Past Episodes: Chicken 100 Ways, Jeffrey, and Hampton Elite

[wallybear]

Yes, Ina made her own gravy on the episode that she made the meatballs & spaghetti for Steven, along with the ice cream sodas for dessert. When Ina uses jarred gravy, she only uses Rao's. I am known for my extreme hatred of jarred gravy, but because of Ina & a sale at Stop & Shop about 2 years ago, I bought a jar. It is absolutely the best there is, but it is very expensive. It bothers me that Ina uses a jar on her show- I don't care what she does when the cameras are off, but IMO, a cooking show should actually COOK everything. This is why I hate Aunt Sandy, Pioneer Woman, etc. A few weeks ago I saw Giada use a box of brownie mix, & Raffi tore her a new one over it. It was a thing of beauty.

[Bastet]

It bothers me that Ina uses a jar on her show- I don't care what she does when the cameras are off, but IMO, a cooking show should actually COOK everything.

 

I feel the same way.  While I mostly cook with fresh ingredients, I certainly use prepared ingredients or even pre-packaged meals from time to time, as I suspect is true of most people.  But on a cooking show, I find it ridiculous.  Instructional shows should do just that - instruct - and I think the audience knows how to open a jar.

[chessiegal]

I respectfully disagree about seeing Ina use sauce in a jar. She's telling folks, okay, it's alright to use jarred sauce if it is a good, as Rao's is. Ina is all about easy entertaining, and since she has made homemade on her show, seeing her use jarred is, IMO, balance.

[Bastet]

For me, the key there is entertaining - she's ostensibly serving this food to guests.  I may use a jar of "good" pasta sauce for a routine meal alone or with family, but I'm not serving it to guests (or on a television show).  If Rachael Ray did the same thing in an episode, it wouldn't be as glaring, because it's more to the point -- her show is about easy weeknight cooking using mostly fresh ingredients with the occasional shortcut.  But Ina's show is about entertaining; other than the occasional chicken with Jeffrey episode, her recipes are presented as being a treat for guests.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Bastet

[Lura]

While I definitely would never turn up my nose at jarred sauce at someone else's house, I love cooking and have always made my own sauce if I'm having guests.  If I'm really pressed for time, I'll open a jar if it's just for the family.

 

If I'm 100% honest, I have to admit that there's a touch of pride in there, too.  If a guest asks whether I made the sauce, I want to be able to say yes.  I hope it also conveys to the guests that they're special, too.  Finally, I don't find many jarred sauces that taste as good as homemade, so in self defense, I'd rather eat my own.

[Stinger97]

I don't mind that she uses jarred once in awhile, but I also don't really understand why she'd do it. A delicious sauce is pretty simple to make, especially if you start it early enough in the day. 

[vera charles]

I don't really care what any TV cook does on their own time but I find it ridiculous and annoying when they use packaged products on their shows. The packages have directions written right on the side for a reason! Nobody needs a TV show to help them understand how to open jars of spaghetti sauce, prepare cake mix, whack open cans of biscuits or roll out refrigerated pie crust. 

 

FN is in the business of making money and I have always believed part of their mission was to convince people that actual cooking is too hard or too time consuming or just not worth the effort. Got to keep those sponsors happy and those HotPockets and Lunchables moving out of the stores!

[Lura]

Then they go to all that trouble of plastering fake labels on those cans and jars.  Heaven help them if viewers get a glance of the company who made the product, especially if it isn't an advertiser on the FN.  It's almost as ridiculous as having the host lift the can with the label side turned so that the camera doesn't accidentally reveal the brand name.

[Bastet]

That "greeking" is necessary if there is no product placement deal in place.

[Lura]

I know it's necessary from a legal standpoint, Bastet.  I just happen to think it's funny.  There was a rerun on the other day with Ina making her own barbeque sauce, which she explained is a combination of three barbecue sauces put together.  It must have had umpteen ingredients, and it was funny watching Ina using one after another and placing them back on the counter, labels facing her!  It brought home the realization that hosting a show involves a lot more than turning on a mixer!

Edited June 2, 2014 by Lura

[annzeepark914]

I made that two thousand ingredient BBQ sauce of Ina's and after all that work...it was good, tasted familiar, and wasn't worth all that effort (mostly keeping track of the 2,000 ingredients as I added each one, hoping not to forget any of them!).  If anyone has something similar with less ingredients I hope you'll share it :>)

[larapu2000]

Ooh, the show with the Goat Cheese Tart was on this week!  I love that recipe.  It's super rich, and way too much for a single girl (so I have to make it for others and then give away the luscious leftovers), but it's sooooooo gooooooooood.

[farmgal4]

Why did Ina say in her salmon tutorial that it had been something like 15 years since she sliced smoked salmon?  Did she forget about the television crew at her house when she did it on her show?  Several times?

She also sliced it on an episode when she was in a NYC deli and she asked the owner if she had sliced it thin enough to read a newspaper through.

[larapu2000]

The Ina-Giada episode was on today.  Has anyone tried making those gnocchi?  I love regular gnocchi, and these seem like a richer version of gnudi, but curious if it was any good.  Has anyone tried making the chocolate cassis cake?

[Lura]

To add to the salmon episodes, Ina also cured, sliced and served salmon for the college girls' breakfast.  She made yet another contradiction the other day, but I can't remember what it was.  At times like those, I wonder which tune Ina is dancing to.

[monkeybread]

 I saw her show where she puts spins on things, and in the beginning of the show she says she will visit a friend's shop for some tex-mex eggs. Now the eggs in question are actually Columbian. The lady who owns the shop was inspired by her Columbian employees to make this dish. Columbian is not tex-mex IMO. Perhaps I am being nit picky but there it is.

[larapu2000]

New episode this weekend!  And yay, home cheese making!  That breakfast with the butter/maple/almond topping for the fresh cheese and berries looked insanely good.  I think I might try that out.

[Diane]

Love the new episode this last weekend.  Really nothing new, except the dog biscuits. She looked like she had so much fun making this one.  It was a delight and she was very relaxed during the whole thing.

[annzeepark914]

Can't believe I missed it...a new BC episode.  Will there be more new episodes these next few Sunday mornings? (If so, I'm writing myself a huge post-it note and sticking it on the alarm clock!!)

Why was she making dog biscuits?  Ina doesn't have a dog.

[Diane]

Director Rob Marshall and his partner John DeLuca were visiting with their dog.  It was a fun episode, it was Cocktails and Cookies (Barefoot Contessa Cooking with Friends) They are rearing it on July 28th.  Sun, July 27 is Easy as Pie (Baking and blooms are on the menu as Ina shares the secrets of pie making with her friend Michael in exchange for some floristry magic. There are Raspberry Corn Muffins to welcome him to the barn, then Ina shows him how to make foolproof pie crust, a fabulous Fresh Blueberry Pie and a Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie. Then from flour to flowers, it's over to Michael's where he shows Ina the secrets of a showstopping table centerpiece.)

 

Sun, Aug 3rd is Bread and Butter (Ina's on a nonstop bread adventure with her friend Eli Zabar, the bread guru. For lunch there's Fennel and Garlic Shrimp, perfect to eat with his Country Bread, he's sharing the secret recipe, and Ina's using it in delicious Provencal Cherry Tomato Gratin. Then she's assembling a beautiful bread basket and in a meeting of their two passions, they're having a bread and butter tasting.)

 

There are more listed.

[chessiegal]

She was making them for friends who came over and brought their dog.

She really did seem relaxed - everyone seemed to have fun.

[Violet Penner]

I enjoyed the new episode as well - took me awhile to realize it was a new one on my DVR - I had assumed I taped a repeat.  

 

I wonder how Ina really feels about the dog running loose in her house, on the couch, etc.  While she did fuss over Gilly, she doesn't strike me as a pet person.

 

Yay for new episodes!

[larapu2000]

I watched an old episode from yesterday where she made eggplant caponata.  Has anyone else tried this recipe?  It looks great for a vegetarian appetizer for parties, but I waffle on eggplant (I like it grilled and in Eggplant Parm, but meh on other preparations).  Is it like a more Mediterranean Baba Ghannouj?

[annzeepark914]

I've never made Ina's caponata but I've had the Greek version (melitzanosalata) made by a cousin who lived in Greece for several years. It was out of this world delicious (I was making a pig of myself devouring it!).  Never got the recipe from that cousin (hmmm); all I know is it had tomato in it in some version.  I was reading the reviews at FN's site under Ina's recipe and almost everyone who made it loved it.  A few roasted their red peppers while roasting the eggplant--that caught my eye as I'm not keen on using the bottled roasted red peppers (not sure why; has anyone used them and liked them?)  It's not like baba ghanouj (that's very creamy, the eggplant disappears into it).  The texture reminded me of guacamole in a way, not chunky...a bit smoother than chunky.

Edited July 25, 2014 by annzeepark914

[anneofcleves]

Is this the right place to discuss new episodes?   If so, I'm proclaiming my total love for the pie episode.  I've been waiting for Ina to focus on pies, given her love of fruit desserts, and today she did it.  They looked utterly delicious, too.

 

And as a bonus we got a cornbread muffin filled with raspberry preserves.  My goodness, how amazing does that sound?  I'm definitely giving that one a try.

[LazyToaster]

The pie looked wonderful but I was really wanting one of those corn muffins. I enjoyed her friend and the flowers. I like how it really seems that Ina likes being with her friends.

[WhitneyWhit]

Hmmm, I promised I would make something for a bake sale, I think I'll make those muffins.

 

I was so happy to see Michael again, he's my favorite of Ina's friends.

[annzeepark914]

I loved seeing these two old friends having fun making pies and teaching us how to create that beautiful "hedge" centerpiece.  Michael is my favorite and it's always wonderful to see him.  He comes across TV so well...you feel as tho' you know him.  Fun to see him wearing another pink crewneck (he must have a bunch of them :>)  My favorite part of today's show was when Ina said "...and instead of wedding cake we have..." they both looked at each other and said, "PIES".  So funny!

[cam3150]

I did like this episode and Michael was too cute in how much he was paying attention to each step is Ina instructed him on how to make the crust. I need to try her crust recipe. I have thus far in llife had ZERO luck in finding a pie recipe that is no fail every time.  Maybe hers would be it for me.  I want to try the corn muffins too -- those looked delicious!

 

The hedge was beautiful but it did seem a waste in an episode where Ina was not hosting a party of some kind where it could actually be used.  Maybe she and Michael ate their pies outside with the hedge as their centerpiece!

[Daisychain]

I love Michael and I loved the pie episode, so much so that I baked my first pie, the blueberry.  I didn't add quite enough ice water to bind the dough -- I guess I'll have a better feel for that next time.  So things got messy but the pie got good reviews from the fam.  Michael and Ina have such good chemistry!  I also thought she needed to honor that centerpiece with a last minute dinner party!

[Diane]

I watched the breakfast bbq episode last night.  Not sure when it was rerun, I had it on my DVR.  Love the episode, but it is the one where she makes the runniest scrambled eggs in the history of man.  All the butter and goat cheese, yuck.  Like the rest of the episode though.

[annzeepark914]

I tried making pie crust once (20 years ago) and can still see myself picking up tiny pieces of dough on the counter, trying to "glue" it back into the circle...what a mess. Can't remember if I actually made the pie or threw out the effort.  Congrats to you Daisychain for making your first pie!  Maybe I'll get inspired to try it again after watching Michael's success at making his first pie crust.

 

Re: the centerpiece hedge...I don't know why Michael didn't make an abbreviated version - just to show us how it's done.  Maybe the production people got to take home individual segments so as not to waste such beautiful flowers.  I sure hope Ina's got a bunch more new episodes ready to air...I'm ready for more new shows.

[larapu2000]

I liked Michael and Ina's interaction, but holy Carb Day, Batman.  Corn muffins with raspberry jam for breakfast then 2 kinds of pies?  

 

Daisychain, was the blueberry pie filling pretty thickened, or was it a blueberry volcano?  I never seem to find blueberry pie recipes for filling that is fairly stiff without a lot of flour that gives it an off taste.

[Lura]

dcmjdc2, THANK YOU for mentioning that Ina and Eli will be baking bread this Sunday!  I might well have missed the episode,.  If I had to list my top five favorite things to make, bread would absolutely be near the top of the list.  I hope that Ina doesn't turn the episode into a "gigglefest" with Eli, but really gets down with some good facts about bread baking.

 

Has anyone made Ina's Country Cake (not sure that's the official title of it).  I'm talking about the strawberry-soaked bread the you leave in the fridge overnight and turn out, upside down, the next day.  I've seen a number of recipes for it besides Ina's.  I'm just curious about how easily it turns out.

[annzeepark914]

Oh...thanks for the reminder.  I definitely want to see how Eli makes his famous breads.  Re: a potential "gigglefest"...wasn't she ok when Eli and another friend were there to grill steaks a while back?  I think the other person (male) prepared some type of appetizer. All I remember is the grilled steaks...frighteningly charred on the outside but when they cut them open, they looked delicious.  I'd grill with charcoal if I weren't so lazy.

 

The only Country Cake I can think of is a white cake she makes and then covers it with strawberries and whipped cream.  It looks divine.

[vera charles]

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=76&S=0

 

Is the dessert in question Summer Pudding? That's the only thing I can think of that involves bread, strawberries, and overnight refrigeration.

[annzeepark914]

I enjoyed this morning's new episode, baking bread with Eli Zabar, & was watching closely as he prepared the dough (loved the stages of the dough).  Years ago I'd make French bread--it wasn't too bad except the crust would always be OTT hard.  I've never made any bread that required a biga, though, so this might be fun to try.

[Diane]

Love the new episode they looked like they really had a good time.  Very enjoyable to watch.

[larapu2000]

I think the other person (male) prepared some type of appetizer. All I remember is the grilled steaks...frighteningly charred on the outside but when they cut them open, they looked delicious.  I'd grill with charcoal if I weren't so lazy.

 

The other person made fried baby artichokes with some kind of greek yogurt dip.  I remember that more than the steaks, lol.

 

I enjoyed the episode, but why did we need the shrimp/fennel thing?  It took time away from making the bread, and, as someone that's never used a biga, I would have really liked there to be more time spent there!

 

I did find it interesting that there was no kneading with the dough.

[annzeepark914]

Thanks!  That guy was a caterer (but not famous so now I don't feel so bad for not remembering who he was ;>)

 

Aw geez...now I feel bad!  I never noticed that they didn't knead the dough.  I loathe kneading dough (and don't do much of it whenever I make bread).  But I didn't get a great look at the interior of the bread - does it have big holes like Tuscan bread?  I love that stuff (and you need a biga to make that as well).  If anyone makes Eli's bread, let us know what it's like.

[annzeepark914]

Oh no...did I miss a new BC show this morning?  I just can't remember Ina having a show on Sunday mornings (when I'm usually reading the paper).

[anneofcleves]

Yes anzeepark, there was a new episode.  I enjoyed it.  The gazpacho with goat cheese croutons looked fabulous and something I may try this week.  She also made a mustard marinated flank steak that was quick and easy.

[vera charles]

Well, my FIOS guide said this morning's show was new, but it sounds familiar. It was called "Barbecues and Bouquets". Ina makes gazpacho and grills a steak and swordfish, then someone called Antonia shows her how to make a bouquet. That sounds suspiciously familiar, but with Ina you never can tell.

 

This is the third Sunday in a row that BC has aired 10 am. I'm glad the shows repeat on Mondays, since I forget half the time. I haven't seen today's yet, since it was recording as I was on my way out the door to church. I can't believe FN has bumped Ina out of the Saturday morning cooking block. : (

[anneofcleves]

 

I can't believe FN has bumped Ina out of the Saturday morning cooking block.

I know.  They have to clear more space for Pioneer Woman.  I really need to stop watching her show (which I do primarily for snark), because it looks like I actually like her when I've never made a single recipe of hers and likely never will.

[Lura]

The most important part of the show (for me) was that Ina cooked with Toni, Tess' mom!  I just love that woman because she's down to earth, hilariously funny, and a faithful friend to Ina.  In one segment, I thought I detected a little bit of Ina trying to take over the spotlight from Toni.  Ina simply doesn't work well with others sometimes.  Anyway, I enjoyed the show and feel like cutting and arranging some flowers Toni's way.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Stinger97
Removed excess spacing.

[larapu2000]

Yeah, it was kind of like Antonia was showing Ina how to make a bouquet and Ina was like "um, not my first time at the rodeo."  

 

The gazpacho with the crouton looked awesome, I was thinking it would make a great hors d'oeuvres in small shot glasses.

[annzeepark914]

Missed most of the show (remembered to turn it on at 4:20) but I did get to see the flower arranging and yes, Ina needed to let viewers know she's familiar with flower arranging (but then, we regulars already knew that).  Loved that "nosegay"...if I had a flower garden, I'd enjoy making arrangements like that (I like the arranging, not the planting & weeding!).  Just caught the end of the steak and swordfish segment with them eating the two items--looked good.  I'll have to look up the recipes.  I recently grilled swordfish and it was missing some flavor so Ina's recipe might help future attempts.  One thing I've learned from watching so many cooking shows is presentation and the pro's are right--the look of food is about as important as the taste (love adding stuff to a platter of grilled chicken or pork, like fresh cut herbs and lemon or lime wedges...I get that "Ina buzz"..makes cooking fun).

[Tahitigirl]

Much of this seemed like a "do-over". I did notice, however, that when Antonia was choosing flowers she bought orange tulips and some blue ones. When she walked into the kitchen, the flowers were bright pink and light green. Then when it came time to create the nosegays, we were back to the orange and blue with no pink in sight.

[anneofcleves]

Her Best of Cheese episode had me drooling.  I can't really say anything more, because I would snarf down everything.

 

It's kind of embarrassing, because I'm a life long cook and recognized by family and friends as being a very good one, but I have never made a souffle.  They're one of those things I tend to enjoy at restaurants only.  Please tell me I'm not the only one?  I know they're not difficult.

[mousie]

Hi Anne. I have done souffle's once or twice and while they are not difficult, they do require a fair amount of prep and create lots of dishes to clean up. And the timing, you have to have everyone ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven since they do no hold well. It is one of those things that is best left to a restaurant (like deep frying) IMHO.

 

Trader Joe's used to have a frozen souffle product (they still might have it but I haven't seen it in a while). It was individual little balls of the souffle mix and you could just take out as much as was needed for one or two individual sized ramekins. All that was required was to butter your ramekins and pop the frozen stuff into a hot oven. Loved having that in the freezer for an easy weekend breakfast.