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

[MelsW]

I saw rave reviews from a food blog I like about Ina's Roasted Eggplant Spread. Lo and behold, there are two recipes that are very similar. One contains tahini and lemon juice while the other one doesn't. Has anyone tried both of them (or either)? One of them will be making its way to my NYE appetizer spread but I'm not sure which one:

 

With tahini:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-eggplant-spread-recipe2.html

 

Without:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-eggplant-spread-recipe.html

 

 

 

 

[MelsW]

Following up on my previous post, I made the roasted eggplant spread without the tahini. It was good, some people raved about it, but I didn't think it was that swoon-worthy. I make other eggplant spread/dips that are better. Now I am curious if the tahini version would have been better. I'll have to make that another day to compare.

[vera charles]

The tahini version of the eggplant spread also has cayenne pepper and lemon juice in it. I would imagine it would taste noticeably different from the other version.

[Lura]

For my NY Eve appetizer party, I decided to try making little tiny cream puffs, big enough only for a bite.  I didn't use Ina's recipe because I love my mom's recipe, but you could make them following Ina's directions.  My mom's recipe uses vanilla pastry cream inside them instead of ice cream.  I really didn't expect these to work, but I made the dough, made little dots on a half sheet tray and stuck them into the oven.  Lo and behold, they came out fine, which surprised me.  When I tried one, I was just as surprised that they tasted good, so I made a second batch and served them all.  I assembled them, all except the chocolate topping and refrigerated them, then added the topping (more the consistency of frosting) just before serving.  The only drawback was that they took a lot of extra work, making them so small, but they turned out to be a big hit.  Just thought I'd mention them as an idea you might like to try sometime.

[annzeepark914]

For a small dinner party Sunday evening, I made two of Ina's recipes:  Parmesan Chicken and Apple/Pear Crisp.  Both were delicious.  However, I've made a note about the vinaigrette that goes on the greens that you plop on the chicken: blech!  It had been awhile since I'd made this dish and I forgot how OTT tart that dressing is.  So I had to quickly whip up a different lemon vinaigrette.  One thing I did with the chicken was earlier in the day I prepared it for sauteing, placed on wax paper-lined cookie sheet, covered with wax paper and then foil, & placed in the refrigerator until a half hour before cooking.  I mentally patted myself on the back thinking of how I was following Ina's rule for "make ahead" meals :>)

[Lura]

I made Ina's Lemon Chicken the other night.  We're so fond of her Chicken Picatta that I assumed we would also love her lemon chicken, but it turned out to be too lemony for my DH.  It was almost too lemony for me, too, and we're both lemon lovers.  IMHO, Ina has pushed the envelope too far on this dish.  The lemon overtakes the taste of the chicken.  The chicken itself tastes more like poached or boiled chicken, not my favorite way of eating it unless it's to be used for chicken salad or some other dish that calls for boiled chicken.  I wouldn't recommend cutting down on the lemon because the chicken seemed so lacking in good flavor, despite the use of two herbs, that I don't feel it's worth another try.  For us, this dish really missed the mark.

[annzeepark914]

• Hah!  I came here to post something about my dinner last night & saw two posts up a familiar description.  I had extra uncooked Parmesan Chicken breasts, from that January dinner, that I'd frozen.  I thawed them overnight, cooked them and they were wonderful. And I used my own lemon vinaigrette once again to dress the greens. I should write to Ina to tell her about this "make ahead" meal (of course, I won't tell her that her dressing is so OTT tart that I have to substitute my own ;>)  

[peacheslatour]

Have any of you ever made Ina's Oven Pancakes?  I'm watching a show from 2010 ('Cooking with friends') and she made a basic pancake batter and added some orange zest.  Then, she poured the batter into individual buttered gratin dishes and baked the pancakes.  They puffed up when done and she just served them with some sliced strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  They looked delicious and probably tasted really good, but I always like getting reviews from everyone here.

I have.  I just used a regular Pyrex pie plate.  We have this for dinner in the summer and it could not be easier or more refreshing .

[BooksRule]

Thanks, peacheslatour (love your name!).  I might try the pancakes the next time I want something different for Sunday breakfast/brunch.

[peacheslatour]

Thanks, peacheslatour (love your name!).  I might try the pancakes the next time I want something different for Sunday breakfast/brunch.

Thanks, did you know it's from Arsenic and Old Lace? :)

[3pwood]

I might try the pancakes the next time I want something different for Sunday breakfast/brunch.

 

Today is Shrove Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras), when it's traditional to eat pancakes.

[BooksRule]

Thanks, did you know it's from Arsenic and Old Lace? :)

 

Aha! That's where I heard it before.  I couldn't place it and that movie is one of my favs.  I can still hear the cop (Dennis Morgan, right?) saying the name.  (I might have to drag out my DVD and watch it again.)

[chessiegal]

I grew up on the edge of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and I remember Fashnacht Day - it was traditional to eat donuts on the day before Ash Wednesday.

 

Ina posted a recipe on FB today for baked chicken breasts with - wait for it - LEMON!. I love chicken and lemon.  I think I'll give it a try.

[3pwood]

I can still hear the cop (Dennis Morgan, right?)...

 

Officer O'Hara was played by Jack Carson.  The whole cast was inspired.

[Bastet]

Jack Carson is in so many great films.

 

Last night I was still hungry after dinner and wanted something to nosh on, so I made up a small batch of the rosemary roasted cashews.  I think I could eat those daily.

[peacheslatour]

Aha! That's where I heard it before.  I couldn't place it and that movie is one of my favs.  I can still hear the cop (Dennis Morgan, right?) saying the name.  (I might have to drag out my DVD and watch it again

We watch it every Halloween.  It is still one off the funniest movies around, Cary Grant is to die.  And did they really used to hand out carved jack-o-lanterns and whole pies to trick-or-treaters?  Mind blown.

[BooksRule]

'There is a happy land, far far away' (now I have that tune stuck in my head.)  Great movie. Yeah, I always thought handing out pies and jack o' lanterns was a very odd thing to do.

 

'I'm the son of a sea cook!'

 

'Insanity runs in my family.  It practically gallops!'

 

'This is turning into a very bad habit!'

Edited February 21, 2015 by BooksRule

[vera charles]

We are having a snowy day here, so I have Ina's beef bourguignon in the oven. The smell is making me hungry!

[annzeepark914]

We are having a snowy day here, so I have Ina's beef bourguignon in the oven. The smell is making me hungry!

We too are having a snowy day so I made Ina's tomato soup and grilled cheese croutons.  The "croutons" are always great but I have to admit that I need to find another tomato soup recipe.  Ina's is so bland that I'm always tossing in all kinds of seasonings.  Not exactly sure what I'm looking for but I need tomato soup to have a bit more "something" if you know what I mean.

[chessiegal]

annezee - is it this tomato soup recipe?

 

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=596&S=0

 

I made it for a lunch meeting that included two culinary professionals who loved it, along with all the rest of us. I thought perhaps the amount of basil was too much, but it wasn't. Between the roasted tomatoes and basil it was quite tasty.

Edited February 22, 2015 by chessiegal

[annzeepark914]

@chessiegal: No...it's the one that she made along with the grilled cheese "croutons".  This one looks interesting and I bet has much more flavor. Thanks!  Hey - it's 43 degrees outside...gotta run and do my errands before the temp drops again to Arctic conditions :>)

Edited February 22, 2015 by annzeepark914

[vera charles]

My beef bourguignon was a huge success and there are plenty of leftovers for lunches during the week. I served it with egg noodles topped with butter and parsley, plus a side of green beans. Right now, I have bread pudding in the oven - not Ina's recipe but not too far off. Snow makes me hungry!

[Bastet]

No...it's the one that she made along with the grilled cheese "croutons".

 

Is that the one from the episode with the women who run a farm and were hosting a potluck for local farmers?  That soup looked rather boring; I remember thinking I'd probably wish I could get away with merely using it as a dipping sauce for the sandwich wedges if it was served to me.

[peacheslatour]

 

Snow makes me hungry!

Lol.  When I was a kid my mom would always bake a couple of loaves of home made bread on snow days.  The scent of fresh baked bread was so homey and warm.

[BooksRule]

We don't generally have snow days around here (it snows maybe an inch every decade or so--everything shuts down if we have flurries because nobody knows how to drive in it), but when the weather is cold and rainy I love to make some type of fruit bread (banana, lemon blueberry, orange cranberry, etc.).  Good with coffee (and a good book in the big overstuffed easy chair).

[peacheslatour]

We don't generally have snow days around here (it snows maybe an inch every decade or so--everything shuts down if we have flurries because nobody knows how to drive in it), but when the weather is cold and rainy I love to make some type of fruit bread (banana, lemon blueberry, orange cranberry, etc.).  Good with coffee (and a good book in the big overstuffed easy chair).

Same here (Seattle) people don't know how to drive in the snow and half the drivers around here act like they've never seen rain either (ironic, I know).  I love making Ina's chive biscuits and some of her roasted fall veggies.

For myself it's our overstuffed sofa, old movies and my two feline overlords.

[BooksRule]

For myself it's our overstuffed sofa, old movies and my two feline overlords.

 

Oh, yeah, I forgot about my two furbabies.  When I settle down to read, it's time for 'let's see how many times we can run back and forth over the food lady's stomach before she yells at us'. 

[peacheslatour]

Mine just like to curl up right on the book and give me the "why aren't you petting us?" glare.  So i just watch old movies. *sigh*

Edited February 23, 2015 by peacheslatour

[Bastet]

Any feedback on the lemon mousse she made in the supremely silly episode about "surprising" her friends with food upon their return from vacation (that I recently watched during my much-needed Day Off To Do Absolutely Nothing)?  I'm not much of a dessert person, so really only make it for dinner parties, and am thus always looking for something simple but tasty - and preferably able to be made ahead of time - for such occasions.  This one looked like it might fit the bill so I'm curious as to the experiences of those who've made it.  Nothing can be too lemon-y for me, but I know that's a common criticism of Ina's lemon-based dishes, so since I'd be serving this to varied palates I am particularly interested in feedback on that front.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Bastet

[mwell345]

I didn't make this but my friend did. She said it was time consuming, but she and her husband were still raving about it 2 weeks after they had it.

 

Croque Monsieur

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/croque-monsieur-recipe.html.

 

To my knowledge, she followed the recipe exactly.

[annzeepark914]

Did anyone make Giada's lemon mac & cheese?  I've made something on my own over the years that's similar to this (egg noodles, butter, parmigiano-reggiano, pieces of crispy bacon and then a squirt of fresh lemon juice)...it was my version of something my mom used to make us (Goodman's skinny noodles, butter, and bacon crumbled on top--my favorite childhood supper).  Giada's lemon mac & cheese looks very rich (with the mozzarella mixed in) so I'd be interested in what people think of it.

[BooksRule]

Other than the Easy Apple and Cranberry Cake (which I've made once and it was yummy), do any of you know what other cranberry-themed recipes Ina has made?  I really need to use up some of the frozen cranberries I have, so I'm looking for some new ones (although I can always fall back on the usual 'cranberry and something-else' bread or muffins).  I did find a recipe for cranberry curd that really looks good (there are several versions, including one from Martha Stewart).  I balked at first, because I didn't know what to do with 2 cups (or more) of curd that doesn't keep for a long time.  Then, I saw a recipe for 'Cranberry Curd Bars' that are like lemon bars, only with cranberry.  I might try that this weekend (I have everything for it except for butter and I need more eggs).  I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

[BooksRule]

Stupid double post.

Edited March 10, 2015 by BooksRule

[MelsW]

I made Ina's Rosemary Cashews for a gathering this weekend. Credit where credit is due: Ina says these are the "bar nuts" served at Union Square Cafe, so not her recipe. Anyway, they were a HUGE hit. They are slightly sweet, spicy (cayenne) and herby. They disappeared fast and were simple to make.

[Bastet]

Those are great; I've never had anyone fail to rave over them.  I use a little less sugar than the recipe calls for.

[Bastet]

I've never used any other herb in this specific recipe, but I've roasted nuts with thyme, sage, and/oregano, and usually with cayenne or similar as I like the spicy.  So one of those would probably work here.

 

I go to the FN site, but directly to the recipe via Google (I use "Barefoot Contessa" and as much as I know of the recipe title or main ingredients as my search term) rather than using FN's search engine.

[MelsW]

I use "Barefoot Contessa" and as much as I know of the recipe title or main ingredients as my search term rather than using FN's search engine.

 

I do this too, mainly because FN's website is THE WORST. I try to avoid it at all costs and usually I can find BC recipes posted elsewhere.

 

I'd love to know what herb you tried, stewedsquash. How did the cashews come out?

[chessiegal]

When I'm looking for a particular recipe I use Google, typing in the name of chef/cook and recipe name as best I can remember. It may lead me to FN's site, but I've found using their search engine is the worst way to find something. Last night I was looking for a Bobby Flay fish taco recipe - I had printed and saved the ingredients, but not the grilling instructions, which I remembered as being helpful, so Google was my friend (of course, he has about 5 fish taco versions, so that took some looking).

[3pwood]

I recently watched the "Easy As Pie" episode (from last year I think) & was surprised to see that the pie crust recipe calls for 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (i.e., Crisco) in addition to 3/4 cup butter.   When I was a child in the 1950s, my mother (& everyone else) used Crisco for everything (except Scottish shortbread) -- by the time I started baking, "natural" ingredients were de rigueur & butter was the only way to go, so I've never used Crisco for anything except a couple of cookie recipes where butter caused them to spread too much.  I'm quite happy with my favorite pie crust recipe, which uses all butter (& a little vinegar) -- but now I'm wondering if it might be even better with some Crisco?  If anyone here has an opinion about this, I'd love to hear it.

 

PS:  Michael the florist was featured in the pie episode & I realized once again how much I enjoy seeing him.  He reminds me of my favorite in-law, who's also talented, smart, funny, & charming -- always a pleasure to have him around.

  

[Quof]

I was taught to make pie crust with lard.  All lard.

[ShoePrincess]

My first post here. I love making Ina's recipes. They almost always turn out to be delicious. The ones that don't are usually my fault.

 

Last night I made Ina's sole meuniere (actually, it was Flounder Meuniere since that's what I had on hand) and roasted butternut squash salad. The fish is something I've been making forever, so I didn't really need a recipe. That salad is fantastic. Definitely a keeper. I think it would be great with roast pork.

 

Mr. ShoePrincess and I are much like Ina and Jeffrey. If it's Friday, there will be chicken. Roasted tonight. Leftovers will evolve into chicken and dumplings for Sunday dinner.

[Giselle]

My mama taught me to be able to use anything to make a dough. to be creative and adapt when it came to cooking. She  said "You never know when the sweet tooth will strike." So I learned to use lard, suet, butter, Crisco,and oil. You may have your favorites but it's nice to be able to make do

 

It comes in handy when  at someone's house and can't  make a grocery run, A friend had peaches and wanted pie but didn't bake. I made an oil crust and we had  pie that night. I made beef hand pies and apple hand pies once because somebody forgot to bring  the plates.

 

Using both butter and Crisco in a recipe might have to do with the different temps they melt at, or the texture the combination gives.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Giselle

[MelsW]

I recently watched the "Easy As Pie" episode (from last year I think) & was surprised to see that the pie crust recipe calls for 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (i.e., Crisco) in addition to 3/4 cup butter.   When I was a child in the 1950s, my mother (& everyone else) used Crisco for everything (except Scottish shortbread) -- by the time I started baking, "natural" ingredients were de rigueur & butter was the only way to go, so I've never used Crisco for anything except a couple of cookie recipes where butter caused them to spread too much.  I'm quite happy with my favorite pie crust recipe, which uses all butter (& a little vinegar) -- but now I'm wondering if it might be even better with some Crisco?  If anyone here has an opinion about this, I'd love to hear it.

 

 

I have tinkered with different recipes and different fats in pie crust. What i find is that shortening adds zero in the flavor department but is super flaky. Butter adds the flavor but isn't as flaky as shortening. I usually use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening (I make myself feel better by using Spectrum Organic Shortening vs. Crisco) so I get the good flavor from butter and superior texture from shortening.

Edited April 10, 2015 by MelsW

[larapu2000]

My great grandma, who could do no wrong in the kitchen, used half butter and half Crisco. People still talk about her pies. (Part of that is the filling, though).

[3pwood]

I have tinkered with different recipes and different fats in pie crust. What i find is that shortening adds zero in the flavor department but is super flaky. Butter adds the flavor but isn't as flaky as shortening. I usually use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening (I make myself feel better by using Spectrum Organic Shortening vs. Crisco) so I get the good flavor from butter and superior texture from shortening.

 

That makes sense, MelsW -- I'll give it a try & see if I like it better than all butter.  Maybe it will be sturdier -- I saw Sara Moulton making pie crust the other day & she said that the traditional high fluted edge tends to collapse when the pastry is made with all butter, which often happens for me.

 

You're lucky, Giselle -- my own mama was a good cook but too timid to deviate from recipes.  Lately, I've discovered two excellent pastries for savory tarts, one made with oil & the other made with yogurt -- I don't see why they couldn't be adapted for sweet pies & I plan to experiment soon.

 

Quof, my husband's grandma always said that lard was the best -- but after they moved into town from the farm, it wasn't easy to find so she resorted to Crisco.  I see lard for sale in Mexican markets but I don't eat meat so I can't use it.

 

Thanks for the input, everyone.  Strawberries are on sale for $1/lb this weekend so it's a good time to play with pie crust.    

[vera charles]

I use half butter and half Crisco - butter for the flavor, Crisco for the texture. My mom always used all Crisco but I think there is a noticeable difference in flavor from the butter. I have made all butter when I didn't have any Crisco in the house. It tastes great but the dough was very soft and difficult to work with.

[chessiegal]

Ina posted this recipe on her FB page this week - Roasted Shrimp with Feta

 

http://barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=702&S=0

 

I'm looking for a new shrimp recipe. This sounds good, but I've never tried cooked fennel and am wondering if I don't like it will it ruin the dish for me.

 

 

[Lura]

I made a chocolate cake and frosted it with a chocolate mousse-type frosting that turned out to be a disaster.  Thank goodness, I wasn't serving it to guests!  The frosting tasted wonderful, but it seeped into the cake and disappeared.  The cake that had absorbed it was utterly delicious, but of course, there was no frosting.  We ate it twice, and then I had to throw it out.

 

Does anyone know of a mousse-type frosting that is light as air (just like a mousse is)?  I've eaten this frosting on wedding cakes, so I know it works.  If you could look at the frosting with a microscope, you'd see tiny pockets of air running through it, yet it's strong enough to hold up as a cake filling between layers.  Since the cake is a dark, rich chocolate, I wanted a light, milk chocolate frosting.  Since I'm hesitant to try another recipe from the internet, I thought maybe someone had a tried and true recipe for the frosting.  If so, I would love to have it.  Thanks, contessas. 

[jcbrown]

Cooked fennel gets very sweet and mellow, chessiegal. It is much milder cooked than it is raw. I often put it in with potatoes in a potato gratin. I think it would complement the shrimp nicely but its flavor is not dominant so I would think you could eat around it if you end up not liking it.

[wallybear]

I would like to make Ina's beef bourguignon for family dinner party. She has 2 recipes;  uses chuck roast, & 1 uses filet of beef. I was wondering if anyone has made it, which version they've made, & there review. Thanks!