Message Boards

Hi girls, can anyone remember what the white chocolate with the fruit and nuts was called? I have white chocolate in the cupboard and it's crying out to be used....
Great programme tonight, turkey, stuffing ........ ahhhhggghhhh!!

cornetto - yes it looks like the same design as her old kitchen which is why it's a bit confusing!! If you get shots of this kitchen she has a door off the kitchen at either end where as the kitchen in her house to one end she had the wall of the fridge then to the left of that an opening to her walk in storage cupboard. Her new kitchen looks much much bigger!

Oh to have such a kitchen - it's the stuff of dreams......

loving the new series Back to bascis ,Ina such a joy to watch have done many of her wonderful recpies.

Is it the same style as her kitchen though.

Homelovingirl - carrot salad surely its too healthy?!! Just make sure you add a pound of butter!!!

your choc truffles sound nice - post them to me

I spent most of this week trying out different cake recipes for my food blog and had to give them away to my neighbours or I would eat the them all. they're is a stash in the freezer otherwise OH would complain!

Have you noticed how big Ina's new barn is???

Hi girls
I made the Carrot Salad tonight, so it's in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. I had been meaning to try it for a while, fortunately the recipe is in the Back to Basics book. It's gorgeous, I will need to go on a diet after all these chocolate recipes! Ha, ha!
I always make my simple chocolate truffles when my son and daughter come back home, it's crushed digestive biscuits, cocoa powder, condensed milk and butter,(melted together), plus shredded coconut. Roll mixture into bite sized balls and roll in fine coconut or chocolate vermicilli, (or chocolate strands). The coconut coating is nicer, place in little petit fours cases or similar. They look nice given as a little gift for someone. Bang goes the diet again!

Thanks Azelia. I shall be making these scrumptious chocs, and place them in boxes and give out to families and friends, as presents. Don't tell Ina.

hi cornetto here's the link:

[link]

if you have trouble with it the website is www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa

What is the American site for Inas recipes please.

Cornetto if the recipe is not on her American site, is just melted white chocolate spread on baking parchment thickly and while still warm add your favourites toppings, nuts, dried fruit, coconut, crushed maltesees or even whole maltesers - ooh that just got my imagination going. whole malteases on white chocolate with dried strawberries would look fab in my opinion! Mmm going to try that...

I would start with around 300g of white choc but also you cold try milk or dark choc. Make certain you buy good quality choc especially white choc otherwise all you are paying for is vegetable oil and sugar. On the back it should have cocoa butter not veg oil. Usually found at cake ingredients section of supermarket or the organic Greens & Black do a very good quality white choc, with the vanilla seeds in them.

Homelovingirl your choc cake sounds nice - send me some

Adrian - totally agree with you on naming recipes if you are taking them from someone else. But as far as the white choc one is concerned Ina did not come up with that idea herself. The white choc bars with bits in it have been around for a few years in the speciality choc shops. Ina does a lot of classic recipes - tuna niçoise as an example, you could hardly attribute that to her, but for example the way she served it was a fresh idea. Chicken and thyme and lemon is not her original, its a Med classic. Steak with black pepper, onion rings made with cornmeal also done before Ina came along.

To buy someone's packet mix and carrying it off as your own is really bad though. Usually if I take an idea from someone I will acknowledge where the idea came from and the new twist I've put in. I've just finished doing a Spanish omelette today for my blog and I can hardly say I invented that!

Azelia - Only too happy to have stirred things up! Although to be fair I think with the new series starting it would have happened anyway. Do you make sure you pass some credit to Ina for your chocolate bars, as one of my customers got rumbled with some Lemon Bars the other day trying to pass them off as hers without realising her friends son works in my shop and saw her buy the mix! Cheeky !

I think the barn IS the same size as the house! I will ask where the door in the kitchen leads to......

Hi Girls, yes, I also liked the look of the white chocolate with the fruit on it! This would be a bit of a change from the Refrigerator Cake that I have been making recently. I've used chocolate, butter, dried cranberries, sultanas and broken Rich Tea biscuits, a variation on the Rocky Road that's so popular. Then before the chocolate has set, sprinkle with shredded coconut, yummy! All this good food, it's putting the weight on the old waistline!
I liked the look of Ina's Chicken Bouibaise recipe tonight too

I thought she was still cooking from her house the kitchen looks just the same as the one in her house. I like the white cocolate with fruit too, i might try it too where can I get the recipe? Thanks Azelia.

Well, well well....It's been an interesting read. At last some action on this board it went dead for a while. I was beginning to think all of Ina's fans died of all the butter they eat including myself.

Adrian - you have obviously stirred the board somewhat. As you can read they're are some hardcore fans here.

Have been enjoying watching the new series. Has anyone notice that the barn she is now cooking from looks like the same size as her house?!!

That new kitchen has doors that lead otherside of the kitchen - I wonder where they lead to?

The white chocolate with the fruit and nuts she made yesterday looked like the bars of chocolate you can get from Hotel Chocolate and they cost something like £14. Which made me think I could make that for presents! I shall go and experiment with different combinations like milk choc & white choc together and so on. At Hotel Chocolate they have things like crushed biscuits, marshmellows, nuts. I shall post it on my blog when I've made it and attribute Ina for my inspiration!

JenJen - sorry to hear you haven't been well. How's the wedding plans coming along?

Homelovingirl - where I live I can get the coconut in my local health food shop, if you have one close to you they may also sell them.

Hi Adrian, I am in the south-west of Scotland, so reckon that I could be Ina's greatest fan in Scotland anyway! I can remember a couple of years back saying to my Mum that I looked forward to the Barefoot Contessa every night. My Mum's reply was, "Gosh that's a very old film"!! I promptly said, "Goodness no, not the Ava Gardner film, I mean Ina Garten"!
Anyway, I have found shredded coconut locally in Castle Douglas, it's a Food Town in south-west Scotland and have used that, it's a bit longer than the usual dessicated coconut. Great on top of Coconut Cup Cakes or any cakes, awwwwwww, no don't mention cakes, I have no willpower!!

I think she'd be delighted if someone started a fan club (don't look at me! That might be a bit wierd!). I'm just happy to pass on letters (three arrived this morning - you guys don't hang around do you?!) and answer questions. In answer to one - yes I'm getting in the shredded coconut and the kosher salt. Any other items you have 5 days to let me know!

Hi Adrian, you've really started something now! Anyway, I think that as I was the first one to comment after you left the message, then it's only fair that I get to go with you!
Seriously though, maybe we could start up an Ina Garten UK Fan Club and organise a trip out there then we could visit the area.

Babsky - I've not been to Ina's house, I know her more on a professional work level. Although from what I've seen of it, it's pretty nice! I know Jeffrey is still working at Yale but not sure about any retirement plans. I'll ask.
Alc28 - yes my shop is in Bath.
Cornetto - I'll let her know. She'll be thrilled that she is so popular. Although you might have a fight on your hands with a few other bloggers with regards to the 'best fan' claim!

Adrian please tell Ina I am her best fan I watch her everyday, give her all my love. Enza

Like everyone else has said please tell Ina how much she is loved over here in blighty and ask her to please come and visite as she would be a sure sell out.

Adrian is your shop in Bath?

Adrian - have you been to Ina's house? How many bedrooms does it have?

She's got a beautiful large garden that she can use it to grow veg & herbs to supply local restaurants surely?

Has Jeffrey retired yet?

Thanks.

Hi Sally - (my real name is still Adrian!) It wasn't my intention to make everyone envious - I'll have no friends left at this rate! It's only a business trip this time to see what new baking mixes and marinades she has bought out as they are really popular. I don't think she'll be cooking!

I don't think I'll have a problem with her wanting to coming over, it's her 'people' that make the decisions, and they are a little trickier to persuade as they want gauranteed numbers of people to show up etc, which is much easier to do in the U.S. But hey, you never know!

Hi HomeLovinGirl31 and AdrianB44115 - it's great to read your comments.....lovely to have discussions with true Ina fans - love it! And AdrianB44115.........I would absolutely love you to let Ina know how much of a following she has in the UK. Please, please, please, try and encourage her to find time to come over here some time. I watched the first if her new Back to Basics series last night and thought it was fab - like you HomeLovinGirl31, was delighted to see TR back on the scene - he's lovely and seems to have a very relaxed relationship with Ina (think she's known him since he was 15!). I'm really envious of your forthcoming trip AdrianB44115 and hope you can work your persuasive ways on Ina to arrange a trip to the UK - we're all relying on you (no pressure then!!). Say Hi to Ina for me (my real name's Sally....not really Mildredmouse!). Bye to everyone for now! XXX

Hi Babsky. I tried to organise her coming over to the U.K. last year to do a book signing at the Good Food show in Birmingham but had to cancel at the last minute as her book tour in the U.S. was extended. The closest I got was offering signed books at my shop (which I can't mention here but you should be able to find it online easily enough!). I have known her for a couple of years now as she was introduced to me by Jim and Jonathon from Stonewall Kitchen in Maine who make her range of food. I have lots of people who ask questions about her and I am more than happy to answer them. Anything I don't know I'll just call her or her P.A.

Can you pass a question for me Adrian -

Any chance for Ina The Contessa visiting UK & popping in to MK anytime soon???

And pls let her know she has numerous fans in UK.

Also do you know her personally??