strips on the bias, and place them on the platter. This is a gorgeous looking dish - the colors of the orange segments, berries and pink duck breast against the salad greens really pop.

14:25 – A final sprinkling of powdered sugar over the Blueberry Crumb Cake and it’s time for Ina and Jeffrey’s friends to arrive. Someone named Maureen and a second un-named woman? Anyway…

14:45 – Jeffrey continues to win points as the most complimentary husband in history - well done Mr. Garten - and everyone tucks in to their salad and crumb cake.

19:11 – It’s Sunday now and Ina is preparing for Weekend Lunch 2: Electric Boogaloo. She says “weekends are about fun and relaxing, so weekend entertaining should be too.” Truer words, my friend. There is nothing relaxing about killing yourself to make a fancy meal.

20:15 – Once again she’s starting her prep with dessert: Chocolate Sorbet and adds the twin chocolate flavor boosters: cinnamon and coffee. After all the ingredients are combined over low heat she pours the mixture into a plastic container to chill in the refrigerator. In her intro to this part of the show she says she has an hour and a half until her guests arrive, so I’m a little unclear how sorbet will set in that amount of time, but I guess we’ll see!

22:20 – On to the Butternut Squash Risotto. Ina is roasting the squash with the holy trinity of the oven: olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. This is how I prepare 50% of the vegetables I make. The other 50% are steamed and tossed with butter, salt, and black pepper. So, basically the exact same seasonings.

23:39 – Aha! The Secret of the Chocolate Sorbet (which sounds like something Nancy Drew should investigate) has been revealed: an ice cream maker. Ina says it will take about 30 minutes. Mystery solved. Great work, Nancy.

25:18 – Back to the risotto – pancetta, shallots, and butter are sautéed in the most giant palm green Le Crueset french oven I’ve ever seen – followed by the Arborio rice. Then two ladles of hot chicken stock and some saffron threads.

26:56 – Some TV magic seems to take place at this point. We see very little ladling and stirring, but all of a sudden the risotto is done and it’s time to fold in the butternut squash and a finishing cup of grated parmesan.

27:12 – Ina, you know I adore you, but as a risotto-newbie I would have loved a little more handholding at this stage… Next time maybe?

28:27 – The risotto and sorbet are done, Frank and Stephen have arrived, and everyone is gathered around the lunch table again.

29:56 – They wrap up with meal with Jeffrey, possibly still drumming up boat-purchase brownie points, rhapsodizing about how he loves everything about this meal “the risotto, the sorbet…” and they all laugh as Ina prompts him “you love me…” Aww. They’re too much.

Final Thoughts:

Ina is totally right about lunchtime entertaining – make 2 courses and you’re good to go!

The concept of balance – both within a dish, but also across courses – is so important. I love that Ina pairs a lighter dish with a richer one.

I might need an entire episode devoted to risotto – I suspect this is a more subtle cooking process than Ina makes it seem.

Lessons Learned: I took a page from Ina’s book and made the Butternut Squash Risotto when we had friends coming for dinner. Now that I’ve tried making it I see why risotto has such a reputation among professional chefs (see the Top Chef risotto curse) and home cooks alike. The techniques aren’t necessarily difficult in this recipe - dice and roast squash, mince shallots, ladle hot chicken stock, stir - but producing a perfectly cooked risotto is a definitely little tricky. The Kitchn has some great photos and descriptions of what the ideal risotto should look and taste like.

This was my first attempt and while the end product turned out really flavorful and delicious, the texture wasn’t quite right. Risotto should be ‘al dente’ and mine was too soft and a little too sticky rather than creamy - like rice pudding. What I need to diagnose the problem is more experience, but if I had to guess I’d say that either I added the stock too slowly and let the previous ladle-full absorb too completely, or that I didn’t actually need all 6 cups of stock. This is one where practice will be the key to nailing that elusive perfect dish.

Butternut Squash Risotto is fairly small kitchen friendly – I used one large french oven, a medium sauce pan (for the warm chicken stock), a sheet pan, one cutting board, and some basic kitchen tools like a ladle, chef’s knife, and measuring cups.

The Verdict: The flavors in this recipe are amazing – rich, complex, and satisfying. I understand why Ina uses this as a ‘stand alone’ entrée – a little green salad and you really don’t need anything else. Even though I didn’t get the texture on the first attempt all four of us really liked how the Butternut Squash Risotto tasted and I’m excited to try this one again and again until I get it just right.

Scallops Provencal & Herbed Basmati Rice

April 16, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Shore Thing”

The Set-up: Ina and Jeffrey are spending a day at the docks in Montauk. They’ll watch the boats and pick-up some seafood for dinner

The Menu: California BLTs, Scallops Provencal with Herbed Basmati Rice, and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

0:55 – Before Ina and Jeffrey head over to the marina, Ina’s getting a head start on dinner by making Vanilla Panna Cotta for their dessert.

1:37 –The panna cotta recipe calls for heavy cream, plain yogurt, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a vanilla bean in the grocery store, yet Ina seems to use them all the time. My mission is clear: locate whole vanilla beans!

2:10 – The process for this recipe seems a little complicated – a warm mixture (cream, gelatin, and sugar) is added to a cold mixture (cream, yogurt, vanilla, etc.)

3:07 - What is it about things that have to ‘set’ that make me nervous? Ina says they need at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. I’m not as organized as she is and I’d probably have to do them the day before.

4:01 – Next up: California BLTs for a picnic lunch on the dock. Pro Tip #1: cook the bacon on a tray in the oven and avoid the splatter of sautéing on the stovetop. I concur 100% with this advice, so much less stressful.

5:17 – Ina seems mildly guilty over her love of BLTs and says that using “really good” ingredients is her excuse. Neither statement makes sense to me – when did the BLT become passé?

5:49 – The bacon is out of the oven and it looks absolutely perfect, like the pictures in an IHOP menu.

9:12 – Ina is slicing avocados for the California part of the BLTs. Pro Tip #2: buy avocados a day or two in advance of when you want to use them so they have time to ripen. I have such a hard time getting the timing right – if only there were a way to accurately predict!

10:16 – At this point she makes a reference to BLTs as a “mayonnaise delivery system.” I have new insight into the reason an excuse to make them is required…

10:48 – Ina is tossing the avocado slices in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Like with apples; avocado + air = discoloration.

11:07 – I think I need to send in an Ask Ina question about avocados, because this is something else I have trouble with. The acid in the juice seems to break down the avocado – too early and I have mush, too late and they’re brown.

11:55 – Back to sandwich assembly – Ina is using large slices of toasted bakery bread, Bibb lettuce, bacon, thick slices of tomato, the aforementioned avocado, and salt/pepper for seasoning. These sandwiches are not messing around.

13:01 – As she wraps up the sandwiches Ina gives us some words of wisdom on marriage. It sounds like she’s an equal opportunity proponent of the “happy wife/husband, happy life” axiom. Seems to be working for the Gartens so far!

13:30 – The picnic is packed and they’re on their way to Montauk to watch the boats. Jeffrey is trying to pitch Ina on the benefits of boat ownership, and she is not buying it.

18:16 – The boat-watching is over and the Gartens have stopped into the local fish shop where Ina chooses sea scallops for dinner, noting that she’d much rather buy them than be out on a boat catching them. I have a feeling the only yacht Jeffrey is getting will fit in the bathtub.

19:37 – We’re back in the kitchen with Ina to make balsamic strawberries for the panna cotta. Pro Tip #3: Balsamic vinegar is like wine, the more it ages the better it tastes.

20:14 – Ina has selected Herbed Basmati Rice as the accompaniment to the Scallops Provencal and has set the rice and water on the stove to simmer. Looks fairly straightforward, so good news there!

20:38 – Now to un-mold the panna cotta that’s been chilling (like a villain? Sorry.) Ina dips the ramekins in hot water and running a knife around the edge.

21:03 – Ina sets the panna cotta on the sweetest plate decorated with little purple flowers and spoons the macerated Balsamic Strawberries in a circle around each custard. A final sprinkle of lemon zest and we’re done. This looks so good and summery, mmmmmmm.

25:43 – Time to prepare the Scallops Provencal – first a quick seasoning with salt and pepper, then tossed in a tablespoon or so of flour and into a sauté pan with a little melted butter.

27:11 – While the scallops cook, Ina chops fresh parsley, garlic, and shallots, which then go into the pan too. She must be really fast with her knife work; I’d need to have the veggies prepped in advance or risk some burnt scallops…

28:37 – The scallops cook with the herbs and vegetable for a minute or two and then Ina adds some white wine to de-glaze the pan and make the sauce. I love a white wine sauce and this whole recipe looks delicious.

28:55 – Ina is finishing up the Herbed Basmati Rice with fresh parsley, dill, and scallions forked into the fluffy rice. She doesn’t say this, so I’ll help a sister out and suggest my own Pro Tip: a fork is the right tool to lighten cooked rice, a spoon just presses the grains together and makes a gummy mixture. Eww.

29:16 – The scallops, rice, and panna cotta are all ready and plated, so Ina and Jeffrey head out to the garden for dinner on what looks like a perfect late summer evening. Ahh heaven.

29:51 – Jeffrey chooses this blissful moment to make one last play for a boat. Ina’s reply: “Not on my watch.” Jeffrey hangs tough, though and they finish their dinner toasting to a “(distant) future boat.” And, scene.

Final Thoughts:

I’ve only made panna cotta one time, but the Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries looks so good. I kinda want to try again…

We took exactly zero picnics last summer, which is a travesty I will have to remedy in 2014.

Jeffrey is DYING for a boat, people. Will no one take pity on him?

Lessons Learned: In our household Mike is the one who has mastered the technique of searing scallops, but I’ve never made them and they’re one of my favorite dishes. Right before we left on our trip I decided to test my self by making the Scallops Provencal with Herbed Basmati Rice. First up, the rice is incredibly easy – if you can make a box of Near East pilaf, you can make this no problem.

The scallops proved a little more challenging to me. Forgive me cooking gods, for I have sinned! I chalk my difficulties up to two factors. One – I had a ton of small bay scallops and violated the cardinal rule of pan spacing by putting too many in at one time which lowers the temperature and prevents searing. Two – I further muddied the waters by not getting the butter hot enough (I was worried about burning it) in the first place.

I managed to salvage the dish by turning up the flame (thank goodness for gas stoves!) but it never looked quite as good as Ina’s. I will have to try again and be strict with myself so that my scallops sear instead of steam.

The good news – there is very little prep involved and it is definitely a small kitchen-friendly dish. To make both the Scallops and the Rice I used one medium sauce pan, one large sauté pan, a cutting board, chef’s knife, tongs, a measuring cup & spoons. That’s really it!

The Verdict: Despite my somewhat inept approach to this dish it still tasted quite good – so it must be fairly forgiving, hooray! The flour-dusted scallops create a rich, creamy sauce, which makes this a nice cold weather dinner, and we both thought that the herbed rice was nice, light compliment. I would definitely make Scallops Provencal again – Mike and I liked the flavors, and it’s a unique version of comfort food.

Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

April 02, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and her cookbooks are already my go-to for basic cooking guidance, but her show serves as my inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts. I’ll follow along with an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, and then choose a recipe to try in my tiny New York kitchen. We’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Italian Restaurant Food”

The Set-up: Ina is cooking recipes inspired by Italian restaurants at home.

The Menu: Nick and Toni’s Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola, Rum Raisin Tiramisu, No-Cook Antipasto Platter (Prosciutto Wrapped Melon, Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto Salad, Salami Wrapped Breadsticks)

0:45 – Ina has a special guest - Joe Realmuto, Executive Chef at Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton – to demonstrate the first recipe: Nick and Toni’s Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

0:54 – The sauce is roasted in the oven and has all the usual suspects – garlic, oregano, onions, olive oil and “a lot of vodka.” Joe’s influence seems to be upping the alcohol factor in our cooking game.

0:59 – Joe’s Pro Tip #1: when using dry herbs (in this case oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper) put them into the oil before you add the tomatoes and ‘sweat’ them out to get the best flavor.

1:06 – While the onions, garlic, and herbs sauté we head off to Nick & Toni’s via hand-held camera with commentary from budding film auteur, Joe R.

1:45 – He shows us around the kitchens, prep areas, and dishwashing station making every single employee super uncomfortable. They all look like they wish they had the day off or could hide behind a large pot…

2:03 – Ina teases him a little about “quitting his day job.” They have an easy rapport, so I don’t think he’ll be storming out and telling her to finish the sauce herself, although that would be super dramatic and hilarious.

3:17 – Apparently this recipe has been on Nick & Toni’s menu for 22+ years ever since the owners discovered the dish on a trip to Italy and convinced the chef to share it with them. I feel like not many restaurants have a ‘signature’ dish any more – all seasonal, farm to table, etc.

5:29 – The process for Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola is pretty intense – canned, whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes are squished by hand into the softened vegetables, then the sauce roasts for 1 ½ hours. After it cools for a few minutes the entire batch is pureed in a blender, then reheated with a little heavy cream, fresh oregano and parmesan cheese. Nothing hard here, but a lot of different stages.

5:55 – PS: I have no idea how Joe has managed to keep his pristine white chef’s coat tomato-free. He must have some sort of chef force field in effect.

6:43 – The penne is cooked al dente in hot, salted water; then drained and added to the sauce to cook just a little longer. A final sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh oregano and we’re done!

6:49 – Ina mentions that the vodka is doing “it’s thing.” I have no idea what she means, so pause for a quick Google. FYI, chowhound says (food + alcohol = flavor extraction) and because vodka is flavorless (unlike wine) the effect is heightened impact of the tomatoes, without the introduction of a new flavor.

7:05 – Ina and Joe are heading out to the patio with bowls of pasta, which sounds lovely. #jealous

10:16 – Ina is flying solo for the next recipe: Rum Raisin Tiramisu. She claims that all Italian restaurants have tiramisu on their menus, but that it’s very easy to make at home. It is also the dessert that launched 1,000 Sleepless in Seattle jokes. So there’s that.

11:42 – Pro Tip #2: when making an egg-based custard, beat room temperature egg yolks until they are pale yellow and drizzle off the beater in a ribbon.

12:39 – I see Joe’s boozy influence in this recipe… Ina’s making a twist on the classic by adding rum to the custard, dipping the ladyfinger cookies in rum, and soaking the raisins in rum. So what I’m saying is: RUM is the name of the game.

13:14 – Pro Tip #3: Adding a little orange juice, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds will help balance out the ‘edge’ in the rum.

15:27 – I’m fascinated by the logistics of finding the right size dish to fit exactly twelve ladyfingers. I always end up with too few of something or too many – TV magic, I suppose.

15:43 – Ina advises us to let the assembled tiramisu chill overnight to let the custard set. Now I know that TV magic is at work here, because she doesn’t have to re-arrange 1,500 things in her refrigerator to make space for a 9x13 pan.

20:11 – We’re back with Ina to make restaurant-style antipasto. First – Prosciutto Wrapped Melon wedges. I love when the name of the dish and the recipe are the literally the same thing. She’s using cantaloupe, but says we can use any type of ripe melon.

21:45 – Ina references our patron saint, Julia Child, who apparently didn’t consider Italian food “cooking.” Love you Julia, but I’m glad Ina’s on our side – she says that this is “good news” because it’s so easy.

22:09 – Next up, Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto. Ina claims that she made her own pesto (recipe here), but says we can use store bought “as long as it has great flavor.” She really is taking it easy on us today.

22:34 – Last item, Breadsticks Wrapped in Salami. I think she may be teasing us, but I’m going to take these at face value. She did say that these were easy and I’m fairly sure that small children could do this.

26:12 – Ask Ina time! First question: should cooked pasta be rinsed under cold water? Ina manages not to look horrified and says no, that this cools the pasta too much. Pro Tip #4: the small amount of starch coating the pasta helps thicken the sauce and you may actually want to reserve a little pasta water before draining for this purpose.

27:23 – Second question: why do chefs put salt in the pasta water, and is this necessary? Ina again refrains from throwing up her hands in dismay and says yes, this is a necessary step. Pro Tip #5: Salting the water helps flavor the pasta from the inside. Salting it later just leaves the salt on top.

28:34 –Third question: does Ina have a great recipe for garlic bread? Oh, boy does she! We get a quick demo of Garlic Herb Ciabatta, which involves sautéing a spread of garlic, parsley and oregano. Yum. Carbs.

29:22 – Last question: Help, it’s pasta night and I don’t have any marinara! Ina offers up a quick “cheat.” She suggests adding some sautéed onion and garlic to a store bought sauce and promises not to tell anyone. Our secret!

Final Thoughts:

Ina + professionally trained chef is always interesting to see. I wonder if this is like sports where playing with someone better helps improve your game?

Ina was really focused on making easy, minimal ingredient recipes in this episode – definitely more preparation and assembly than cooking.

I’d love an April Fools-style Ask Ina where she’s all dramatically aghast over the questions. “Rinsing pasta!? Have I taught you NOTHING?!”

Lessons Learned: I was a little intimidated by the knowledge that Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola was a recipe served in an actual restaurant, but the ingredients are really approachable (99% I already had in the fridge or pantry, I bet you do too) with one exception - the fresh oregano. I hit some minor snags, but nothing a little practice and some thinking on the fly couldn’t solve.

Number one – normally recipes direct you to sauté the onion first and then add the more delicate garlic, but this recipe calls for the onion and garlic to sauté at the same time. That’s all well and good if you keep the heat quite low – I came thisclose to burning the garlic, so watch carefully.

Number two – the whole San Marzano tomatoes I had (Cento brand) were packed in a lot of pureed tomato. I strained the two cans which did yield some watery liquid and added both the squished whole tomatoes and the puree. I ended up with slightly more sauce, but the seasoning still tasted right to me. Just something to keep in mind.

I can’t honestly say that this is small kitchen friendly, but it is do-able. I used one large, covered oven-safe sauté pan, a large sauce pan for the pasta, one medium bowl, a blender, a sieve/strainer, a colander, and a box grater in addition to the basic items like spatulas, cutting board, etc. A very large spoon or ladle will be particularly useful for the pot-to-blender step.

The Verdict:
I had never eaten a vodka sauce before or cooked one for that matter, but Mike and I both really liked the way the Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola turned out. Very creamy, but not too heavy and with a nice subtle heat from the red pepper flakes. It’s a little more work to make than my standard tomato sauce (which is essentially the ‘cheat’ Ina suggested), but I think the effort is worth it. A nice Sunday afternoon, no stress type of dish since there’s more than an hour of ‘down time’ while the sauce roasts in the oven. If you’ve got the equipment and the time, definitely give this one a shot!

Potato Basil Frittata

March 26, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

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!

Potato Basil Frittata; Image: Laura Messersmith — Potato Basil Frittata; Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Episode: “Barefoot Celebrations: Cocktails for a Crowd”

The Set-up: Ina’s throwing a garden party for the East Hampton Historical Society

The Menu: Caramelized Bacon, Potato Basil Frittata, Roasted Shrimp with Green Goddess Dressing

0:33 – Ina loves the East Hampton Historical Society and decided to throw them a party in her garden complete with a Champagne Cocktail Bar in their honor. Note to self: join the EHHS.

0:54 – Ina clearly subscribes to the “surprise and delight” philosophy of entertaining – no pigs in a blanket for her just straight up BACON. You heard me. She’s serving bacon as an appetizer, which is Mike’s idea of heaven.

1:07 – So, technically it’s Caramelized Bacon which involves a topping of brown sugar, pecans, cayenne pepper, and maple sugar. Ina says what we’re all thinking at this point, “this is crazy-good on bacon.”

2:01 – Ina claims this is one of the more “outrageous” appetizers she’s ever made, but let’s be fair, you know this will be gone fast than you can say “caramelized bacon.” Less bacon, please, said no one ever.

4:39 – Now we’re treated to a tour of several charmingly preserved historic sites in East Hampton. Perhaps some ideas to add to your itinerary?

5:17 – Back to Ina’s to make the Potato Basil Frittata, an old favorite from her catering days. Ina has a ton of advice for successful cocktail party planning and proceeds to share about 1,000 great tips - write these down!

5:55 – Pro Tip #1: plan for 5-6 different appetizers that balance between meat, fish, and vegetarian so all your guests will find something they can eat. Pro Tip #2: Don’t try to make everything yourself - buy some, assemble some, and make some. Pro Tip #3: Choose appetizers that can be served at room temperature so you can make them ahead of time. And, finally Pro Tip #4: When calculating amounts assume a count of 6-8 pieces per guest. Whew! Did you get all that?

10:13 – Proceeding with the frittata, Ina adds a little flour to the egg, ricotta, and gruyere mixture which she says gives it some body and makes it easier to cut into squares later. This advice may qualify as Pro Tip #5… she’s really racking them up!

12:24 – The Caramelized Bacon is done and the Potato Basil Frittata is in the oven, so now we’re out in the garden. Ina cuts the most gorgeous pale cream dahlias for the table. It must have been high summer when she filmed this because everything is in full bloom and the afternoon sun is streaming through the hedges. I may have paused the episode for several moments to soak it all in.

13:18 – Next up some flower arranging lessons. Pro Tip #6: Arrange the stems as they grow in the garden - differing heights, keep the un-opened buds and a few leaves for greenery - building the bouquet in your hand. Adjust the placement as needed and then cut the stems to the right height for your vase.

14:11 – More expert advice on buffet tables - I can barely absorb all these tips! Pro Tip #7: fold the floor length white tablecloth into a boxed pleat to keep the extra fabric out of the way and top with a patterned (in this case floral) square cloth. Placing the patterned cloth on the diagonal is a little jauntier (my word, not hers.)

14:56 – Now Ina is ready to set up the cocktail components. A punch bowl for chilling the champagne and sparkling water is placed in the middle with graduated rows of glasses on either side. She also puts out Cassis, Framboise, brandy, and several juices and fruits, so that guests can make their own concoctions. I can’t wait to see some boozy historians…

19:35 – Ina is making the Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Green Goddess Dressing next, but pauses for a moment to encourage us to send handwritten invitations and require RSVPs.

19:39 – I’m 100% on board with RSVP-ing, but I swear the only handwritten invitation I’ve ever received was for a 6th grade birthday sleepover. The ensuing party was later re-named “Sleeping Beauty and the Night Raiders,” and we’re still apologizing to Kate’s mom for the ruckus… Sorry! /end digression.

21:26 – Okay, the shrimp are doing their thing (olive oil, salt, pepper) in the oven and Ina is “updating” the Green Goddess Dressing recipe with scallions and basil in place of tarragon. I usually avoid eating or serving things that have strong garlic or onion flavors at social events, but Ina’s the expert here, so I’m trying to trust her judgment. It is a lovely pale spring green – so that’s a plus.

27:34 – Now we’re onto the ‘buy’ and ‘assemble’ part of the menu. First, Marcona almonds tipped into a silver dish and sprinkled with sea salt. That is literally the only step.

27:42 – Second, smoked chicken breast sliced, plated, and served with store-bought horseradish sauce. Party prep is now D-O-N-E and I think plating took longer than the preparing. Clever girl.

28:12 – The EHHS guests have arrived and are strolling in the garden sniffing the lavender, the Veuve Cliquot is flowing, and Ina has enlisted a few guests to pass some appetizers. I would happily carry a platter of bacon around if it meant I could hang with Ina for an afternoon. Call me!

29:00 – The party concludes at the invitation-specified 8pm on the dot and Ina’s done for the day!

Final Thoughts:

So many good Pro Tips in this episode for successful cocktail parties – drinks, appetizers, flower arrangements – I need to remember these next time we entertain!

I love how practical Ina is. Similar to her advice in the “Make It Fast” episode, many of these recommendations are stress-reducing and make hosting more enjoyable.

Mike tried to get me to serve bacon apps at our holiday party, and now that it’s Ina-approved I think he’s going to get his way next time…

Lessons Learned: Unlike the recipes I’ve shown so far, I have actually made the Potato Basil Frittata before and I want to point out that there are two recipes that differ mainly in cooking time and ingredient quantities: Number One uses a sauté pan for cooking the potatoes and baking the frittata. Number Two is the recipe Ina made in the episode. The potatoes are cooked in a sauté pan and then transferred to a separate sheet pan to bake the frittata.

For my attempt I followed quantities given in Number One since its yield is more appropriate for two people, but used a pie plate to bake the frittata since my sauté pan was a little too small. I find that the potatoes take a few minutes longer - around 15-20 minutes to soften - but this gives me plenty of time to crack eggs, grate the gruyere, and chop basil, so the work flow is nice and relaxed.

This is definitely a small kitchen friendly recipe - I used a large sauté pan, pie plate, one mixing bowl, a chef’s knife, cutting board, and a few basic kitchen tools (measuring cups, spatula, etc.)

Some additional good news and a thought – the frittata reheats beautifully (even in the microwave) and since it’s easy to put a piece in a to-go container it makes a great leftover to take for lunch. Plus, this base can lend itself to other combinations - ham & Swiss with broccoli, spinach & roasted red pepper with parmesan - really whatever you have a little bit of in the fridge can be added in.

The Verdict:

This frittata is one of our favorite dishes and when Mike heard I was making it this week his ears definitely perked up. It’s always nice to have a go-to vegetarian option up your sleeve, and even for meat-eaters the eggs and cheese offer enough protein to make this satisfying. I’ve made it for both brunch and dinner with equal crowd-pleasing success. Definitely add Potato Basil Frittata to your repertoire A.S.A.P.