If I could eat
anything and not gain any weight I would eat my way through this book: Barefoot
Contessa: Back to Basics. I would pull a Julia & Julia. Ina Garten can
do no wrong with a potato! If I was having a "last meal" I would ask for a meal prepared by Ina Garten. Why would I even be having a last meal??? Scary! [Pause] Anyways, I was saying...she has a way with food that is just mesmerizing -
an effortless grace and elegance that really makes you think you too can
create that miraculous and amazing dish with a spoon, pan, 4 simple
ingredients and 30 minutes. Incidentally the first thing missing when I
cook is grace and elegance; my tiny kitchen looks like a cafeteria food
fight after I've been in it for 2 hours.
Here's why I pledge allegiance to Ina Garten...
A few months ago my boyfriend was feeling sick and asked me to make him a cremita, Spanish for a cream of soup. Mexican gastronomy has an infinite list of soups, there is caldo de res/ cocido, caldo de camaron, caldo de pescado, caldo de pollo, sopa de fideo, sopa de lima, caldo mich and consome, to name a few. (I happen to make a pretty bomb caldo de res.) But cream of soup? The only ingredient I knew for sure a cream of soup had was cream. Good girlfriend that I am, I want to make my boyfriend feel a little better so of course I was going to make his cremita. I went straight to the place I knew I would find a recipe for a cream of something, the Food Network. With 5 stars and over 300 reviews, Ina Garten's recipe for Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup was the obvious choice. It took me over 2 hours to make, 5 pots and 20 ingredients but let me tell you guuurl, it was worth the work. It was just perfect. The real test, however, was going to be my boyfriend. Later that evening I served him Ina Garten's Cream of Mushroom Soup with a warm crispy french baguette. After the initial shock in his face I swear I saw love, but not like "I love this soup" love, it was "I love you for making this soup that I love" love. No joke. He didn't think I had those mad skills in the kitchen. And shit, neither did I.
A few months ago my boyfriend was feeling sick and asked me to make him a cremita, Spanish for a cream of soup. Mexican gastronomy has an infinite list of soups, there is caldo de res/ cocido, caldo de camaron, caldo de pescado, caldo de pollo, sopa de fideo, sopa de lima, caldo mich and consome, to name a few. (I happen to make a pretty bomb caldo de res.) But cream of soup? The only ingredient I knew for sure a cream of soup had was cream. Good girlfriend that I am, I want to make my boyfriend feel a little better so of course I was going to make his cremita. I went straight to the place I knew I would find a recipe for a cream of something, the Food Network. With 5 stars and over 300 reviews, Ina Garten's recipe for Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup was the obvious choice. It took me over 2 hours to make, 5 pots and 20 ingredients but let me tell you guuurl, it was worth the work. It was just perfect. The real test, however, was going to be my boyfriend. Later that evening I served him Ina Garten's Cream of Mushroom Soup with a warm crispy french baguette. After the initial shock in his face I swear I saw love, but not like "I love this soup" love, it was "I love you for making this soup that I love" love. No joke. He didn't think I had those mad skills in the kitchen. And shit, neither did I.
I just bought
the book and all the recipes look simply amazing and true to Ina's style, made with simple ingredients. There isn't anything on
the list of ingredients I couldn't go to Trader Joe's - or my new favorite
market, Fresh & Easy - and buy.
So ladies, you wanna see love in your partner's eyes? Want to woo the man in your life? Or maybe go from friend-with-benefits (Been there!) to girlfriend? Make him a dinner he'll love. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Keep in mind that this will only works if his stomach likes it. If he doesn't eat fish don't surprise him with Ina Garten's Sole Meuniere. (My next recipe!) No matter how simply divine it is.
And if it doesn't work - he doesn't deserve you anyways! you're too good for him, mkay!- you can still feel proud of having just made the best dish you've ever made.
And if it doesn't work - he doesn't deserve you anyways! you're too good for him, mkay!- you can still feel proud of having just made the best dish you've ever made.
I love to try Ina's recipes from her book "Family Style"....Rigo and I frequently cook her lasagna recipe and its delicioso....My kids favorite is her french toast recipe....what makes this recipe is the orange zest..its a must try..especially with a coffee in the morning...I told Rigo that if I had tons of money, I would have her cook in my house for sure;) nada se me quita sonar....
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting Nancy! Doesn't she have the best recipes!? She is my Julia Child. You've got me curious about the her Lasagna Recipe.
Delete