When the weather is too hot to cook, Ina Garten comes to the rescue. This collection of no-cook Barefoot Contessa recipes keeps your kitchen – from smoked salmon dishes to make-ahead salads and smart store-bought shortcuts, these dishes are summer lifesavers -no oven or stove required.
Craving restaurant-style honey walnut shrimp without the soggy batter? This recipe from Calvin Eng’s Salt Sugar MSG uses a light cornstarch coating that stays crisp even tossed in sweet Kewpie mayo sauce. Candied walnuts, blanched broccoli, and a sweet-salty glaze make it worth one ambitious weekend cook.
I made Matt Adlard’s brioche feuilletée, a buttery laminated brioche that lands somewhere between croissant and pull-apart bread. The process is time-consuming, but the zigzag shaping, glossy syrup finish, and tender layers make it a rewarding baking project for anyone looking to practice lamination or impress brunch guests at home.
A practical CSA week three recap with recipes and no-recipe ideas for broccoli, garlic scapes, cabbage, collard greens, cucumber, kohlrabi, and cilantro. From broccoli and cheese galette to stir-fried kohlrabi and West Lake soup, this guide helps make a seasonal vegetable box feel less intimidating.
Try these Spicy Cucumber Margaritas with a Tajin/Sumac Rim! Inspired by Ina Garten’s spicy margarita, this version combines jalapeño-infused tequila, cucumber juice, lime, and honey. It’s a refreshing, spicy drink perfect for summer, with a salty, citrusy kick from the rim.
Crispy five-spice fried eggplant sticks, dredged in rice flour and served over tangy labneh with a sweet-sharp black vinegar syrup — this Win Son cookbook recipe delivers restaurant-quality crunch and flavor at home. Topped with cilantro and cayenne-spiced cashews, it’s the ultimate crispy-creamy-tangy-spicy appetizer for Taiwanese-American food lovers.
Ina Garten’s Watermelon & Arugula Salad upgrades the classic watermelon and feta combination with peppery arugula, fresh lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan. Sweet, salty, bright, and refreshing, this easy summer salad is perfect alongside grilled chicken, steak, seafood, or burgers, with a feta version available for traditionalists.
In my CSA week two recap, I’m sharing how I used carrots, garlic scapes, kale, komatsuna, napa cabbage, red onions, and scallions without letting anything go to waste. From garlic scape pesto to roasted napa cabbage and shrimp fried rice, these are the recipes, no-recipe ideas, and preservation tips that worked.
Welcome! After spending 7 years teaching myself to cook by working through all 1,300+ of Ina Garten's recipes - Julie & Julia style - you've found the place where I share my latest kitchen adventures.