Ina introduced me to the magical bread salad that is panzanella, and my summers have never been the same. Ina reworks her classic version of toasted bread cubes, red onions, tomatoes, pepper and cucumber tossed garlic/Dijon vinaigrette and swaps out the basil and capers for the even better (IMHO) feta and Kalamata olives.
Be My Guest is back! And Ina’s celeb BFF, Jennifer Garner, is the special guest for the season premiere. Ina and Jennifer team up to turn the volume up on Jennifer’s go-to pizza recipe.
The brief fiddlehead fern season has arrived in Maine! I immediately grabbed these young shoots of an ostrich fern at the farmers market and decided to recreate a version of the dish that made me fall in love in them in the first place: Andy Ricker’s Phat Phak Kuut
Back in those pre-pandemic days when I wasn’t working from home full-time, one of my favorite lunch spots near our office was La Pecora Bianca and my favorite dish was their farro salad – no wonder with the similarities to my other favorite: Charlie Bird farro salad from Cook Like A Pro!
My favorite of Ina’s meatball recipes – it’s delicious mix of sirloin, veal, and pork always comes out moist and tender.
If the 50+ previously named restaurants won’t suffice, here are some additional food-related recommendations that didn’t quite fit any other list!
Ina’s version of mac and cheese features a rich and creamy béchamel sauce infused with sharp cheddar, gruyere, and a touch of nutmeg. After tossing the cheesy goodness with the pasta, it’s all poured into a casserole dish. It’s topped with fresh tomato slices and a generous sprinkling of fresh bread crumbs then baked until golden-brown and bubbly.
Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad is a dish I’ve made countless times. It’s the perfect contrast of flavors and textures resulting in a very satisfying salad with farro, arugula, tomatoes, sliced radish, pistachios, and shaved parmesan all dressed in a lemon vinaigrette.