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Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Food & Cookbooks (2020)A collection of all-new soul-satisfying dishes from America's favorite home cook!
In Modern Comfort Food, Ina Garten shares 85 new recipes that will feed your deepest cravings. Many of these dishes are inspired by childhood favorites--but with the volume turned way up, such as Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese sandwiches (the perfect match for Ina's Creamy Tomato Bisque), Smashed Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions, and the crispiest hash browns that are actually made in a waffle iron!
There are few things more comforting than gathering for a meal with the ones you love, especially when dishes like Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas are at the center of the table. Old-fashioned crowd pleasers like Roasted Sausages, Peppers, and Onions are even more delicious and streamlined for quick cleanup. For dessert? You'll find the best Boston Cream Pie, Banana Rum Trifle, and Black and White Cookies you'll ever make. Home cooks can always count on Ina's dependable, easy-to-follow instructions, with lots of side notes for cooking and entertaining--it's like having Ina right there beside you, helping you all the way.
From cocktails to dessert, from special weekend breakfasts to quick weeknight dinners, you'll find yourself making these cozy and delicious recipes over and over again.
In Modern Comfort Food, Ina Garten shares 85 new recipes that will feed your deepest cravings. Many of these dishes are inspired by childhood favorites--but with the volume turned way up, such as Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese sandwiches (the perfect match for Ina's Creamy Tomato Bisque), Smashed Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions, and the crispiest hash browns that are actually made in a waffle iron!
There are few things more comforting than gathering for a meal with the ones you love, especially when dishes like Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas are at the center of the table. Old-fashioned crowd pleasers like Roasted Sausages, Peppers, and Onions are even more delicious and streamlined for quick cleanup. For dessert? You'll find the best Boston Cream Pie, Banana Rum Trifle, and Black and White Cookies you'll ever make. Home cooks can always count on Ina's dependable, easy-to-follow instructions, with lots of side notes for cooking and entertaining--it's like having Ina right there beside you, helping you all the way.
From cocktails to dessert, from special weekend breakfasts to quick weeknight dinners, you'll find yourself making these cozy and delicious recipes over and over again.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
About the author
Ina Garten
45 books1,249 followersIna Garten is a New York Times bestselling author and the host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, for which she has won four Emmy Awards and a James Beard Award. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Jeffrey.
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May 31, 2021
WELCOME TO MAY PROJECT!!! this is part ONE. PART TWO can be found HERE.
i won't be doing one-a-day, but i'm going to do A LOT, so get on board now! MODERN! COMFORT! FOOD!
OUTRAGEOUS GARLIC BREAD
since this is the internet, i figured this project should begin with outrage. outrage and considerably more cheese than the recipe specified. extra cheese is MY comfort food, ina!
ULTIMATE TUNA MELTS
i agree that tuna melts are comfort food. i do NOT agree that the tuna used to make a tuna melt should cost $11 a jar. or come in a jar at all. but i recognize that ina garten enjoys a much higher level of comfort across the board than broke-ass me, and for her, spending $22 on just the tuna part of a couple of sandwiches ain't no thing. next time i make these, it'll be with canned tuna, on sale.
for the cheeseporners: look at that ooze.
also, i went to a couple of different places for microgreens, and no one had any, so i just chopped some arugula and called it a day. i'm not looking to get covid scouring all of nyfc just for some microgreens. ina garten probably has hers hand-delivered by a microgreen farmer, but that's an unchecked item on my bucket list.
SMASHED HAMBURGERS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
burgers are DEFINITELY comfort food. this recipe is less about the what-goes-into-them and more about the technique, which involves briefly FREEZING the patties before slapping them on the skillet!
it soon becomes this
which deserves a closer look
and in case you're wondering, that middle is exactly how i like my meat cooked.
comfort me with burgers, anytime.
FRESH CRAB NACHOS
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO! how's that for some cheese?
again, ina garten takes a comfy trashpanda treat like nachos and hoists it up to her classier-than-you level and it's heckin' delicious, but it's certainly not going to replace the original. i hate to keep being a gauche person harping on $$, but shoooot—this crab was thirty dang dollars! i'm not that fancy, tho i AM fancy enough to own a nachosaurus
if i go broke doing this project, at least i'll die chubby.
ARRABBIATA SAUCE
i have officially found my forever sauce
it is so simple to make, but so flavorful. it has—are you sitting down?—3 bulbs of garlic in it. not cloves—BULBS. and there's fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and chianti and basil and it all comes together beautifully and harmoniously and it is the One for Me.
arrabbiata means "angry" in italian, but i will never get in a fight with this sauce.
STRAWBERRY JAM MILKSHAKE
time for a sweet treat! this is another keeper—it might not look like much, but it is intense! frozen strawberries, fresh raspberries, milk, greek yogurt, vanilla ice cream; all standard milkshake stuff, but then she has the audacity to add JAM! why have i never put JAM into a milkshake before?? i meddled with the proportions a bit, because i like my milkshakes to require a spoon, and this puppy was thick and sweet and definitely gave me comfort. oh, and there's chambord in it, too, because we're adults. adults who drink jam.
ARE YOU READY FOR A COMPLETE MEAL??
BAKED COD WITH GARLIC & HERB RITZ CRUMBS
ROASTED BROCCOLINI & CHEDDAR
pause for cheese
EMILY'S ENGLISH ROASTED POTATOES
all delicious, but special awe reserved for that broccolini, which, while conceptually simple and quick to make, nonetheless left me a changed woman. damn good potatoes, too, emily! and i'd be more trumpet-y about the fish if i hadn't grown up a new england lass with my heart already full of my dad's cooking. my dad's fish is BOMB. this one's pretty good, but i'm spoken for in the seafood-recipe department.
ROASTED SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH EASY HOLLANDAISE
just a light snack because i still have some leftovers. these are tasty, but i'm not crazy about the hollandaise sauce, despite claims of quickness. and as a TMI-aside, my relationship with shishito peppers has never been one of 'comfort.' i love them, but they do things to me which are quite uncomfortable, indeed. DISCREET HINT: IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE PEPPERS AND IT'S POOP. MY BODY IS A QUICK-PROCESSING PLANT FOR SHISHITO PEPPERS.
LOBSTER BLTS
the CDC has declared that the best way to recover from that dreaded second shot is to eat LOBSTER. so i did.
it may not be the 'comfort food' i grew up on, but this sauceporn sure is helping me feel safe from covid.
BAKED RIGATONI WITH LAMB RAGU
ina garten, you win. sometimes it IS worth it to shell out for fancy ingredients like ground lamb. there are no words for how delicious this is, so i will let the pictures speak for themselves.
i never want to eat anything else.
HOT SPICED APPLE CIDER
i didn't post anything last night, because i was too busy enjoying some hot alcohol after a long day
i wanted to make these before summer started doing its thing and it got too hot to enjoy the autumnal pleasures of cider and bourbon and hoo boy, this is one i will make when those leaves start turning again. i doubled up the amount of peppercorns and cinnamon and poured the bourbon with a heavy hand it was 1000% the right decision.
POTATO GALETTES WITH SMOKED SALMON
look at this beautiful thing i made perfectly!
DON'T look under the hood to see that my potato galette is a potato goofus that i guess i didn't desiccate enough before attempting to galette so it's just a loose bunch of potato kindling instead of a pancake and that's okay.
everything looks better once you toss some smoked fish on top of it. it is nature's beautifying blanket.
GIANT CRINKLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
these just look like regular cookies, right?
WRONGO! they are HUGE!
some of mine wanted to make friends. oops.
but with sneaky cropping, no one will know!
this is my evening. what are you doing?
BRUSSELS SPROUTS PIZZA CARBONARA
some of these sprouts look like they've been carbon-ized rather than carbonara'd, but that's what you WANT—sprouts are SO GOOD when they're nice and crispy round the edges.
not my best photography, but as far as tastiness goes, ina and i both get high marks.
fun fact: the lighting is best in my bathroom
so now there're probably fecal particles all over my 'za and this is why i will never become a famous chef.
CHEDDAR & CHUTNEY GRILLED CHEESE
because i do not live inside an applebee’s, i do not have a panini press, so i just plopped these bad boys onto my cast iron skillet and hoped for the best. my chutney was mango ginger, so it had a nice little kick to it. i have made hundreds of grilled cheeses in my life—i made fifty in a row for an earlier food project, and this one falls somewhere in the middle of Best Grilled Cheeses Ever. do try it, but don’t write home about it.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH ARRABBIATA
i got to make my favorite sauce again!! and then i got to smoosh it all up with cheese and squash and yummmmmm
not to toot my own horn or nothing, but these things look good
add some wine, and you got a balanced meal, and—i daresay—some COMFORT!
FROZEN PALOMAS
this cookbook project sure is helping me keep my neighborhood liquor store in business! this was the perfect drink for this NINETY-ONE DEGREE evening. that is too hot for may. or ever. anywhere.
it's a beautiful drink, though. very delicate colors. here it is in natural light:
in light-bulb light:
and half in my tummy:
nothing like drinking a fishbowl fulla tequila and grapefruit juice after an honest day's work...
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
you guys, i made a cake. it is the best cake i have ever made.
LOOK! AT! THIS! CAKE!!!
and just to gild this dam lily
that shark's making eyes at my cake...NONE FOR YOU, SHARK!
no more words. my mouth needs room for cake.
PROVENÇAL ZUCCHINI GRATIN
here's a quick little side dish because it's too hot to cook a full meal
although this one is satisfying enough to eat as a meal, and it's got three whole food groups, if you count the bread crumbs. cheese should really be its own group, if you ask me
i certainly have a type
another twofer: SMASHED EGGS ON TOAST WITH WAFFLE IRON HASH BROWNS
do you like my new dollar-store platter? SUCH RUSTIC OLDE TIMINESS!
i wasn't going to make anything from the breakfast chapter because it all seemed basic/boring, but rebecca popped onto this thread praising these eggs so i figured i'd give 'em a shot. and despite my not loving dill, they were very good!
the photos aren't great because soft-boiled eggs are time-sensitive models, congealing quickly and unprettily, but WE DO OUR BEST!
the hash browns were sort of a rerun; a couple years back i reviewed Will It Waffle?: Bacon and Eggs to Mac 'n' Cheese, Bibimbap to Chocolate Chip Cookies--53 Irresistible, Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron (review part 1 and part 2) which included a version of these. i misunderstood ina's directions, and put the batter(?) into the waffle iron the way mr. shumski taught me, so instead of making 8 tiny hash browns, i made three humungos. BUT, learning from my galette-fail, i squeezed every last drop of moisture outta these taters, and they held together nicely.
in conclusion: breakfast! for! dinner!
TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE
bring on the CHEESE!
unsurprisingly, mac and cheese is my ultimate comfort food, any way/shape/form. this one's a decadent oozy masterpiece of flavors with a satisfying density that'll stick to your ribs for DAYS.
it's far more involved than the trump-orange boxed variety, and you will have to wash this many dishes afterwards, when you are far too logy with pasta and cheese to even
it's worth the effort, and if you worked with me, you would get one of these tupperwares so you could enjoy it without having to dirty even a single pot.
as a bonus feature, i have invented a new game called "what kind of roadkill does this most resemble?"
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
oops, i made it again.
COFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
ina's recipe calls for coffee-chip ice cream (to be precise, it's talenti coffee chocolate chip, which is a GELATO, so this recipe name is a LIE) and heath bar baking bits. i already had the second half of a bag of heath bar baking bits in my cupboard, and have been wondering 'what do i do with this half-bag of heath bar baking bits?' for years. this solution to my heath bar quandary was the deciding factor in choosing to make these, despite not being crazy about coffee-in-dessert-form.
sadly, i discovered this recipe too late. i have no idea how long that half-bag of heath bar baking bits has been in my cupboard, but the short answer is "too long," and they were GROSS. to get the horrible taste out of my mouth, i bought a couple of skor bars and chopped them up to use instead. then i bought some double chocolate chip talenti gelato and pretzels and made some superior frozen treats.
there's not enough room left here, so won't you please follow me over to another edition of the book so's we can wrap this up in style? PART TWO IS HERE.
come to my blog!
i won't be doing one-a-day, but i'm going to do A LOT, so get on board now! MODERN! COMFORT! FOOD!
OUTRAGEOUS GARLIC BREAD
since this is the internet, i figured this project should begin with outrage. outrage and considerably more cheese than the recipe specified. extra cheese is MY comfort food, ina!
ULTIMATE TUNA MELTS
i agree that tuna melts are comfort food. i do NOT agree that the tuna used to make a tuna melt should cost $11 a jar. or come in a jar at all. but i recognize that ina garten enjoys a much higher level of comfort across the board than broke-ass me, and for her, spending $22 on just the tuna part of a couple of sandwiches ain't no thing. next time i make these, it'll be with canned tuna, on sale.
for the cheeseporners: look at that ooze.
also, i went to a couple of different places for microgreens, and no one had any, so i just chopped some arugula and called it a day. i'm not looking to get covid scouring all of nyfc just for some microgreens. ina garten probably has hers hand-delivered by a microgreen farmer, but that's an unchecked item on my bucket list.
SMASHED HAMBURGERS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
burgers are DEFINITELY comfort food. this recipe is less about the what-goes-into-them and more about the technique, which involves briefly FREEZING the patties before slapping them on the skillet!
it soon becomes this
which deserves a closer look
and in case you're wondering, that middle is exactly how i like my meat cooked.
comfort me with burgers, anytime.
FRESH CRAB NACHOS
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO! how's that for some cheese?
again, ina garten takes a comfy trashpanda treat like nachos and hoists it up to her classier-than-you level and it's heckin' delicious, but it's certainly not going to replace the original. i hate to keep being a gauche person harping on $$, but shoooot—this crab was thirty dang dollars! i'm not that fancy, tho i AM fancy enough to own a nachosaurus
if i go broke doing this project, at least i'll die chubby.
ARRABBIATA SAUCE
i have officially found my forever sauce
it is so simple to make, but so flavorful. it has—are you sitting down?—3 bulbs of garlic in it. not cloves—BULBS. and there's fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and chianti and basil and it all comes together beautifully and harmoniously and it is the One for Me.
arrabbiata means "angry" in italian, but i will never get in a fight with this sauce.
STRAWBERRY JAM MILKSHAKE
time for a sweet treat! this is another keeper—it might not look like much, but it is intense! frozen strawberries, fresh raspberries, milk, greek yogurt, vanilla ice cream; all standard milkshake stuff, but then she has the audacity to add JAM! why have i never put JAM into a milkshake before?? i meddled with the proportions a bit, because i like my milkshakes to require a spoon, and this puppy was thick and sweet and definitely gave me comfort. oh, and there's chambord in it, too, because we're adults. adults who drink jam.
ARE YOU READY FOR A COMPLETE MEAL??
BAKED COD WITH GARLIC & HERB RITZ CRUMBS
ROASTED BROCCOLINI & CHEDDAR
pause for cheese
EMILY'S ENGLISH ROASTED POTATOES
all delicious, but special awe reserved for that broccolini, which, while conceptually simple and quick to make, nonetheless left me a changed woman. damn good potatoes, too, emily! and i'd be more trumpet-y about the fish if i hadn't grown up a new england lass with my heart already full of my dad's cooking. my dad's fish is BOMB. this one's pretty good, but i'm spoken for in the seafood-recipe department.
ROASTED SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH EASY HOLLANDAISE
just a light snack because i still have some leftovers. these are tasty, but i'm not crazy about the hollandaise sauce, despite claims of quickness. and as a TMI-aside, my relationship with shishito peppers has never been one of 'comfort.' i love them, but they do things to me which are quite uncomfortable, indeed. DISCREET HINT: IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE PEPPERS AND IT'S POOP. MY BODY IS A QUICK-PROCESSING PLANT FOR SHISHITO PEPPERS.
LOBSTER BLTS
the CDC has declared that the best way to recover from that dreaded second shot is to eat LOBSTER. so i did.
it may not be the 'comfort food' i grew up on, but this sauceporn sure is helping me feel safe from covid.
BAKED RIGATONI WITH LAMB RAGU
ina garten, you win. sometimes it IS worth it to shell out for fancy ingredients like ground lamb. there are no words for how delicious this is, so i will let the pictures speak for themselves.
i never want to eat anything else.
HOT SPICED APPLE CIDER
i didn't post anything last night, because i was too busy enjoying some hot alcohol after a long day
i wanted to make these before summer started doing its thing and it got too hot to enjoy the autumnal pleasures of cider and bourbon and hoo boy, this is one i will make when those leaves start turning again. i doubled up the amount of peppercorns and cinnamon and poured the bourbon with a heavy hand it was 1000% the right decision.
POTATO GALETTES WITH SMOKED SALMON
look at this beautiful thing i made perfectly!
DON'T look under the hood to see that my potato galette is a potato goofus that i guess i didn't desiccate enough before attempting to galette so it's just a loose bunch of potato kindling instead of a pancake and that's okay.
everything looks better once you toss some smoked fish on top of it. it is nature's beautifying blanket.
GIANT CRINKLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
these just look like regular cookies, right?
WRONGO! they are HUGE!
some of mine wanted to make friends. oops.
but with sneaky cropping, no one will know!
this is my evening. what are you doing?
BRUSSELS SPROUTS PIZZA CARBONARA
some of these sprouts look like they've been carbon-ized rather than carbonara'd, but that's what you WANT—sprouts are SO GOOD when they're nice and crispy round the edges.
not my best photography, but as far as tastiness goes, ina and i both get high marks.
fun fact: the lighting is best in my bathroom
so now there're probably fecal particles all over my 'za and this is why i will never become a famous chef.
CHEDDAR & CHUTNEY GRILLED CHEESE
because i do not live inside an applebee’s, i do not have a panini press, so i just plopped these bad boys onto my cast iron skillet and hoped for the best. my chutney was mango ginger, so it had a nice little kick to it. i have made hundreds of grilled cheeses in my life—i made fifty in a row for an earlier food project, and this one falls somewhere in the middle of Best Grilled Cheeses Ever. do try it, but don’t write home about it.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH ARRABBIATA
i got to make my favorite sauce again!! and then i got to smoosh it all up with cheese and squash and yummmmmm
not to toot my own horn or nothing, but these things look good
add some wine, and you got a balanced meal, and—i daresay—some COMFORT!
FROZEN PALOMAS
this cookbook project sure is helping me keep my neighborhood liquor store in business! this was the perfect drink for this NINETY-ONE DEGREE evening. that is too hot for may. or ever. anywhere.
it's a beautiful drink, though. very delicate colors. here it is in natural light:
in light-bulb light:
and half in my tummy:
nothing like drinking a fishbowl fulla tequila and grapefruit juice after an honest day's work...
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
you guys, i made a cake. it is the best cake i have ever made.
LOOK! AT! THIS! CAKE!!!
and just to gild this dam lily
that shark's making eyes at my cake...NONE FOR YOU, SHARK!
no more words. my mouth needs room for cake.
PROVENÇAL ZUCCHINI GRATIN
here's a quick little side dish because it's too hot to cook a full meal
although this one is satisfying enough to eat as a meal, and it's got three whole food groups, if you count the bread crumbs. cheese should really be its own group, if you ask me
i certainly have a type
another twofer: SMASHED EGGS ON TOAST WITH WAFFLE IRON HASH BROWNS
do you like my new dollar-store platter? SUCH RUSTIC OLDE TIMINESS!
i wasn't going to make anything from the breakfast chapter because it all seemed basic/boring, but rebecca popped onto this thread praising these eggs so i figured i'd give 'em a shot. and despite my not loving dill, they were very good!
the photos aren't great because soft-boiled eggs are time-sensitive models, congealing quickly and unprettily, but WE DO OUR BEST!
the hash browns were sort of a rerun; a couple years back i reviewed Will It Waffle?: Bacon and Eggs to Mac 'n' Cheese, Bibimbap to Chocolate Chip Cookies--53 Irresistible, Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron (review part 1 and part 2) which included a version of these. i misunderstood ina's directions, and put the batter(?) into the waffle iron the way mr. shumski taught me, so instead of making 8 tiny hash browns, i made three humungos. BUT, learning from my galette-fail, i squeezed every last drop of moisture outta these taters, and they held together nicely.
in conclusion: breakfast! for! dinner!
TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE
bring on the CHEESE!
unsurprisingly, mac and cheese is my ultimate comfort food, any way/shape/form. this one's a decadent oozy masterpiece of flavors with a satisfying density that'll stick to your ribs for DAYS.
it's far more involved than the trump-orange boxed variety, and you will have to wash this many dishes afterwards, when you are far too logy with pasta and cheese to even
it's worth the effort, and if you worked with me, you would get one of these tupperwares so you could enjoy it without having to dirty even a single pot.
as a bonus feature, i have invented a new game called "what kind of roadkill does this most resemble?"
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
oops, i made it again.
COFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
ina's recipe calls for coffee-chip ice cream (to be precise, it's talenti coffee chocolate chip, which is a GELATO, so this recipe name is a LIE) and heath bar baking bits. i already had the second half of a bag of heath bar baking bits in my cupboard, and have been wondering 'what do i do with this half-bag of heath bar baking bits?' for years. this solution to my heath bar quandary was the deciding factor in choosing to make these, despite not being crazy about coffee-in-dessert-form.
sadly, i discovered this recipe too late. i have no idea how long that half-bag of heath bar baking bits has been in my cupboard, but the short answer is "too long," and they were GROSS. to get the horrible taste out of my mouth, i bought a couple of skor bars and chopped them up to use instead. then i bought some double chocolate chip talenti gelato and pretzels and made some superior frozen treats.
there's not enough room left here, so won't you please follow me over to another edition of the book so's we can wrap this up in style? PART TWO IS HERE.
come to my blog! September 1, 2021
WELCOME TO MAY PROJECT!!! this is part TWO. PART ONE can be found HERE.
SHRIMP & LINGUINE FRA DIAVOLO
i got to make my beloved arrabbiata sauce for a third time!
but then i had to make a whole other recipe on top of that. somewhat labor intensive, but well worth it.
but who's this?
oh no, shrimpy! laying down his (delicious) body to save his friends! but it's too late, little shrimpy, you are the sole survivor of the arrabbiata assault. this project just got pretty dark and i'm sorry. looks like MAY is actually the cruelest month after all.
but back to the food-review: the crispety cruncheties are the real stars here. they are just butter-fried panko with some seasonings, but they bring a lot of YUM.
only ONE DAY LEFT, but i still want to make so many more things.
BAKED RACLETTE
okay, this one won the final slot because 1) CHEESE, and 2) "raclette" rhymes with my last name.
this was very tasty, and CHEESY and i got to make little cornichon fans (which i just realized you can't see in the pictures so hang on) HERE:
anyway, thanks for following along. i have enjoyed this project very much and i will update in this secondary review space as i make more dishes in the futuuure, although some of them are more suited to cold-weathertimes, so it might be a while. HOLD TIGHT!
these are the ones i had planned to make during this project, but there just weren't enough days in the month:
KIELBASA WITH MUSTARD DIP
CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP WITH PUFF PASTRY CROUTONS
BAKED FISH CHOWDER
MAINE LOBSTER STEW
SEARED TUNA AND AVOCADO ROLLS
SKILLET-ROASTED CHICKEN & POTATOES
FRESH CRAB & PEA RISOTTO
additional pictures (including pics of each of her finished dishes) are over on blog
THE PROJECT CONTINUES with SALTED PISTACHIO MERINGUES!
HERS:
at the critical meringue-ing stage, where you were meant to "whisk on high for 10 minutes," my mixer died. i tried to be a mixer, i really did, but my flabby little arms could not replicate the whisking power of a machine. i googled "how do the amish make meringue" and the answer is: using air compressors to power their hand mixers.
anyway, these didn't come out the way they were supposed to, but they were still very tasty and i will make them again once i replace my mixer and some time has passed to salve my emotional wounds.
fed up with everything, instead of making individual cookies for the second batch, i just glopped the remainder onto a baking sheet and there you have it
weird, slightly overcooked meringue. i have since replaced my mixer, so all is well.
CHUNKY APPLE BUTTER
i don't think i have ever had apple butter before. i thought it was some kind of paste or something, and maybe it is and that's why she specifies that this is CHUNKY apple butter, like how chunky peanut butter is its own anomalous thing. anyway, this is basically applesauce that takes longer to make and requires a vanilla bean and now i am out of vanilla beans. when i make applesauce i don't use any sugar at all, so this one was maybe too sweet for me (says the girl who eats marshmallow fluff with a spoon). but it's got good fall spices like cloves and allspice and is maybe best made in the fall, because midsummer is not really a buyer's market for the cider called for in the recipe, so, betrayed by the farmer's market, i had to settle for the ONE overpriced option at the store and it was not thick and cloudy the way cider ought to be.
CRISPY CHICKEN AND LEMON ORZO WITH FETA
apparently, in my neighborhood, one can buy boneless chicken breasts without skin, or bony chicken breasts with skin, but NOT boneless chicken breasts WITH skin. considering that the draw of this recipe is the crispy skin, i chose the bony breasts, so i was unable to slice them all nice like she commanded,
but they were still great: moist and juicy and crispy, with a lovely glisteny brown butter sauce which makes it look somewhat smeary and greasy-looking here, but that's because i'm bad at food photography.
i didn't use any dill in my orzo because i'm not a fan (and i used extra feta because i AM a fan), so it's not the prettiest orzo in photographic history, but it was a fine companion to the chicken and it was VERY lemony.
i made the CRISPY CHICKEN AND LEMON ORZO WITH FETA again, and they came out even better.
although it did sortof give me some flashbacks
TONIGHT I AM MAKING A POSSET! WTF IS THAT EVEN?
ENGLISH LEMON POSSET
SO! although it sounds like something a courtesan wears, a posset is actually some kind of a semi-jiggly pudding, in this case, a lemon-flavored one covered in macerated straw- and raspberries. it is deliciously sharp and sour, but the berries offset the pucker perfectly.
NB: it becomes significantly less jiggly the longer it takes you to get a decent picture of it in this unbearable summer heat
until it melts into something resembling the way i feel inside and out.
this recipe calls for limoncello liqueur, which is apparently only sold in one-liter bottles. so now i have a whole bottle (less 4 tablespoons) of limoncello and no idea what to do with the rest of it. suggestions welcome.
and where was i when we all learned that snoop had a freaking rosé line?
i haven't cracked it open yet, but that time is drawing nigh.
ROASTED SAUSAGES, PEPPERS & ONIONS served with FRESH CORN POLENTA
a tray of delicious sausages!
a close-up of delicious sausages!
and a puddle of polenta (her words, my reality):
this polenta looks like the early-morning sidewalk in front of the bars in my neighborhood, but it was absolutely delicious, even spooned cold into my mouth the next day. she does indeed use the word "puddle" in the recipe to describe the polenta, but hers looks nothing like the puddle my direction-following-self produced.
but that's fine—i'm not trying to be pretty over here, and it tasted gorgeous. it's also fun to knife-skim corn from its cob, which i've never done before but is oddly therapeutic.
here is their blessed union:
with a hearty plop of basil and cheese
this concludes my sausage party. more recipes coming, probably...
come to my blog!
SHRIMP & LINGUINE FRA DIAVOLO
i got to make my beloved arrabbiata sauce for a third time!
but then i had to make a whole other recipe on top of that. somewhat labor intensive, but well worth it.
but who's this?
oh no, shrimpy! laying down his (delicious) body to save his friends! but it's too late, little shrimpy, you are the sole survivor of the arrabbiata assault. this project just got pretty dark and i'm sorry. looks like MAY is actually the cruelest month after all.
but back to the food-review: the crispety cruncheties are the real stars here. they are just butter-fried panko with some seasonings, but they bring a lot of YUM.
only ONE DAY LEFT, but i still want to make so many more things.
BAKED RACLETTE
okay, this one won the final slot because 1) CHEESE, and 2) "raclette" rhymes with my last name.
this was very tasty, and CHEESY and i got to make little cornichon fans (which i just realized you can't see in the pictures so hang on) HERE:
anyway, thanks for following along. i have enjoyed this project very much and i will update in this secondary review space as i make more dishes in the futuuure, although some of them are more suited to cold-weathertimes, so it might be a while. HOLD TIGHT!
these are the ones i had planned to make during this project, but there just weren't enough days in the month:
KIELBASA WITH MUSTARD DIP
CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP WITH PUFF PASTRY CROUTONS
BAKED FISH CHOWDER
MAINE LOBSTER STEW
SEARED TUNA AND AVOCADO ROLLS
SKILLET-ROASTED CHICKEN & POTATOES
FRESH CRAB & PEA RISOTTO
additional pictures (including pics of each of her finished dishes) are over on blog
THE PROJECT CONTINUES with SALTED PISTACHIO MERINGUES!
HERS:
at the critical meringue-ing stage, where you were meant to "whisk on high for 10 minutes," my mixer died. i tried to be a mixer, i really did, but my flabby little arms could not replicate the whisking power of a machine. i googled "how do the amish make meringue" and the answer is: using air compressors to power their hand mixers.
anyway, these didn't come out the way they were supposed to, but they were still very tasty and i will make them again once i replace my mixer and some time has passed to salve my emotional wounds.
fed up with everything, instead of making individual cookies for the second batch, i just glopped the remainder onto a baking sheet and there you have it
weird, slightly overcooked meringue. i have since replaced my mixer, so all is well.
CHUNKY APPLE BUTTER
i don't think i have ever had apple butter before. i thought it was some kind of paste or something, and maybe it is and that's why she specifies that this is CHUNKY apple butter, like how chunky peanut butter is its own anomalous thing. anyway, this is basically applesauce that takes longer to make and requires a vanilla bean and now i am out of vanilla beans. when i make applesauce i don't use any sugar at all, so this one was maybe too sweet for me (says the girl who eats marshmallow fluff with a spoon). but it's got good fall spices like cloves and allspice and is maybe best made in the fall, because midsummer is not really a buyer's market for the cider called for in the recipe, so, betrayed by the farmer's market, i had to settle for the ONE overpriced option at the store and it was not thick and cloudy the way cider ought to be.
CRISPY CHICKEN AND LEMON ORZO WITH FETA
apparently, in my neighborhood, one can buy boneless chicken breasts without skin, or bony chicken breasts with skin, but NOT boneless chicken breasts WITH skin. considering that the draw of this recipe is the crispy skin, i chose the bony breasts, so i was unable to slice them all nice like she commanded,
but they were still great: moist and juicy and crispy, with a lovely glisteny brown butter sauce which makes it look somewhat smeary and greasy-looking here, but that's because i'm bad at food photography.
i didn't use any dill in my orzo because i'm not a fan (and i used extra feta because i AM a fan), so it's not the prettiest orzo in photographic history, but it was a fine companion to the chicken and it was VERY lemony.
i made the CRISPY CHICKEN AND LEMON ORZO WITH FETA again, and they came out even better.
although it did sortof give me some flashbacks
TONIGHT I AM MAKING A POSSET! WTF IS THAT EVEN?
ENGLISH LEMON POSSET
SO! although it sounds like something a courtesan wears, a posset is actually some kind of a semi-jiggly pudding, in this case, a lemon-flavored one covered in macerated straw- and raspberries. it is deliciously sharp and sour, but the berries offset the pucker perfectly.
NB: it becomes significantly less jiggly the longer it takes you to get a decent picture of it in this unbearable summer heat
until it melts into something resembling the way i feel inside and out.
this recipe calls for limoncello liqueur, which is apparently only sold in one-liter bottles. so now i have a whole bottle (less 4 tablespoons) of limoncello and no idea what to do with the rest of it. suggestions welcome.
and where was i when we all learned that snoop had a freaking rosé line?
i haven't cracked it open yet, but that time is drawing nigh.
ROASTED SAUSAGES, PEPPERS & ONIONS served with FRESH CORN POLENTA
a tray of delicious sausages!
a close-up of delicious sausages!
and a puddle of polenta (her words, my reality):
this polenta looks like the early-morning sidewalk in front of the bars in my neighborhood, but it was absolutely delicious, even spooned cold into my mouth the next day. she does indeed use the word "puddle" in the recipe to describe the polenta, but hers looks nothing like the puddle my direction-following-self produced.
but that's fine—i'm not trying to be pretty over here, and it tasted gorgeous. it's also fun to knife-skim corn from its cob, which i've never done before but is oddly therapeutic.
here is their blessed union:
with a hearty plop of basil and cheese
this concludes my sausage party. more recipes coming, probably...
come to my blog!
March 4, 2021
The Written Review
Just posted my Goodreads Choice 2020 Reaction Video on Booktube! Click the link to check it out!!
The premise of this cookbook is that right now, what we need most, is modern comfort food.
The past year has not been a good one and we might be needing some of that childhood deliciousness.
We are craving that gorgeous grilled cheese of our childhood but we also kinda want to make a bit more sophisticated than kraft + wonderbread.
So, Ina Garten has taken 85 recipes that are deeply rooted in comfort foods and has given them her own spin.
If you are craving nachos, cheese spread or toast - you can try fresh crab nachos, spicy pimento cheese spread or fig & cheese toasts.
If pot pies, tuna melts and BLT's is more your style - you can try chicken pot pie soup, ultimate tuna melts and lobster BLT's.
Overall, I really liked this one. The variety of the recipes is what really appealed to me.
There were easy elevations (i.e. swapping tomato soup and grilled cheese for creamy tomato bisque and cheddar & chutney grilled cheese).
And there were ones that I definitely didn't see coming like baked rigatoni with lamb ragu.
There's recipes for gatherings and ones for a fancy dinner with the spouse or a fabulous brunch with the in-laws.
There's truly something for everything!
A huge thank you to Clarkson Potter for sending this one my way
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
December 9, 2020
I read a Goodreads award winner! And actually agreed with the choice for once.
I had been on the waitlist at the library for this little sucker forever and a day and I finally got it.
I mean Barefoot Contessa and Comfort Foods?
During the worst year ever?
I LOVE this cookbook. I screen shot the heck outta it but I'm going to be honest. I want a copy of this one. My tastes changes randomly and I know I'll be mad if I don't have every single recipe in my hungry little hands. I did go ahead and make the Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipolte Orange Butter...and OMG those suckers were delish. I ate the last two cold out of the fridge.
I had been on the waitlist at the library for this little sucker forever and a day and I finally got it.
I mean Barefoot Contessa and Comfort Foods?
During the worst year ever?
I LOVE this cookbook. I screen shot the heck outta it but I'm going to be honest. I want a copy of this one. My tastes changes randomly and I know I'll be mad if I don't have every single recipe in my hungry little hands. I did go ahead and make the Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipolte Orange Butter...and OMG those suckers were delish. I ate the last two cold out of the fridge.
October 15, 2020
Perfect pandemic reading for those of us living a quarantine life, especially when married to a man who had no interest in going out even during before times. Recipes for all mealtimes and desserts. Already tried a few with one satisfied grunt from the loner.
December 30, 2021
The Goodreads 2020 Cookbook of the Year
In a word: Unremarkable. I understand that this cookbook was supposed to be a step back, an exploration of classic comfort foods - but that doesn't explain the overall lack of flavor. In general, these recipes are good, but underwhelming and at times a tad bit boring. Both in terms of recipes and techniques, there's very little here that you haven't seen before and very little that I would consider the best of its kind. Unfortunately, that leads me to the conclusion that this cookbook is not worth buying - you know how to cook the majority of these recipes already and you most likely won't miss the rest.
Exception 1: If you're not putting mango chutney on your grilled cheese sandwiches yet, do it - we'll never make grilled cheese the same way again. The tomato soup recipes is also a great, home-made version of Campbell's Creamy IMO.
Exception 2: The Arrabbiata Sauce is exceptional; a staple red sauce for any and all uses. Highly recommend.
Pet Peeves:
1. Ingredients: Ina has a tendency to recommend "high value" ingredients that are supposedly significantly better than their cheaper alternatives. See expensive pomegranate juice, a specific brand of fig spread or bottle of wine, and a $20 jar tuna.
She also has a tendency to introduce high end ingredients where they're absolutely not necessary. See Lobster BLT's (the lobster was a bland detractor vs. a flavorful component), Truffled Mac and Cheese (this one may be personal as I do not like truffles), and Lobster Bisque ($100 soup).
Overall, the result is a cookbook full of recipes that may need to be adapted or paired down for the average American household - not a winner in terms of accessibility. Couple that with the general lack of 'wow-factor' taste and I'm left asking "Why?"
2. Name Dropping: Friends w/Rob Marshall, film director; John DeLuca, actor; Miguel Flores-Vianna, photographer; Eli Zabar, restaurateur; Emily Blunt, actress; Rolando Beramendi, chef ...
Just to name a few. Not to mention the remarkable number of global restaurants mentioned. Okay Ina, we get it: You know a lot of fancy people and dine at a lot of fancy places. #unrelatable
3. White Washing:What happens when a very old-school, White-American cook is asked to produce Mexican recipes? You get incredibly White-American "Mexican" food.
There are 1) Chicken Enchiladas with French goat cheese vs. cotija, queso fresco or oaxaca; 2) Breakfast Tacos, scrambled eggs with Montery Jack and avocado that happen to be served in tortillas; and 3) Steak Fajitas with no chile - Old El Paso could probably do it better.
Cocktails: 9/12 Recipes Completed
Ultimate Bloody Marys (1/5)
Frozen Palomas (4/5)
Pomegranate Gimlets (4/5)
Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip (3/5)
Fresh Crab Nachos (3/5)
Cacio e Pepe Cheese Puffs (3/5)
Grilled Oysters with Lemon Dill Butter (2/5)
Spicy Pimento Cheese Spread (3/5)
Kielbasa w Mustard Dip (3/5)
Lunch: 11/14 Recipes
Chicken Pot Pie Soup (4/5)
Split Pea Soup w/Crispy Kielbasa (2/5)
Maine Lobster Stew (3/5)
Seared Tuna & Avocado Rolls (1/5)
Ultimate Tuna Melts (4/5)
Lobster BLTs (3/5)
Creamy Tomato Bisque (4/5)
Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese (5/5)
Baked Raclette (2/5)
Broccoli and Kale Salad (2/5)
Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostata (3/5)
Dinner: 15/18 Recipes
Tuscan Turkey Roulade (3/5)
Skillet Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (3/5)
Crispy Chicken with Lemon Orzo (3/5)
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas (3/5)
Smashed Hamburgers w/Carnalized Onions (3/5)
Steak Fajitas (3/5)
Roasted Sausages, Peppers and Onions (4/5)
Seared Salmon with Spicy Red Pepper Aioli (3/5)
Baked Cod w/Garlic and Herb Ritz Crumbs (3/5)
Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara (3/5)
Shrimp and Linguine Fra Diavolo (3/5)
Baked Rigatoni w/Lamb Ragu (3/5)
Spring Green Spaghetti Carbonara (4/5)
Truffled Mac and Cheese (3/5)
Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata (4/5)
Vegetables & Sides: 9/15 Recipes
Roasted Broccolini and Cheddar (3/5)
Roasted Cauliflower w/Lemon and Capers (3/5)
Charred Carrots (2/5)
Cheddar and Scallion Creamed Corn (4/5)
Roasted Shishito Peppers w/Easy Hollandaise (2/5)
Fresh Corn Polenta (3/5)
Puréed Potatoes w/Lemon (3/5)
Outrageous Garlic Bread (3/5)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Orange Butter (2/5)
Dessert: 1/15 Recipes
Black and White Cookies (2/5)
5 Stars: Amazing, Loved
4 Stars: Really Good, Will Make Again
3 Stars: Good, Average
2 Stars: Didn't Like
1 Star: Hated
In a word: Unremarkable. I understand that this cookbook was supposed to be a step back, an exploration of classic comfort foods - but that doesn't explain the overall lack of flavor. In general, these recipes are good, but underwhelming and at times a tad bit boring. Both in terms of recipes and techniques, there's very little here that you haven't seen before and very little that I would consider the best of its kind. Unfortunately, that leads me to the conclusion that this cookbook is not worth buying - you know how to cook the majority of these recipes already and you most likely won't miss the rest.
Exception 1: If you're not putting mango chutney on your grilled cheese sandwiches yet, do it - we'll never make grilled cheese the same way again. The tomato soup recipes is also a great, home-made version of Campbell's Creamy IMO.
Exception 2: The Arrabbiata Sauce is exceptional; a staple red sauce for any and all uses. Highly recommend.
Pet Peeves:
1. Ingredients: Ina has a tendency to recommend "high value" ingredients that are supposedly significantly better than their cheaper alternatives. See expensive pomegranate juice, a specific brand of fig spread or bottle of wine, and a $20 jar tuna.
She also has a tendency to introduce high end ingredients where they're absolutely not necessary. See Lobster BLT's (the lobster was a bland detractor vs. a flavorful component), Truffled Mac and Cheese (this one may be personal as I do not like truffles), and Lobster Bisque ($100 soup).
Overall, the result is a cookbook full of recipes that may need to be adapted or paired down for the average American household - not a winner in terms of accessibility. Couple that with the general lack of 'wow-factor' taste and I'm left asking "Why?"
2. Name Dropping: Friends w/Rob Marshall, film director; John DeLuca, actor; Miguel Flores-Vianna, photographer; Eli Zabar, restaurateur; Emily Blunt, actress; Rolando Beramendi, chef ...
Just to name a few. Not to mention the remarkable number of global restaurants mentioned. Okay Ina, we get it: You know a lot of fancy people and dine at a lot of fancy places. #unrelatable
3. White Washing:What happens when a very old-school, White-American cook is asked to produce Mexican recipes? You get incredibly White-American "Mexican" food.
There are 1) Chicken Enchiladas with French goat cheese vs. cotija, queso fresco or oaxaca; 2) Breakfast Tacos, scrambled eggs with Montery Jack and avocado that happen to be served in tortillas; and 3) Steak Fajitas with no chile - Old El Paso could probably do it better.
Cocktails: 9/12 Recipes Completed
Ultimate Bloody Marys (1/5)
Frozen Palomas (4/5)
Pomegranate Gimlets (4/5)
Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip (3/5)
Fresh Crab Nachos (3/5)
Cacio e Pepe Cheese Puffs (3/5)
Grilled Oysters with Lemon Dill Butter (2/5)
Spicy Pimento Cheese Spread (3/5)
Kielbasa w Mustard Dip (3/5)
Lunch: 11/14 Recipes
Chicken Pot Pie Soup (4/5)
Split Pea Soup w/Crispy Kielbasa (2/5)
Maine Lobster Stew (3/5)
Seared Tuna & Avocado Rolls (1/5)
Ultimate Tuna Melts (4/5)
Lobster BLTs (3/5)
Creamy Tomato Bisque (4/5)
Cheddar and Chutney Grilled Cheese (5/5)
Baked Raclette (2/5)
Broccoli and Kale Salad (2/5)
Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostata (3/5)
Dinner: 15/18 Recipes
Tuscan Turkey Roulade (3/5)
Skillet Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (3/5)
Crispy Chicken with Lemon Orzo (3/5)
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas (3/5)
Smashed Hamburgers w/Carnalized Onions (3/5)
Steak Fajitas (3/5)
Roasted Sausages, Peppers and Onions (4/5)
Seared Salmon with Spicy Red Pepper Aioli (3/5)
Baked Cod w/Garlic and Herb Ritz Crumbs (3/5)
Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara (3/5)
Shrimp and Linguine Fra Diavolo (3/5)
Baked Rigatoni w/Lamb Ragu (3/5)
Spring Green Spaghetti Carbonara (4/5)
Truffled Mac and Cheese (3/5)
Spaghetti Squash Arrabbiata (4/5)
Vegetables & Sides: 9/15 Recipes
Roasted Broccolini and Cheddar (3/5)
Roasted Cauliflower w/Lemon and Capers (3/5)
Charred Carrots (2/5)
Cheddar and Scallion Creamed Corn (4/5)
Roasted Shishito Peppers w/Easy Hollandaise (2/5)
Fresh Corn Polenta (3/5)
Puréed Potatoes w/Lemon (3/5)
Outrageous Garlic Bread (3/5)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Orange Butter (2/5)
Dessert: 1/15 Recipes
Black and White Cookies (2/5)
5 Stars: Amazing, Loved
4 Stars: Really Good, Will Make Again
3 Stars: Good, Average
2 Stars: Didn't Like
1 Star: Hated
October 26, 2020
Twelve cookbooks in, Ina Garten's recipes still have that wow factor. To wit, I've bookmarked more than half the book with Post-Its for future culinary adventures.
With what couldn't be a more timely release for the season we're in (it's the first book I've read that references the pandemic), Ina is serving up exactly what we all need — comfort food.
Of course, this isn't any ol' comfort food. My Mom may have made pot roast regularly, but never with red wine and cognac. We had our fair share of nachos on Game Day, too, but none were topped with jumbo lump crab. This book is exactly what we'd expect for Ina and yet it holds a few surprises. I never expected a chicken enchilada recipe from her (but oh how I can't wait to try them). Ditto for garlic bread, vanilla cold brew coffee, or a new take on a classic tomato bisque.
Whether you're a beginner or someone who whips up multiple meals a day, Ina's helpful tips are the difference between a decent result and something that's sublime. And despite decades of experience, it was fun hearing that she's been struggling to perfect a recipe that's been in process for years — Boston Cream Pie. If it took her this long to sign off on it, you know it's going to be good. Those personal stories, not to mention a wide array of cuisine with influences from all around the world, are what make Modern Comfort Food such a delight.
Note: I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
With what couldn't be a more timely release for the season we're in (it's the first book I've read that references the pandemic), Ina is serving up exactly what we all need — comfort food.
Of course, this isn't any ol' comfort food. My Mom may have made pot roast regularly, but never with red wine and cognac. We had our fair share of nachos on Game Day, too, but none were topped with jumbo lump crab. This book is exactly what we'd expect for Ina and yet it holds a few surprises. I never expected a chicken enchilada recipe from her (but oh how I can't wait to try them). Ditto for garlic bread, vanilla cold brew coffee, or a new take on a classic tomato bisque.
Whether you're a beginner or someone who whips up multiple meals a day, Ina's helpful tips are the difference between a decent result and something that's sublime. And despite decades of experience, it was fun hearing that she's been struggling to perfect a recipe that's been in process for years — Boston Cream Pie. If it took her this long to sign off on it, you know it's going to be good. Those personal stories, not to mention a wide array of cuisine with influences from all around the world, are what make Modern Comfort Food such a delight.
Note: I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
January 22, 2021
Gorgeous book!
The recipes are great and they all sound delicious.
I checked the ingredients list and cooking directions. Ingredients are easy to find and the cooking direction is very easy to follow.
I don’t think you can go wrong with this.
It’s all about comfort food, right?
Perfect for while staying at home because of the current pandemic.
I have selected a few recipes to try this weekend.
The recipes are great and they all sound delicious.
I checked the ingredients list and cooking directions. Ingredients are easy to find and the cooking direction is very easy to follow.
I don’t think you can go wrong with this.
It’s all about comfort food, right?
Perfect for while staying at home because of the current pandemic.
I have selected a few recipes to try this weekend.
December 15, 2020
Nice photos, but I don't know if having the book was better than online recipes unless you want to cook through the whole book. Many recipes sound good, like the lemon orzo recipe, but have a lot of steps.
November 15, 2020
What's not to love about Ina Garten's yummy cook book for this difficult year. 2020 is the perfect time to treat yourself to comfort food and Ina's just the best friend cook we need to guide us through. Wonderful recipes, great photography. Instant classic.
July 8, 2021
Comfort food - what a delightful thought! Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food Cookbook arrives on the scene at the end of a very difficult year. The author acknowledges this pandemic’ year in her introduction, and she wants to give people comfort food with a modern twist to help everyone deal with all that goes with staying at home and not visiting friends or having a party during this holiday season. She hopes people will read her book and make healthier comfort food instead of reaching for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Iac Cream. Actually, she states Haagen Daz in her book, but I mentioned B & J’s Cookie Dough ice Cream because it is a favorite of mine! The author presents recipes the she hopes will be “not just nourishing but it’s also emotionally satisfying.” I will admit that I wish to try some of her recipes such as Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Creamy Tomato Bisque, Baked Raclette (a “decadent potato, sausage, and cheese dish” flavored by Swiss, French, and Spanish foods.), Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, Emily’s English Roasted Potatoes, Smashed Hamburgers with Caramelized Onions, and, most definitely, Apple Cinnamon, Dutch Baby which I know as German Pancakes which are truly a feast for your tastebuds. This author has given us a different way to weather this pandemic! Thank you, Ms. Garten! 4.25 stars.
October 21, 2020
Recent purchase. Some good recipes-have tried two so far (stew and pan roasted chicken and potatoes). Delicious and easy to make. Off to a good start.
November 14, 2020
Love this woman!!
So good.
I think I will roll out of the house when Covid 19 is done.
So good.
I think I will roll out of the house when Covid 19 is done.
October 7, 2020
She can do no wrong in my eyes, this is pure comfort food.
December 8, 2020
Love Ina's warm writing and delicious recipes. This book was a comfort in this awful year.
December 8, 2020
Someone please let Ina out of her multi book deal. A two page spread on sauteed rainbow chard?
December 16, 2020
Ina is the master of easy and approachable cooking.
April 23, 2021
Love her! Own all 12 cookbooks! Her Boston cream pie and her lamb ragu is to die for, I fucking love Ina!
November 7, 2020
Joni says:
The Contessa strikes again! Leave it to Ms. Garten to give us what we need at just the right time – a new cookbook filled with recipes that have a modern take on comfort foods. What exactly is comfort food? The Barefoot Contessa says that “it’s food that’s not just nourishing but it’s also emotionally satisfying.” In other words, it really hits the spot! What Ms. Garten does is take a classic comfort food and bump it up a notch with a little twist of flavor that makes the dish even that much better. I’ve had this book checked out for just 3 weeks and have already made 12 of the recipes. Each and every one of them has turned out perfect and so delicious. My family and I have loved the Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, Skillet-roasted Chicken & Potatoes, Baked Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu, Fresh Corn Polenta, Chocolate-dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread, and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake.
As with all of her cookbooks (12 of them now), this one has a gorgeous photo to accompany each well-written recipe. Additionally, a recipe index that is organized by meal is included; I find that extremely helpful as it’s often easier to peruse the list of lunch or desserts to find what you want. I think this is probably one of my favorite cookbooks of hers. I like it so much that I’m actually going to buy it; I know I’ll be reaching for this book quite often.
The Contessa strikes again! Leave it to Ms. Garten to give us what we need at just the right time – a new cookbook filled with recipes that have a modern take on comfort foods. What exactly is comfort food? The Barefoot Contessa says that “it’s food that’s not just nourishing but it’s also emotionally satisfying.” In other words, it really hits the spot! What Ms. Garten does is take a classic comfort food and bump it up a notch with a little twist of flavor that makes the dish even that much better. I’ve had this book checked out for just 3 weeks and have already made 12 of the recipes. Each and every one of them has turned out perfect and so delicious. My family and I have loved the Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, Skillet-roasted Chicken & Potatoes, Baked Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu, Fresh Corn Polenta, Chocolate-dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread, and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake.
As with all of her cookbooks (12 of them now), this one has a gorgeous photo to accompany each well-written recipe. Additionally, a recipe index that is organized by meal is included; I find that extremely helpful as it’s often easier to peruse the list of lunch or desserts to find what you want. I think this is probably one of my favorite cookbooks of hers. I like it so much that I’m actually going to buy it; I know I’ll be reaching for this book quite often.
May 7, 2021
For a book that was published during Covid, I was expecting recipes with accessible and cost-effective ingredients. It's best to assume that this cookbook will do better in a post-Covid world, one where entertaining friends and family doesn't put you at considerable risk.
I appreciated how creative the recipes were. I mean chicken pot pie soup?! It can't get any better than that. That being said, many of the recipes not only use alcohol, but require it. Unfortunate for anyone such as myself who doesn't drink.
I tried the raspberry corn muffins and they weren't very good. They were tart and salty at the same time - not the best combo. I am on the other hand really excited to make the Boston cream pie, which is actually more of a cake. This recipe in particular took six years for Garten to master and incorporates orange, which I'm sure pairs wonderfully with the chocolate. I will update when I've made the cake.
Links:
Boston Cream Pie Recipe
Boston Cream Pie Recipe Review + Tips
I appreciated how creative the recipes were. I mean chicken pot pie soup?! It can't get any better than that. That being said, many of the recipes not only use alcohol, but require it. Unfortunate for anyone such as myself who doesn't drink.
I tried the raspberry corn muffins and they weren't very good. They were tart and salty at the same time - not the best combo. I am on the other hand really excited to make the Boston cream pie, which is actually more of a cake. This recipe in particular took six years for Garten to master and incorporates orange, which I'm sure pairs wonderfully with the chocolate. I will update when I've made the cake.
Links:
Boston Cream Pie Recipe
Boston Cream Pie Recipe Review + Tips
December 18, 2020
Ina Garten, one of my favorite TV cooks, offers this new recipe collection. Grouped into cocktails, lunch, dinner, vegetables & sides, dessert, and breakfast, featured menu items include cider and alcoholic beverages, appetizers, soups, salads, pasta dishes, seafood, vegetable "casseroles" such as ones you'd find at a church potluck, cookies, cakes, Boston cream pie, cereals, muffins, hash browns, and even iced coffee. Everyone will find something of interest. I've made dishes similar to some of these, but I'm certain to try a few of these in the new year. I may deviate from her recipes when they call for something like mustard or mushrooms, ingredients I can eat but don't really like well enough to want to add in a dish. (Besides I'm allergic to funguses, so avoiding mushrooms is something I should do.) Those things are easy enough to leave out, and sometimes an ingredient substitution can be made. I love Ina's cookbooks, and this one combines great photography with usable recipes.
October 29, 2020
I received Ina's new cookbook as a Good Reads give-away!!!!!!!
I read cookbooks like I read fiction - cover to cover. Each recipe is like a new chapter. Every part of the day is represented with new recipes to try. With the title of Modern comfort Food you can try recipes that are not necessarily new but always with a touch of Ina elegance like her own special steak frajitas, smashed hamburgers with carmelized onions or skillet roasted chicken and potatoes. Each has its own special ingredients that make it very typically Ina Garten. There are more than several recipes that I am going to try. Of course, her tips and narratives are written directly to the reader. The pictures, as always in her cookbooks, are gorgeous 8 X 10 glossies that totally enhance the book.
This cookbook will be a continuous big hit for me!
I read cookbooks like I read fiction - cover to cover. Each recipe is like a new chapter. Every part of the day is represented with new recipes to try. With the title of Modern comfort Food you can try recipes that are not necessarily new but always with a touch of Ina elegance like her own special steak frajitas, smashed hamburgers with carmelized onions or skillet roasted chicken and potatoes. Each has its own special ingredients that make it very typically Ina Garten. There are more than several recipes that I am going to try. Of course, her tips and narratives are written directly to the reader. The pictures, as always in her cookbooks, are gorgeous 8 X 10 glossies that totally enhance the book.
This cookbook will be a continuous big hit for me!
October 6, 2020
Ina does it again! I don’t know how she managed to make a book that not only has beautiful pictures, her warm and comforting words (so needed right now), and recipes that all—as in every one!—sound delicious and straightforward. Yet she has. Thank you, Ina, for giving us just what we needed at the right time.
February 1, 2021
Every dish is a good one. She's the GOAT as far as I'm concerned.
October 20, 2020
I used to watch Ina on cable and she was such a joy to watch. She had this calmness about her and the way that she moved through the kitchen, putting her recipes together, it all seemed so easy. I've tried a few of her recipes and they've been great, so I thought I would love this cookbook. I also love cookbooks. I have quite a few cookbooks (my husband thinks I have too many) and I also subscribe to some cooking magazines, but I like to read and try different things (within reason). When I saw "Modern Comfort", I thought who doesn't love comfort food? You know how some people definitions are different? I think this is one of them.
I love many things about this cookbook but the recipes themselves, they just don't do much for me. I'll get to that in a minute but let's talk about what's great about this cookbook. The cookbook is very attractive and pleasing to look at. It's definitely a heavy one too, with 256 pages. I liked the smooth, glossy pages and the page count includes the two recipe indexes yes, I said two! She has included one A - Z index and one index that breaks the dishes into their specific categories. These categories include breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, vegetables & sides, and desserts. The author also made a reference to these categories at the bottom of each page, down by the page number, so you know where you’re at when you’re looking inside the cookbook. I like these little extra touches. Each recipe gets a 2-page spread with the recipe on one side and a picture on the other. Detailed, step-by-step directions are easy to follow and each recipe includes a small paragraph about the recipe too. The recipe includes how many it will serve but not the individual serving size. It might say, "Serves 6" but it doesn't say how big each serving size is.
The book itself is set up by categories, the ones I mentioned earlier. The first section is Cocktails. Listed on one page, it has all the recipes for that section. I thought it would have been nice, had she also listed the page number for each cocktail on this page. I know that the recipes go in sequence according to this list, and I know that I can go back to the indexes but having it here would be helpful.
I found there were only about 5-6 dishes inside this cookbook that I found comforting. When I was thinking “comforting”, I was thinking pasta, meat, potatoes, salads, soup and “modern” to me meant, making these foods healthy and/or easier to prepare. This is where I was confused. I found inside this cookbook Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara, Roasted Shishito Peppers with Easy Hollandaise, Maine Lobster Stew, English Lemon Posset, and Pomegranate Gimlets. These didn’t sound comforting to me. These seemed rather fancy to my everyday life. It’s a beauty of a cookbook but it’s just not one that would get much use at my house. 3.5 rounding up to 4 stars
I love many things about this cookbook but the recipes themselves, they just don't do much for me. I'll get to that in a minute but let's talk about what's great about this cookbook. The cookbook is very attractive and pleasing to look at. It's definitely a heavy one too, with 256 pages. I liked the smooth, glossy pages and the page count includes the two recipe indexes yes, I said two! She has included one A - Z index and one index that breaks the dishes into their specific categories. These categories include breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, vegetables & sides, and desserts. The author also made a reference to these categories at the bottom of each page, down by the page number, so you know where you’re at when you’re looking inside the cookbook. I like these little extra touches. Each recipe gets a 2-page spread with the recipe on one side and a picture on the other. Detailed, step-by-step directions are easy to follow and each recipe includes a small paragraph about the recipe too. The recipe includes how many it will serve but not the individual serving size. It might say, "Serves 6" but it doesn't say how big each serving size is.
The book itself is set up by categories, the ones I mentioned earlier. The first section is Cocktails. Listed on one page, it has all the recipes for that section. I thought it would have been nice, had she also listed the page number for each cocktail on this page. I know that the recipes go in sequence according to this list, and I know that I can go back to the indexes but having it here would be helpful.
I found there were only about 5-6 dishes inside this cookbook that I found comforting. When I was thinking “comforting”, I was thinking pasta, meat, potatoes, salads, soup and “modern” to me meant, making these foods healthy and/or easier to prepare. This is where I was confused. I found inside this cookbook Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara, Roasted Shishito Peppers with Easy Hollandaise, Maine Lobster Stew, English Lemon Posset, and Pomegranate Gimlets. These didn’t sound comforting to me. These seemed rather fancy to my everyday life. It’s a beauty of a cookbook but it’s just not one that would get much use at my house. 3.5 rounding up to 4 stars
October 22, 2020
It's not secret that I love comfort food and there are some really great recipes in this collection. From fig and cheese toasts to spicy pimento cheese spread to smashed eggs on toast, I found a lot of things I want to try. I bet you will, too.
November 6, 2020
My first Ina cookbook. She's not particularly one of my favorite chef's so I've never really paid much attention to her cookbooks or show, but I can say that I was pleasantly impressed with this one! I borrowed it from the library, but I think I might need my own copy.
October 9, 2020
You cannot go wrong with an Ina recipe.
Shelved as 'skimmed'
December 19, 2020🤤🤤🤤 I think I could handle making the croutons and the breakfast tacos. That’s it
September 26, 2021
Ina is the absolute best!😍
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