Cooking in Cassandra’s Kitchen

After years of talking about it, Cassandra and I finally got together in Cassandra’s actual kitchen earlier this month to cook! It was honestly the perfect way to celebrate @storeboughtisfine‘s 4th Anniversary (How can it have been 4 years already!?)

If you’re not familiar with Cassandra, she’s the co-owner of Cassandra’s Kitchen – an online store offering an amazing selection of Ina’s favorite kitchen tools, dinnerware, glassware, ingredients and more. Not only that, she’s also the daughter of Ina’s long-time assistant whom we all know and love, Barbara Libath. She grew up in East Hampton and her family has been long-time friends of Ina and Jeffrey’s – she even worked at the Barefoot Contessa store when she was in high school! You may remember her from a couple episodes of the show including Beach Volleyball Picnic.

Realizing there was a big demand for items Ina uses in the kitchen, Cassandra and Cindy Parsons opened up Cassandra’s Kitchen in 2008 as a one-stop-shop for many of Ina’s favorites things. I was already a fan of the store when three years ago Michelle from their team reached out to see if I had any interest in becoming a Brand Ambassador. I didn’t have to think twice – it was a natural fit, their products were beautiful and after one call I knew this was the beginning of something special.

While I feel like I’ve known the team forever, I only met Cassandra once (we both happened to be in the Hamptons a couple years ago) and had never met Cindy or Michelle. So when I mentioned that my friend, Stephanie, and I were planning a trip to Philly to check out South Philly Barbacoa, Michelle suggested that we stop up at Cassandra’s for a day of cooking and drinks. There was no way we were turning down that invite!

Steph and I arrived the night before the big day and were welcomed to Michelle’s house with a fabulous meat and cheese board (wish I snapped a pic!), glasses of wine, and great conversation with her, her husband, and their three boys. It was the perfect kickoff for the next 24 hours!

In the morning, we headed to Cassandra’s – for a whirlwind day filled with great music, lots of laugher, delicious food and wonderful company. For our lunch menu, we decided to keep it light (😉):

Fruit & Cheese Board

Green Herb Dip with Veggies, Barefoot Contessa at Home 

Filet of Beef with Mushroom and Blue Cheese, Cooking for Jeffrey

Pumpkin Mousse Parfait, Barefoot Contessa at Home 

The day flew by, but luckily Lindsey (@takeitoutside) was there to capture some fabulous shots:

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I think we all left questioning why we hadn’t done this sooner! It was great to finally meet Cindy + Michelle and see Cassandra again. They are a phenomenal team with a lot of heart. Stephanie and I were welcomed into Cassandra’s kitchen with open arms –  it was a privilege to spend a day surrounded by these smart, funny and talented women. I’m one lucky guy to get to work with them. This isn’t just a partnership, we’ve built a friendship that I hope will last for many years to come.

Love you guys and can’t wait to cook with you again!

xoxo
Trent

P.S. Stay tuned on Instagram for more pictures and recipes this week and check out more of our day at Cassandra’s blog!

photos: Lindsey Clark @takeitoutside