New Episodes Discussion: Cooking for Jeffrey!

[annzeepark914]

Is there another show this Sunday?  I've got to tape some post it notes everywhere around me so that I won't forget (like last Sunday).  I hate missing a new BC episode since there are so few these days ;>(   I really do miss those 5 PM weekday BC shows.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Is there another show this Sunday?  I've got to tape some post it notes everywhere around me so that I won't forget (like last Sunday).  I hate missing a new BC episode since there are so few these days ;>(   I really do miss those 5 PM weekday BC shows.

They are repeating the Thanksgiving special with Bobby Flay on Sunday.
 

[StevieRocks]

It was so wonderful to see Ina with Bobby Flay. Love that special and LOVE Ina (and Jeffrey!). It felt like FN was getting back to normal, but, alas, after Ina and Giada's mellifluous voices and wonderful cooking, I suddenly heard a bunch of screeching, barking, and squawking and thought, "Oh, no! Why is "Bad Girls Club" on FN? Sigh...it was those horrible hacks from The Kitchen. It began with Sunny's sustained, high-pitched screech, and then the inexplicable presence known as Sandwich King started YELLING, and before I could reach the remote, I caught a glimpse of the wonderful and talented Geoffrey Z. What on earth is that gracious man doing in the middle of this gaggle of barnyard animals? I set the timer for an hour and I'll turn it back on after they've all simultaneously screeched over one another and left the air. 

[Gam2]

Yes, I've commented on this dynamic before. I cannot imagine why GZ is on this show. He's so successful on his own with his restaurants. Why would he lower himself to be on this ridiculous program with these "wanna bees"? I can't stand any of them except GZ. I'm especially annoyed by Sunny. Is she a professional chef? Has she ever had a cooking show on FN or anywhere else? And Katie's whiny, sinusy voice drives me nuts. Have your tonsils and adnoids removed, girl. My daughter talked like that when she was 3 years old and had both of those removed, not because she spoke that way but because they were both infected. A plus was that my husband's cousin was the surgical nurse during this surgery which surely helped alleviate our anxiety. Ok, I've digressed but still-why is this show still on the air? Surely there are other actual chefs who would be able to teach all of us new recipes and techniques. I love Ina Garten!

[chessiegal]

13 minutes ago, Gam2 said:

Yes, I've commented on this dynamic before. I cannot imagine why GZ is on this show. He's so successful on his own with his restaurants. Why would he lower himself to be on this ridiculous program with these "wanna bees"? I can't stand any of them except GZ. I'm especially annoyed by Sunny. Is she a professional chef? Has she ever had a cooking show on FN or anywhere else? And Katie's whiny, sinusy voice drives me nuts. Have your tonsils and adnoids removed, girl. My daughter talked like that when she was 3 years old and had both of those removed, not because she spoke that way but because they were both infected. A plus was that my husband's cousin was the surgical nurse during this surgery which surely helped alleviate our anxiety. Ok, I've digressed but still-why is this show still on the air? Surely there are other actual chefs who would be able to teach all of us new recipes and techniques. I love Ina Garten!

I think you're in the wrong thread - this is Barefoot Contessa, not the Kitchen. But to answer one of your questions about Sunny, yes she had a cooking show on FN - I think it was called Cooking for Real.

[Gam2]

Oops-so sorry. Thought I was on the Kitchen. I'll ask a question on The Kitchen's thread. Maybe you can answer it there? Thanks for replying to me.

[annzeepark914]

Gam2:  I gave you a "like" because I loved your comment about Katy's horrendous voice.  How in the world is she allowed on TV with that voice?

Back to Barefoot Contessa biz.  Ina & Bobby worked well together and he wasn't his usual smug self (more like the old Bobby).   That potato dish of his looked good but I think I'd have to season it a bit more.  Hey y'all:  Happy Thanksgiving!  And a belated Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends :>)

[huahaha]

If I were trying to teach an inexperienced cook, I would not start with running your finger under a chicken's skin and trussing the chicken with string! Why not just give her a couple of chicken breasts to start with?

[Spunkygal]

Ina, please invite me over for brunch! Today's menu, although not earth shattering, had a couple of nice tips and looked amaaaazing! I will definitely try adding a bit of flour and baking soda in the frittata....it looked so light and fluffy. And those waffles had my name on them. Interesting that she leaves the batter on the countertop overnight. That yeast does make a difference. I did wonder...have we seen doggies in Ina's kitchen before? And her nervous giggle was kept to a minimum. Two spatulas up for this episode.

[annzeepark914]

Finally I remembered to watch!  It was just like the old days (except she wasn't in her kitchen...but I kept thinking she was).  Jeffrey's walking all around town, Devon and Eli are walking the dogs on the beach, and Ina's cookin' up a storm for brunch.  My favorite was the fruit platter--it looked so pretty and delicious. I now like to place small sprigs of this and that on platters (a la Ina).  She did cook way more than was needed for 4 people but I think she was trying to show what a brunch for quite a few people could look like.   Eli put smoked salmon and creme fraiche on his Belgian waffle.  I wonder how that tasted?  I'm going to try her frittata (love the idea of those potatoes providing an interesting "crust" of sorts!)  How many more episodes are there...or is this the last for 2016? 

[schnauzergirl]

New episode next Sunday with Miguel.  

[Gam2]

Saw the show this morning and it looked like her kitchen. Was that a rerun where she cooked somewhere else? It was the one when she was making brunch for Jeffrey and their friends after they'd taken walks. Enough food for 40 people as she mentioned-ha. I do love a good frittata and hers looked delicious. Love me some Ina!

[Lura]

Considering the title of her latest book, I feared that Ina might feature only Jeffrey on her new shows (not that I dislike Jeffrey), so I'm happy to see that she's bringing back old friends, at least for cameos.  My personal favorite happens to be Michael..  I could be happy seeing him once a week!

Who's your favorite old friend?   :)

[chessiegal]

It was Ina's kitchen - her new one in the barn.

[annzeepark914]

I knew it was in the barn but kept forgetting that fact--there was just something about that episode that reminded me so much of the old days that I felt I was in the house kitchen :>)  Still waiting to check out the book from the library (am now #74 on the hold list) but I went ahead and added Cooking for Jeffrey to my Xmas wish list.  If I don't care for most of the recipes, there will be lots of tips about preparing for parties and other interesting tidbits.  And the photos are always beautiful.

[MerBearHou]

I am in heaven -- an hour long episode with Ina.  In the super snowy Berkshires with their friends, the Liebermans.  So fun!

[peacheslatour]

On 12/5/2016 at 11:45 AM, Lura said:

Considering the title of her latest book, I feared that Ina might feature only Jeffrey on her new shows (not that I dislike Jeffrey), so I'm happy to see that she's bringing back old friends, at least for cameos.  My personal favorite happens to be Michael..  I could be happy seeing him once a week!

Who's your favorite old friend?   :)

The guy who worked for her when he was a teen. TR? I think. Also that crazy hippie lady who did gardening.

Edited December 6, 2016 by peacheslatour

[CocoaGoddess]

Ina looked particularly lovely on this holiday episode. I can't get over how youthful and chic she looked wearing her snow coat and scarf! 

[Lura]

I hate to say it, but my impression throughout the pizza show was that Ina had consumed one too many Long Island Iced Teas before the cameras rolled.  Her guffaws were way, way over her norm.  I wanted to stuff one of those zucchinis in her mouth.  Actually the whole premise of the show seemed odd to me -- hiring a pizza truck to come out to the house to make/teach pizza know-how to two people.  It seemed more like a good party idea that would be unique and fun for guests.  Sorry, Ina, but I just wasn't with you on this one.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Lura

[peacheslatour]

On 12/5/2016 at 1:42 PM, MerBearHou said:

I am in heaven -- an hour long episode with Ina.  In the super snowy Berkshires with their friends, the Liebermans.  So fun!

And Ina drunk off her ass. Funny stuff.

[MerBearHou]

Oh my goodness, loved this episode with Miguel -- like seeing a dear old friend!  Seeing and hearing Jeffrey walk Miguel through the Gartens' garden (that's a book title, if you ask me) and explain some of the details -- Ina is "obsessed" with the planting and layout for a couple of months, starting in February, the deer fence, the first real garden walk-through I can remember -- what a spectacular, serene, plentiful garden.

Hearing the story about the Japanese painting (they couldn't afford it when they first saw it), the gorgeous tomatoes (never seen any so big and perfect) from Pike's farmstand, the Pikes' story, and the two veggie lunch options -- one of my favorite episodes.  Wanted it to go on and on.

Edited December 11, 2016 by MerBearHou

[annzeepark914]

Oh no...missed it again!  When will it be repeated?  I swannee, if I don't write a note to myself, I'll go sailing off to run errands.

[Lura]

 MerBearHou, what a beautifully-written review of this show, and I agree with you completely!  This episode was one of the best and most enjoyable shows for me in a long time.  I adored seeing Miguel again, and I was stunned by the vastness and the beauty of Ina's home and gardens.  The food looked as spectacular to me as the surroundings did.  I can hardly wait to make those recipes! 

I noticed, if I'm not mistaken, that Ina's menu was vegetarian and low calorie.  If she would make dishes like those a little more frequently, I, for one, would definitely appreciate it. 

[Spunkygal]

22 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Oh no...missed it again!  When will it be repeated?  I swannee, if I don't write a note to myself, I'll go sailing off to run errands.

It will be shown again this Friday at 11:30 am CST..

[ShellSeeker]

I enjoyed this episode too. That zucchini and goat cheese tart looked amazing. If I tried it though, I'd have to top it with prosciutto or something to get my husband to eat it. The bars she made at the beginning looked amazing until she defiled them with raisins. Ugh. I hate raisins.

[annzeepark914]

For some reason, I've always been able to eat raisins from the box or chocolate covered raisins, even in Waldorf salad.  But don't put them in something that will be baked--blech!  Something happens to them in the baking process (no idea what that is but it's bad).

[LilaFowler]

Wrong thread!

Edited December 17, 2016 by LilaFowler

[larapu2000]

Such a great show!  That tart looked delicious and so did that tomato salad!  The story about that Japanese screen was adorable!!!  

 

Going back to the waffles, I've made the type with yeast that you let sit overnight, and they turn out super light and crunchy, and the yeast adds a great complexity to the flavor.  However, I like a fluffier waffle that's crisp a little more, so I stick to traditional Belgian waffle recipes.  But would recommend the yeast kind, very good!!

[anneofcleves]

I will be making the zucchini tart sometime.  It looked amazing.  And I agree that it was so nice to see Miguel again. I'm trying to recall if he was always so awkward on camera, but I just couldn't remember.  The awkward hug with Jeffrey was pretty funny.

It also struck me how not surprised I was to find out that Ina is (finally) putting out a lifestyle book.  I really respect the pace at which Ina works and how she, despite her apparent wealth, has never seemed concerned with cashing in and wildly expanding and rushing her brand to market. She did have the frozen foods, but I love that she hasn't followed in the paths of most of the FN celebs (magazine, touristy restaurant, cookware, pet food, lol).  

[Gam2]

Anneofcleaves , thank you for saying everything I've been thinking for a long time. Ina is the real deal while so many of the wannabees on FN are so disappointing. As well as HGTV, the programs who started out being so promising have worn out their welcomes with shows that are just meh. Perhaps they can't find enough cooks, decorators or interesting people to keep these shows worth watching. I find that the channels/shows I used to look forward to are just boring/repeats/uninteresting now. Makes me sad because everything else on TV is just boring to us. 

[Lura]

I know what you mean, Gam2.  I used to watch shows over and over.  Now, I watch them once so that when they're repeated, they're almost new.

Being transplanted to CA long ago, it's been ages since I've seen snow.  Ina's episode in the Berkshires looked so inviting to me.  I liked seeing Jeffrey's pasta lesson.  He is so fast with a quip!  I think the Libermans had a pretty good deal, inviting Ina and Jeffrey up there.  I think that Ina paid for and cooked every meal!  I'm sure that's not why they were invited, but it was a definite drawing point -- or would have been for me!

[annzeepark914]

Well...I didn't get the new Ina cookbook for Christmas :>(  Sheesh.  And I'm #35 on the wait list at the library.  Gimme a break, here...

So, did anyone else get this cookbook for Xmas and what's new in it?

[chessiegal]

I got it. (I was at Barnes & Noble getting some travel books and found it. When I got home I told my husband, thank you so much for my Ina Garten Christmas present. The next day he came home from the hardware store and thanked me for the crow bar I got him for Christmas. After many years, we've gotten the gift giving down.) I've skimmed through it, and it does have recipes outside her usual wheelhouse. Plus it has lovely pictures from their wedding.

[annzeepark914]

Thanks, chessiegal.  I might just treat myself to it just because she's the only real deal on FN (in my opinion) and I love her style.  My sister and I do that type of "gift exchange" for Xmas (and boy, did I go crazy with it this month, buying all kinds of gifts for me from "her").

[peacheslatour]

On 12/27/2016 at 8:45 PM, annzeepark914 said:

Well...I didn't get the new Ina cookbook for Christmas :>(  Sheesh.  And I'm #35 on the wait list at the library.  Gimme a break, here...

So, did anyone else get this cookbook for Xmas and what's new in it?

I found out that I'm getting it next year. My DH got back from Costco yesterday and said Ina has a new cookbook out and I'll give it to you next Christmas. Of course I shouted, so now I'm getting it for my birthday in April.

[grisgris]

I finally got around to watching Ina's D.C. special.  It was reassuring to come here and read that Michelle's garden is going to remain intact.  Somehow, I can't see Melania Trump and Ivanka and Tiffany out there in their designer dresses and stilettos dragging hoses and hoes around.  The White House segment was my favorite part, the rest was just meh ... Those vegetarian tacos sounded interesting, but nothing I would seek out or try to replicate at home.  The roasted carrot salad looked good and does sound good for a fall or winter side dish. Since I don't drink anymore, the cocktail didn't interest me in the least.

That birthday dinner party ... geez, what a bunch of pretentious fucks. I will never complain about the Libermans again.

[annzeepark914]

I bought the cookbook for myself--found it on amazon (but in the used section & the seller said it was new).  Yeah, the White House visit was the best of that episode, especially Ina chatting with the WH chef.  That was interesting.  The scene with the First Lady was nice.  Two good people on a couch having tea.  I loved the birthday luncheon & would've given my eye teeth to be there.  Sheesh--1/2 of "Woodstein" was there.  An intelligence agency dude was there & his presence really intrigued Woodstein!  I'd have been in my glory.  Plus, that dessert looked divine.  Well, I live in metro DC and get a big kick out of intelligence folks.

[ariel]

I wonder if Ina will be visiting the White House with the new first lady?

My money is on that she won't be.

Edited January 2, 2017 by ariel

[peacheslatour]

12 hours ago, ariel said:

I wonder if Ina will be visiting the White House with the new first lady?

My money is on that she won't be.

No, probably Ree Drummond though.

[bad things are bad]

Paula Deen might be poppin' in. 

[Iguessnot]

On 1/3/2017 at 1:00 PM, bad things are bad said:

Paula Deen might be poppin' in. 

Yep. Let those two gropers have at each other.

[Lura]

Blame it on me, but this show didn't thrill me.  It was a letdown.  The White House chef obviously didn't share in Ina's giggles, and that was understandable to me.  She's a busy woman on a schedule and was fitting Ina in (I suppose).  Ina seemed to fawn over all of her "old friends" and seemed overly awed by being able to visit them.  Finally, for Ina to publicize that she used to work in the White House and see the Presidents on a daily basis, she certainly seemed more than intimidated that she'd be allowed to visit.  Then, she let Michelle Obama deliver a speech -- it was no interview like I'd been trained to conduct.  Then, upon leaving the White House, Ina jumped for joy.  For what?  I watched the show a week later to see how it went, but my opinion was the same.  As Carol Burnett once told me, "You can't win 'em all!"

[Lura]

I feel so happy because one of my sisters-in-law gave me "Cooking for Jeffrey" for a belated Christmas present.  I've been reading it non-stop!  Aside from the great photos of Ina and Jeffrey, there are the usual stunning pictures of food.  The pictures of the cocktails are so pretty that they're enough to turn a person to drink!  The best news (for me) is that I love the recipe section.  There are just a handful that I might not try.  Most of them seem to be typical Ina recipes, the kind that most of us seem to enjoy, IMHO.  At least one recipe came from Anna Pump. 

[peacheslatour]

I was on a Nancy Drew fan site the other day and someone had written a hilarious fanfic about Ina and Jeffrey's sex life.

[huahaha]

45 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I was on a Nancy Drew fan site the other day and someone had written a hilarious fanfic about Ina and Jeffrey's sex life.

You've got to link that.

[peacheslatour]

Just now, huahaha said:

You've got to link that.

It was on a site called thehairpin.com. I can't link from where I am. I was scrolling through the Nancy Drew Cookbook and it was at the end of the article, so of course I clicked on it. Funny stuff.

[huahaha]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

It was on a site called thehairpin.com. I can't link from where I am. I was scrolling through the Nancy Drew Cookbook and it was at the end of the article, so of course I clicked on it. Funny stuff.

Found it!

The Sexy Yet Tasteful Yet Erotic Episode of Barefoot Contessa

[anneofcleves]

48 minutes ago, huahaha said:

Found it!

The Sexy Yet Tasteful Yet Erotic Episode of Barefoot Contessa

OMG, a piece of the internet I have not seen...The Hairpin.  "Artisanal sex shop"  lol.

[peacheslatour]

16 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

OMG, a piece of the internet I have not seen...The Hairpin.  "Artisanal sex shop"  lol.

I don't know if they have current content. Most of the articles seem to be pre 2016. But it's a cool site.

[Lura]

I watched the new show this morning, featuring the surprise birthday dinner which Ina threw for her visiting friend, Antonia ("Toni").  Toni's daughter, Tess, who once learned to use a piping bag from Ina, was also shown, but not in a speaking situation.  Most of the show was cooking, although I used to love Toni and Tess and wished they'd received as much attention as the food did!  Billy Finklestein (something like that), for whom Ina made bleu cheese soufflés once, was also at the table, as was trusty Frank, and Michael did the table flowers.  Ina roasted AN ENTIRE BEEF TENDERLOIN ($$$$$) for the occasion, roasted fennel, and other goodies in her Italian-themed meal in honor of Toni's Italian heritage.

I thought that Michael did a beautiful job of arranging flowers for the table and stringing lights from overhead for the outdoor occasion.  Sometime, I have to make roasted fennel because, as far as I know, I've never tasted it.  My household was Irish (not a dinner without potatoes)! 

There were lots of interruptions during the show, so I'm going to watch it again, but I enjoyed what I saw.  Oh, yes -- I wonder whether anyone else was surprised to see how Tess' face has changed now that she's six or seven years older.  She was only 14, I think, when we last saw her!  I imagine she'd be floored to see how MY face has changed over the past years!  (WHAT???  I'm not a teenager anymore???)