Making Ina's Recipes at Home: How Easy is That?

[3pwood]

 

I bet you could substitute basil for the mint

 

Whenever I grow basil, even just one plant overwhelms me, so I've often used it in place of mint & whatever else I don't have (thyme, tarragon, parsley) & every recipe has always been fine.  Maybe this is the year I'll try the watermelon/feta combo that everyone raves about, but with basil.  

[annzeepark914]

@ 3pwood: - Here's that wonderful salad's recipe.  Most times I don't bother with the shallots - it doesn't need them.  That vinaigrette is so delicious I could drink it!  I bet it would be great with slivered basil leaves.

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/arugula-watermelon-and-feta-salad-recipe.html

Edited May 28, 2014 by annzeepark914

[3pwood]

Thanks very much, annzeepark914 -- saves me trying to find the recipe on the impossible FN site.  That dressing does sound excellent, & that's usually at least half the battle with salads.  I'm looking forward to trying this. 

[Lisin]

BTW You all are more than welcome to link to recipes here (I feel like another board told me on other sites you weren't allowed to) as long as it is a legal site you're good to go. 

[Bastet]

This is the recipe I make, with the citrus vinaigrette. 

 

I include mint in the salad, because I love it and always have a ton of it growing, but I imagine it would be good with basil, too.  I do think an herb is an important component to offset the arugula.

 

The only other one I can think of from Ina is this one, that uses parmesan instead of feta and a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

[LuciaMia]

I love her plum 'tatin'.   It's more of an upside down cake than the classic tatin, but it's easy and lucious.  The original recipe used the little italian plums. But you can sub any fruits you like and along with the season. Peaches, nectarines, apples, blueberries, even cranberries.  Just don't try fresh strawberries. The first time I tried them, I forgot how much liquid they have. When I pulled the pan out of the oven it was literally a-wash!

[vera charles]

I am looking for something to grill tomorrow for some visiting relatives. I was just looking at Ina's Grilled Tuscan Chicken, which coincidentally is going to be shown tomorrow on FN. They are airing her Best Barefoot Grilling episode tomorrow. Has anyone made the chicken before? How long did you marinate it? The recipe says from 4 hours to overnight, which is a substantial difference. I was thinking about putting it in the marinade in the refrigerator in the morning before we go out for the day, then grilling it at dinnertime. Would all day be long enough, or should I start the marinating tonight? Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Lisin]

I've never made this but I'd say if you did it in the morning and cooked it at dinner 8+ hours later that would be plenty of time for a marinade. 

[3pwood]

I'm thinking of making a small batch of lime curd & one of lemon curd for Father's Day.  My dad loves citrus & we have free/cheap fruit available here in Calif.  I see a Barefoot Contessa recipe for each & am reading the comments now.  Has anyone made either of these?  I always wonder whether I could successfully substitute my large eggs for her extra large -- any tips about that, or any other aspect of these recipes? 

[Lisin]

I've never made her curds but I've made curds before. They're not as hard as you think. Just don't walk away from them while they're cooking. I think large eggs will sub out pretty well. She's the only person I ever see use extra large eggs in recipes anyway, most are large in my experience. As long as you're not talking about teeny eggs from like a banty or some other home owned chicken you should be fine. 

[dubbel zout]

I've made the lemon yogurt cake a few times, and the level of lemon doesn't bother me, but I can't seem to get the texture right. It's always a little...bouncy. Tight. I don't know how to explain it.

 

 

You might be overbeating the batter, which develops the gluten in the flour and can make the finished product on the rubbery side.

[wallybear]

I'm thinking of making a small batch of lime curd & one of lemon curd for Father's Day.  My dad loves citrus & we have free/cheap fruit available here in Calif.  I see a Barefoot Contessa recipe for each & am reading the comments now.  Has anyone made either of these?  I always wonder whether I could successfully substitute my large eggs for her extra large -- any tips about that, or any other aspect of these recipes? 

 

How many extra-large eggs does the recipe call for- I would add 1 extra egg (large size) for every 4 extra-large called for in the recipe. I only use extra-large or jumbo eggs. If the recipe only calls for 2 eggs, I think you'll be okay with 2 large, but after that, you'll need to add a bit IMO. Good luck!

 

I am waiting to see some plums turn up here in Jersey. Ina's plum tart is wonderful, & so so SO easy. Can't wait to be able to make it.

Edited June 2, 2014 by wallybear

[3pwood]

Thanks, Lisin & wallybear -- I only use large eggs & am never sure about how to handle recipes that call for extra large.  Both of these curd recipes say 4 extra large, & I see several people commenting on the FN site had good results with 5 large eggs, so wallybear's formula worked for them.  The recipes do sound easy & good, I will try one or both if I have time before Father's Day.  

[Carrie Ann]

You might be overbeating the batter, which develops the gluten in the flour and can make the finished product on the rubbery side.

I have definitely done that before, but that wasn't quite the texture I'm talking about here, which is why I found it puzzling. But it could still be the case, and overbeating plus the yogurt or something adds up to the weird bounciness.

[BooksRule]

Reading this thread is making me hungry, and I just had dinner!

 

I had never even considered roasting veggies until I saw Ina do it (I had always steamed them) and now that's how I fix them most of the time.  I love Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus roasted with just a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt.

 

I've made her Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake and it was delicious!  I used a deep dish pie pan because I couldn't find my tart pan and it came out fine.  It is best eaten warm (or zap the leftovers in the microwave) and you almost have to top with some whipped cream (vanilla ice cream would work, too) because it is really tart (but I like it that way).  I still have cranberries in the freezer from Christmastime--I might make one again soon.

 

I forgot to ask:  has anyone here ever made her coconut cupcakes?  They looked really good on the old episode I saw it on and I have the recipe, I've just never baked them (I think they were coconut cupcakes, with either vanilla or coconut frosting and fresh coconut--lots of it--heaped on top).

Edited June 6, 2014 by BooksRule

[Carrie Ann]

I made the coconut cupcakes, years ago, and they were delish.

[maggiemae]

I never bother looking for a recipe on FN. Instead I google- ie Ina gartens orzo shrimp feta salad - and voila! There it is!

[BooksRule]

Thanks, Carrie Ann, I'll have to give the cupcakes a try soon!

 

I don't like FN's site.  I find it clunky.  I'm like you, maggiemae, I just google. I do it for America's Test Kitchen's recipes as well.   (BTW:  I have a cat named Maggie May.  Very spoiled rotten, along with her sister Alice Faye.  I hope you don't mind me mentioning this!)

 

I love lemony recipes, and I have a copy of Ina's lemon pound cake (and her orange pound cake version).  When the weather gets hot, I want to fix desserts with a citrus taste.  I wonder if those are any different than the usual lemon loaf cake.  I have several recipes for that type of cake, and don't want to try still another one if it isn't really different from the usual (I guess I should compare ingredients and see if I can tell).

[novhappy]

Inspired by this board I made the watermelon, feta and mint salad. So refreshing- absolutely now a go-to for summer.  The funny thing is, also inspired by this board, I cut the recipes in half and it was perfect amount so THANKS everyone!  My contribution to favorite recipes is the peanut butter frosting in her barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.  Over chocolate cupcakes (or plain from a spoon!) , this can drive a grown peanut butter lover to tears of joy!

[annzeepark914]

@novhappy: glad you liked the watermelon, feta and mint salad.  I eat it year round but it's especially great on hot summer days.  And chocolate cupcakes with Ina's peanut butter frosting are truly wonderful. The frosting gets so light and fluffy.  I cheated when I made them a few months ago - used a Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix to quickly make the cupcakes (but then I invested my time in making Ina's frosting - divine!)  Some day I need to make those famous coconut cupcakes with the creamcheese frosting.

[annzeepark914]

Skillet Brownies?  I love Ina but IMO she's getting desperate here (to create/introduce a new type of dessert).  Each guest gets his/her own 5" skillet with a brownie/molten chocolate cake that was baked in it. I know I'd have to wait 3 hours after a good (Ina :>) dinner before I might have room for this lollapalooza!

 

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/blog.aspx

[larapu2000]

Ha ha, I saw that, too.  Not to mention the expense alone of buying 5" iron skillets for that kind of nonsense!  I would think 1-2, depending on the size of crowd, and it would be a great dessert to share!

[Bastet]

Eating a late-night, simple dinner reminds me ...

 

I roast chicken just about as often as Ina does, and I always make chicken salad sandwiches from the leftover breast meat.  I change up the formula based on what I have on hand at the time, but I concur with her that the best chicken salad must contain tarragon. 

Edited June 28, 2014 by Bastet

[farmgal4]

Thanks, Carrie Ann, I'll have to give the cupcakes a try soon!

 

I don't like FN's site.  I find it clunky.  I'm like you, maggiemae, I just google. I do it for America's Test Kitchen's recipes as well.   (BTW:  I have a cat named Maggie May.  Very spoiled rotten, along with her sister Alice Faye.  I hope you don't mind me mentioning this!)

 

I love lemony recipes, and I have a copy of Ina's lemon pound cake (and her orange pound cake version).  When the weather gets hot, I want to fix desserts with a citrus taste.  I wonder if those are any different than the usual lemon loaf cake.  I have several recipes for that type of cake, and don't want to try still another one if it isn't really different from the usual (I guess I should compare ingredients and see if I can tell).

Have you ever had orange juice cake (it's a bundt cake)? It's very moist and delicious.

[BooksRule]

farmgal4, is the orange bundt cake one of Ina's recipes?  I did see one for an orange chocolate bundt cake, but I'm not sure if that is the one you mean.  While searching, I did see some good recipes for bundt cakes with fresh orange juice in them.  Yum!  They all (including Ina's) sound good.

[farmgal4]

farmgal4, is the orange bundt cake one of Ina's recipes?  I did see one for an orange chocolate bundt cake, but I'm not sure if that is the one you mean.  While searching, I did see some good recipes for bundt cakes with fresh orange juice in them.  Yum!  They all (including Ina's) sound good.

No, she's never made it as far as I know. It's very popular where I live (a small town in KY) and it is one of my favorite cakes.

[3pwood]

Reporting back that I did make the lemon curd & love it.  Swayed by the comments on the FN site, I used only 1 cup of sugar, which was plenty -- might use even a bit less next time because I've got Meyer lemons & they're not quite as tart as other varieties.  As recommended here, I subbed 5 large eggs for the 4 extra large used in the recipe & that was fine.  Hardest part was stirring constantly for about twice as long as the 20 minutes instructed by the recipe -- next time, I may increase the heat part way through & see if that speeds things up without scorching.  All in all, very satisfying outcome, so I'm grateful for the encouragement here & glad I took advantage of it.

[Lura]

All this discussion of fantastic-sounding desserts reminds me of my dad's favorite cake, which either my mother or I would always bake for his birthday.  It was called Lemon Snow Cake.  It had two layers of white cake with lemon curd in between. Then, it was "frosted" all over with lemon curd, and, finally, the cake was covered with coconut.  The top only had about an inch of coconut around the rim so that the lemon curd showed in a bright yellow circle.  It was beautiful and heavenly!  I'm not particularly a fan of white cake, but with this one, the lemon curd makes it taste wonderful.

[LuckyBitch]

@Lura, that Lemon Snow Cake sounds delicious! You had me at coconut.

[Bastet]

And it sounded good to me right up until the coconut, which I don't like, but both my parents like it so I've filed the idea away for a future birthday cake. 

[chessiegal]

Bastet, I am so with you on coconut. I have a picture in an old album of me standing behind a birthday cake when I was 2, that my sweet aunt made for me that was in the shape of a lamb covered with coconut. I wonder to this day if my aversion to coconut started with that cake.

[larapu2000]

Uh, MY aunt made me a coconut cake in the shape of a lamb.  SEVERAL, in fact!  Actually, I think that was one thing that kept me liking coconut, because I don't care for it in candy at all, but I LOVE coconut cake.  And coconut drinks.  And coconut based sauces and soups.  LOL

[BooksRule]

Now that it has been mentioned, I vaguely remember at least one or two Easters where we had a cake shaped either like a lamb or a bunny.  I can't really remember for sure (although thinking of a 'lamb cake' makes me think--weirdly, I know--of the 'Spam lamb' that Radar made on M*A*S*H!).  The Lemon Snow cake (and the orange juice cake) from posts above sound really good.  I have a recipe (I think it's from an issue of Southern Living magazine) that I'm determined to make one day.  You would really have to love lemon to like it, though.  It's a lemon layer cake with lemon filling (like a curd, I guess), frosted with lemon buttercream frosting.  The photo looks delish.  I also have a variation that has a raspberry filling between the cake layers and the buttercream on top (with fresh raspberries for garnish).  I would have to get really motivated, though.  I tend to stick with cakes that are of the loaf, pound or sheet variety (although I used to make layer cakes all the time).

[Bastet]

Has anyone made Ina's buttermilk ranch dressing recipe?  I really only use ranch dressing as a dip for onion rings, which I don't make very often because they're a pain, so I keep in the pantry a couple of those Hidden Valley packets that you combine with mayo and milk.  But I have Ina on in the background while I paint my new patio doors and she's making ranch dressing, so I'm reminded that I really ought to make the real thing.  She used mustard, which I loathe -- if it's an important component, I'll use half of what she called for and see how it comes out.  Otherwise, I'm skipping it.

[annzeepark914]

Just looked at her recipe and not only does it have mustard, it also has yogurt (that's the turn off for me).  I was going to post my recipe for ranch dressing but noted it too has Dijon mustard in it.  I'd look for a recipe online (there are lots) that doesn't have mustard. I used to make one I found at foodtv.com that called for a scallion, garlic clove, mayo and buttermilk + S&P to taste, all made in a food processor.

[larapu2000]

I would say to skip the mustard and see how it tastes.  You might need to add a dash of vinegar because of the acidity mustard brings.

Edited July 3, 2014 by larapu2000

[CalicoskiesNC]

I made the peanut butter frosting for a chocolate sheet cake today. That frosting is incredible. Extremely delicious.

[Stinger97]

I'm making Ina's potato salad this afternoon for a small July 4th gathering i've organized! It's my first Ina recipe in forever, so I'm oddly excited. You'd think she was stopping over for dinner. 

[annzeepark914]

Another success grilling Ina's Herb Marinated Loin of Pork. I love using my fresh lemon thyme (also have lime thyme this year that I also tossed into the marinade).  In bad weather I've made it in the oven but it's so much better grilled outdoors :>)  I was just looking through the cookbook where this recipe is and noticed French Bistro Steaks w/ Provencal Butter.  Has anyone made this?  I need to make this, along with some French fries (she says her recipe for Matchstick Potatoes is in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook). 

[monkeybread]

This post was moved to episode discussion thread, thanks Bastet. 

Edited July 10, 2014 by monkeybread

[Bastet]

Monkeybread, you can put it in the episode discussion thread.

[Daisychain]

annzeepark914, do you have any advice about how you grilled the herb-marinated pork loin?  Did you use charcoal or gas, how hot, etc?  Many thanks.

[annzeepark914]

@Daisychain:  I use a gas grill, turn it up to high so it heats up fast. Then when I'm ready to put the pork tenderloin on I turn it down just a little. Ina says to sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt & pepper just before placing on the grill.  I don't (knowing Ina's love of OTT salt!).  I put a little S&P in the marinade & that's it. Some times I sprinkle in a little Penzey's Trinidad seasoning & a few dried red pepper flakes.  I've never grilled 3 tenderloins, usually just one is enough for Mr. P914 & me.  Since I'm not keen on fresh rosemary (I find it strong), I use mainly fresh thyme (I love lemon thyme) and some times add a little dried rosemary.  Since you need to turn it a few times, you're keeping an eye on the pork as it grills (at a certain point I remove it from the grill & cut into the thickest part to check the color inside).  I'm no expert at the grill so it's taken me a number of times to get the feel of how long to grill (and to adjust the seasonings to our taste). It's delicious!

[chessiegal]

I'd recommend getting a food thermometer, and cooking it to 145 degrees F, recommended time for pork.

[BooksRule]

CalicoskiesNC, thanks for reminding me about the peanut butter frosting.  I've been wanting to bake something to take to work, and I've found that some sort of sheet cake or cookie bar/brownie recipe 'travels' the best and is better for making available to the staff.  I may just make a chocolate sheet cake and frost it with the PB recipe. 

 

I also like chocolate and cherry flavors together.  Does anyone know of a good BC recipe that uses that combination?  I have a 'decadent chocolate cherry mousse brownie' recipe that I like to make, but it's not a quick bake, since each layer has to chill before you put the next one on.  I can't remember where I got it from, but I don't think it's one of Ina's. It's tasty, though, and makes a very pretty brownie when you serve it.

Edited July 9, 2014 by BooksRule

[Lisin]

Not a BC recipe, but it seriously is the best chocolate sheet cake recipe ever, and it's from the Pioneer Woman, I mean in reality it's just an old southern recipe called Texas Sheet Cake, but regardless, it's flawless. I use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder when I make it rather than regular and I bet it would be amazing with the BC's peanut butter icing. Just ignore the icing in the recipe and sub the PB recipe. 

[annzeepark914]

This looks good but I don't have a sheet pan (only a rimmed cookie sheet) and don't want to buy one.  So, can the recipe be halved and then what size would be right for half the batter?  I've made Ina's PB frosting and it's like mousse - quite lovely and delicious.

[Lisin]

A sheet pan is basically a rimmed cookie sheet... I've made this cake in a ton of different shapes from cupcakes to 8 inch cake pans to ramekins for first birthdays. It's pretty fool proof. I've even made it in those aluminum cake pans from the grocery store. Just a bit longer baking time, you could even just bake it in a 9x13 cake pan or casserole dish, you'd probably have to bake it a bit longer because of the thickness but really I think it would work.

[chessiegal]

I was talking to someone at a potluck who brought Texas sheet cake. She said the first time she made it, she was new to cooking and baking, so when it called for cocoa powder, she put in Nestlé's hot cocoa mix (didn't know that's not the same as cocoa powder). She really liked the cake, so has been making it that way ever since.

[dubbel zout]

when it called for cocoa powder, she put in Nestlé's hot cocoa mix (didn't know that's not the same as cocoa powder)

 

I bet that happens a lot!