29 things we learned from Ina Garten

Ina, Bobby, and Ree are names that we use regularly in our conversations as if they were our friends. In some ways they are. We studied these celebrity chefs on the Food Network for years when writing our dissertations in linguistics. With hours of watching their cooking shows and poring over their cookbooks, we learned their brands inside and out and their idiosyncrasies too. We aren’t the only ones either who have been influenced by celebrity chefs. Rachael Ray is another household name and has helped others as well in their daily cooking.

This post starts a three-part series where we share what we’ve learned about in cooking and lifestyle from our favorite celebrity chefs. We’ll start with Ina Garten, a cookbook author and cooking show host of Barefoot Contessa of Food Network. Ina makes entertaining fun and possible with fool-proof and make-ahead meals, as promised in her book titles.

Here are 29 tips we’ve learned from Ina Garten.

1. Measure everything—precision ensures perfection. The recipe will turn out perfectly every time if you measure everything, such as 1 teaspoon for salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper for roasted summer vegetables and a scoop-and-level cup of flour for sheet cake.
2. Make it ahead- the key to having a low-stress dinner party is to make as much ahead as you can.
3. Entertain for breakfast, then everyone has the rest of the day open.
4. Play on everyone’s strengths. Have your friends contribute in their own way. In the episode “Brunch Bunch,” florist Michael Grimm brings flowers and photographer Miguel Flores takes photos of the brunch table. In “Bread and Butter,” Eli Zabar brings his famous bread. In “Just Candy,” Lauren Dylan brings a candy display.
5. Entertaining should be fun and easy- make one thing, buy the other two courses.
6. Use high-quality ingredients-  “good” vanilla extract; “good” extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from California); “why use an ingredient that doesn’t taste good?” Ina asks.
7. Entertain like a pro- learn to make a buffet table corner with a pressed tablecloth.
8. Make muffin mixes the day before, then bake in the morning. “The last thing I want to do is get up at 5 o’clock in the morning to make blueberry coffee cake muffins,” says Ina.
9. Sift dry ingredients when baking. “No one wants lumps” in their muffins and pancakes.
10. Make homemade chicken broth. Ina always has quarts of homemade chicken broth in the refrigerator and freezer.
11. Greet friends and loved ones with hugs. Affection makes everyone feel welcome.
12. Add more butter than you think. “I said that this would be delicious not diet food” says Ina when adding melted butter to a potato pancetta frittata for a breakfast buffet
13. Support the local community- Ina buys fresh eggs and vegetables from her East Hampton’s community. The show often features the farmers and store owners
14. Learn from chefs- Ina asks her favorite restaurant chefs to show her how to make dishes like grits and red eye gravy in Brooklyn.
15. Give generous servings- make four souffles for three guests or twelve muffins for two ensures plenty of extra helpings and leftovers for guests to take home.
16. Use a 2:1 ratio of salt to pepper (1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper). Ina measures salt and pepper precisely.
17. Enhance dessert with berries- Ina loves to add berries, especially raspberries, to bread pudding, trifles, chocolate cake, fruit salads; the delicate, tart rosy berry adds contrast and color to a beige-colored sweet dessert.
18. Serve white chocolate- Ina loves to make her own white chocolate bark and add pistachios, cashews, and dried fruit like dried cranberries and apricots.
19. Add pure vanilla extract to desserts- vanilla has a “bitterness” that rounds out the sweetness of desserts.
20. Add coffee to chocolate- instant espresso powder or cooled drip coffee bring out the chocolate flavors, such as in this birthday chocolate cake.
21. Have things look like they taste- “I like to have things look like they taste like- vanilla bean seeds to yogurt flavored with vanilla extract.”
22. Garnish the dish with one of the key ingredients, such as banana chips for banana crunch muffins. Garnishes add texture and flavor, and cue the eater on what to expect.
23. Use natural ingredients for table decorations- flowers, oranges, apples, fig leaves, hydrangea leaves, branches, or cookies with guest names piped on each cookie.
24. Add sour cream when baking to add moisture.
25. Arrange a monochromatic flower bouquet- multiple flowers in one color are a modern, simple composition.
26. Toss the egg shells into the sink- we’ve always wanted to ask Ina why she does this… and how she gets the egg shells out.
27. Keep the main ingredients big so you can really see and taste the ingredients- big chunks of salmon in smoked salmon frittata, dill, parsley, chives; large chicken pieces for chicken salad.
28. Use extra-large eggs- Ina learned from her catering days and running a food specialty store how to cook high volume on a budget; extra-large eggs are more for less.
29. Have a common theme when giving a gift basket. Take orange for instance: orange zest in walnut date loaf, orange marmalade, orange cream cheese, whole mandarin oranges, orange juice, raspberry muesli with orange zest.