Category: The Kitchen Journal

All the notes from my kitchen, including the Barefoot Contessa recipe reviews, my original recipes, herbal recipes, and more.

Recipe #14 Parmesan Chicken

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This recipe can be found in Family Style.

One of the recipes I made for Saturday dinner was parmesan chicken. But, I have a confession to make. I bought the wrong cheese! Instead, I bought a combination of grated Pecorino Romano NOT Parmesan. So, since I kind of messed up the title ingredient, by review won’t be too long.

This recipe is very simple to make since it is essentially fried chicken cutlets. However, the addition of cheese to the bread crumbs is what really sets it apart. And if I’m being honest, I think the Pecorino Romano cheese added even better flavor than the parmesan would have.

I also decided not to serve this recipe with the recommended salads greens and lemon vinaigrette. But, it is still worth trying. It’s a simple meal than can be any night of the week and can easily accommodate and please a large group of friends.

Did I make sides for this? Yes, yes I did! I made two basic recipes: mashed potatoes and a separate carrot dish. Those reviews are coming tomorrow!

Happy November, by the way!

Snickerdoodle Cake

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This recipe is NOT from Ina Garten, but I wanted to show off what I made because I was really pleased with myself and how it turned out! If interested, this recipe came from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The photos are mine, however. (Hers are much, much better!)

Snickerdoodle Cake is my new love! Three layers of cake with snickerdoodle pieces spread throughout, amazing cinnamon buttercream frosting, and just all around happy dancing!

Since this is not an Ina recipe, I will NOT be going into detail about the baking process. But…I do recommend you try this cake for yourself. It was so worth the effort!

The completed and decorated cake. Please excuse the bit of wax paper hanging out from under it.

Recipe #13: Weeknight Bolognese

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Featured in How Easy Is That?

In the headnotes to the recipe, Ina says (and I’m paraphrasing) that everyone needs a quick, easy, and flavorful sauce recipe. And after trying her Weeknight Bolognese I think I’ve found it!

This recipe was super simple. It reminded me of the “old Ina” (which is the Ina I knew and loved before I started this blog) meaning that I always found her recipes to be easy. This sauce recipe came together in a little over 30 minutes but it tastes as though it cooked all day. It also seems adaptable enough to increase the amount made or to omit the beef to make a true marinara-style sauce.

The flavor in this recipe is the real hidden secret.

There are so many layers of flavor in this sauce. I never thought nutmeg in an Italian sauce would taste so good. That is just one of many different flavors. Since I did not have crushed red pepper flakes, I did a quick Google search to try to find something else. I substituted chili powder and I think it only intensified the flavor. Red pepper flakes aside, this recipes uses a lot of black pepper. Which seems to be a theme in Ina’s savory recipes.

Add in some heavy cream, oregano, basil leaves, and red wine and this sauce will surely be a winner for you as well!

I think this one needs to go on the Favorites Lists!

Excuse the messy bowl. This was taken right before I sat down for my second helping! Yes, I forgot to take one before eating my first serving…..forgive me. I’m trying to remember to take them and make them look halfway decent!

Recipe #12: Straw & Hay with Gorgonzola

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This recipe comes from “Barefoot Contessa Foolproof,” pg. 156.

The third and final recipe I made last Friday was a pasta dish! This served as the main course meal and was paired with recipe #11 (read the post here).

This recipe comes from Foolproof which, prior to the start of this project, was the cookbook I cooked out of most. I’m not really sure why, it just kind of happened that way.

Anyway, Straw & Hay with Gorgonzola is a dish that I’ve been wanted to make for a while. And let me tell you: it did not disappoint. This recipe is essentially a cream sauce-based pasta dish. But, I found it to be lighter and more flavorful than a traditional Alfredo style sauce.

The layers of flavor built into the sauce are what really make it stand out, in my opinion. In earlier recipes, I was using pancetta to add flavor but this one called for prosciutto. I have to say, I like pancetta better. It’s easier to work it and has more body to the taste than prosciutto. Another layer of flavor was basil that is added at the end, just before serving.

Unfortunately, I forgot to buy basil at the store. And now that we’re in October, all the herbs I had growing are dead. To compensate, I mixed in some dried basil. It, of course, didn’t do it justice. But it’s all I had to work with.

One of the highlights of this dish is gorgonzola used. Up until me making this recipe, I didn’t even know there were two types of gorgonzola! Did you? Apparently, there’s a creamy kind known as dolce. This is what is used in this recipe. The other kind, mountain is more peppery and crumbly. The dolce gorgonzola melted quickly and when mixed with the parmesan resulted in a flavorful sauce that could easily be used for other dishes.

Overall, this was one of the easier recipes that I made so far doing this project. I made the sauce while the pasta cooked, married the two and then served it with the salad.

Once again, I do not have pictures of the finished product. I’m still getting used to taking photos while I’m cooking and before I eat. Sometimes I forget that I’m doing all of this for the blog.

Until next time, readers. . . . . .

Recipe #11: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

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This recipe comes from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics,” page 88

The second of three recipes that I made on Friday was the side dish.

I decided to complement my main dish and the dessert, I wanted a nice Fall-themed salad. So, I found a salad that used both butternut squash and apple cider! Perfect!

Granted, I ended up serving this a bit differently than called for. The vinaigrette ended up being cool, not warm, but I’m not really sure I would like a warm dressing anyway.

Despite this dressing tasted yummy and complemented the roasted butternut squash, walnuts, and dried cranberries in the salad. I also discovered that arugula is NOT my favorite lettuce, so I may end up having to switch it out in the future. It seems like Ina uses arugula quite often.

If you are interested in making this dish, be warned that if you add the cranberries to your roasting pan for the last 5 minutes, like the directions state, you may end up with some burnt cranberries on your tray. But! It’s totally worth it. Who knew roasting dried cranberries would bring out the flavor??

Sadly, I do not have any photos of this salad…or even the main course. I get too excited to eat the things I make that I sometimes forget to snap a pic!

Please forgive me.

Recipe #10 – Apple Pie Bars

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From Barefoot Contessa Cooking for Jeffrey

Last night, I made a three course meal for myself and my family.

This post will discuss the dessert course for that meal. The other two recipes will be featured in a separate post.

Apple Pie Bars were an easy choice since we are in the heart of apple season here in New England. Plus, the salad I made had notes of fall flavors, so I figured this dessert was a great way to carry-over that theme.

These pie bars are completely different than what I was expecting! Instead of a thin crust that is found in a traditional pie, this crust is a little bit thicker and more plump. It also had some hints of flavor, until a regular pie crust. Which makes sense, since the pie crust taste shouldn’t outshine the flavor in the pie.

What really got me was the apple mixture and the topping!

The recipe called for both Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples. I think this was the first time I cooked with Golden Delicious. I think this combination worked really well and probably adds some subtle flavor differences had I used only one type of apple. Mixed with sugar, lemon juice, and other common “fall spices,” the mixture simmered on the stove for about 15 minutes and in no my house smelled of pie!

The topping is more like a crumb topping, but it’s the crust dough with the flavor turned up. I added cinnamon and chopped walnuts and boy did it make a difference! I think the topping is the best part of this dish! If I make it again, I’ll probably add some cinnamon to the bottom crust, too.

While this does a little time to make since you have to peel, core, quarter, and thinly slice 6 apples, I think it is worth it and a great option to a traditional apple pie! The apple mixture appears to work well as a base for a regular pie, too.

This recipe is going on the “My Favorites” list!

Recipe #9 – Ultimate Beef Stew

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From Modern Comfort Food, page 104.

With the release of Ina’s latest cookbook last Tuesday, I knew that this week’s cooking HAD to feature a recipe from it. So, I decided on a classic: Ultimate Beef Stew.

Let me first say, that I am not usually a fan of beef in any capacity except a hamburger. I’m not really sure why. I guess it’s a texture thing for me. Like, I don’t think I’ve had a steak in like 6 years and even then it was while I was in college and had chicken-fried steak once a month.

So why would I make a beef stew as the first recipe out of the new cookbook?

Well, we already had the beef in the freezer, so my wallet got to keep some of its money. Also, the photos of the recipe in the cookbook are so enticing that I just had to make it.

And let me tell you: I wasn’t disappointed!

While the recipe did take longer to prepare than I thought because of all of the chopping and prep work, it was worth it! The stew cooks in the oven for over two hours, which allows the meat to cook properly without getting dried out. Both the meat and vegetables were so tender when it was ready.

There were some things about this recipe that I didn’t like. First, it would take quite some time to prep alone. I would say before you even put it in the oven, you need a good hour to an hour and a half to cut everything and cook what’s needed on the stovetop. Also, like many of Ina’s recipes, the stew had a strong pepper taste throughout. And I only seasoned the amount she recommended when she recommended to do so. In fact, it was so peppery that my nose started to run!

Eating the leftovers the next day did take out some of the overabundant pepper taste, which was great for me.

Overall, this recipe was a hearty one-pot meal that surprisingly had fewer dishes than expected.

Recipe #8 – Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

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From Barefoot Contessa Family Style! page 151

Nothing says Fall in New England like pumpkin! And what better was to celebrate a very “fall” weekend with a pumpkin tart?

(Not to mention I got to use my new tart pan again — I need to get its monies worth!)

So I found that Ina’s recipe for Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart only needed a few additional ingredients from the grocery store. Plus I wanted to make a tart to try to redeem myself from the last one…..

Well now that I have made it and tried it, this one did turn out much better than the chocolate mousse tart I tried to make last weekend. However, I think there is still room for improvement.

The empty tart shell….much thicker and more even than the first one I made last week.

In contrast to last week’s tart recipe, this one called for gelatin which did help the mixture firm up quickly and nicely. However, I think the pumpkin mixture had to cook for an additional few minutes over the double boiler.

This ended up being a good recipe for me to learn from. Not only did I have another chance to improve my tart shell making skills, but I also received experience working with a double boiler. I have only a double boiler setup a few times in my life. Once when I made a homemade herbal medicine salve and the other was when I melted orange colored chocolate for Halloween.

While the double boiler worked fine the previous times since I only needed to melt something, I think I need more experience actually using it to cook/heat something well. To be honest, I think the real issue here is the fact that I do not let eggs cook long enough to allow things to thicken.

Overall this week’s tart was tasty. I was able to taste the banana throughout even though there is only one banana in the whole tart. The orange zest also made my tongue jump for joy since it was a nice, unexpected flavor profile that you wouldn’t automatically associate with a pumpkin dessert.

This tart did require A LOT of dishes, but will make a nice substitute for a pumpkin pie at the Thanksgiving table. One of the nice things about the tart over a traditional pumpkin pie is that the mousse tart is creamy and lighter than a pumpkin pie.

Completed Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

Since I did not feel like fighting with a piping bag, I decided to just spread the whipped cream on top of the already chilled tart. I then attempted to sprinkle the orange zest over it, but the zest was rather juicy, so it didn’t spread too well. Oh well! Still tasted good!!

Recipes #6 and #7 – Fingerling Potatoes, and Peas and Pancetta

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Fingerling Potatoes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 159 AND Peas & Pancetta from Make it Ahead, page 158.

To pair with my Turkey Meat Loaf, I decided I needed potatoes. After all, is a classic American dinner like meat load complete if there are no potatoes? I think not.

Luckily, Ina has numerous recipes involving potatoes. I chose for a simpler one, but also a somewhat non-traditional one since meat loaf is usually served with mashed potatoes.

Ina’s fingerling potatoes are just about as basic as you can get and it was lovely anyway. I purchased fingerling potatoes from the store and sliced them before cooking to save time. Since I had more time in the morning, after slicing them in half I filled a pot with cold water and let them sit in there on the stove (it was off) until I needed them for dinner. The potatoes were cooked until fork tender, I drained them, let them steam for a few moments while I was working on the Peas & Pancetta, then tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper.

They paired really well with the meat loaf and it was probably the most basic recipe Ina has.

The Peas & Pancetta is where we bring in the “gourmet” that is typical of Ina Garten’s recipes. Pancetta is not something that I typically cook with, so going to the store to get pancetta would have been a hurdle. I’m not sure if the deli department in the grocery store would have it. Luckily, I didn’t have to find out because where the cheeses are on display with the other cured meats, they had prepackaged pancetta already diced just how I needed it!

It was a win for me and what a great way to start the day!

When it came time to make the veggie, I sliced up the shallot and threw it into the pan with some oil, I added the pancetta and shortly after I heard little crackling noises of the pancetta searing. Once the shallot turned translucent, I added the peas, the salt, pepper, and mint. I gave some time for the peas to defrost (since they were frozen) and cook. Almost as soon as the peas were ready, the meatloaf was done.

I plated everything and served it to my family. Everyone liked it. The pancetta was a welcome change to our usual routine of having plain peas or just something out of a steamer-bag. I do think I had too many peas…I used a larger bag than called for, but it was all I was able to find in the freezer. Oh well, I got the gist of the taste.

You may be wondering if made a dessert for this meal.

Well, I did…sort of. But it wasn’t made the same day as these. I made it Friday morning, which I will discuss on Monday’s post!

Recipe # 5 – Turkey Meat Loaf

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From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 138-139

I have to admit, I was not as productive this week when it came to cooking. I made dinner for the household last night and it took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to make.

Did I want a one-pot meal type of thing? Or did I want to combine a couple recipes as an easy way to knock out more than in one day?

Well, after some deliberating and flipping through numerous pages of cookbooks, I decided I would combine three recipes to make a full meal. I also decided that I would probably be easiest for me if I kept the recipes to the same book.

That was the real challenge, though!

The first hurdle was figuring out what the main course would be. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Turkey Meat Loaf recipe out of Ina’s first cookbook. Next came figuring out the sides. Seeing as I wanted to keep the recipes in the same book, I found a recipe for fingerling potatoes which I thought would complement the meat loaf well. Tried as I might to find a vegetable recipe that interested me to pair with the meat loaf and potatoes, I realized that the The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook would not be doing it. Eventually, I found a recipe in Make it Ahead for peas and pancetta. (Post about making the fingerling potatoes and peas dish coming Sunday!)

The turkey meat loaf recipe, as written, serves a small army of 8 to 10 people (though I think that would allow for large portions), so I decided to cut the recipe in half since I only needed to feed three and I knew I would still have leftovers.

I needed a few items at the grocery store for this one, so I went and picked up the ground turkey, grown thyme, the Worcestershire sauce, and ingredients for the other recipes. When I returned home, I started to create the meat loaf, even though dinner was hours away, I figured it wouldn’t harm anything to let the meatloaf sit in the fridge for a few hours while the flavors mingled with each other.

I cooked the onions and spices as directed, letting things go for a little longer than recommended in the recipe. It wasn’t until I added the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce that things really started to heat up — or I guess in my case, smell up!

While the onion mixture was cooling, I mixed the ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and then added the onion mixture. I formed it into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet, spread ketchup on top and placed in the fridge with a piece of foil.

When dinner time arrived, I set the oven to the 325 degrees, as the recipe states. Now, since I halved the recipe, I assumed it would take about 50 minutes to cook fully. Well, that wasn’t the case. It look over an hour and the full recipe says the 5-pound meat loaf would only take 90 minutes! I think my oven temperature may be off, or Ina uses a really high-scale oven….probably both.

Once the meat loaf was done and plated, I tried some. I was impressed with how moist it was. There wasn’t a salty flavor that is usually present in the meat loafs (loaves?) I make following the Lipton soup recipe. It paired nicely with the sides I had chosen…again separate post coming at you tomorrow about that!

I think this recipe will be made frequently in my life. It’s pretty easy and really flavorful. I wonder if the flavors would be more pronounced if I had made the larger loaf? Maybe one day I’ll find out!

(Sorry, readers, no picture of this. The house was crazy around dinner time and I was also dealing with a pot of boiling potatoes and cooking a vegetable.)