Ina Garten--April 6, 2017

The Recipe Club theme for April was Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa! My stomach is still full from the giant feast we ate. She has quite a few cookbooks out and those who came picked some good ones! I've never made her food before, and I enjoyed going out of my comfort zone and trying some of her recipes.  I think everyone else did, too!

Get ready for some tasty recipes from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa!

 I made the Old-Fashioned Banana Cake. It was very easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for the cake to cool in order to slather on the creamy, cream cheese frosting. If you like bananas, this is the cake for you. There is a very strong banana taste (which is okay with me, since I could probably eat a whole bunch of bananas a day!). Interestingly, there is also the zest of one orange, which helps to brighten the flavor. A definite crowd pleaser!

 Kathy made Cranberry and Apple Cake. With a subtle tartness, the cranberries and apples melded to create a perfect balance of flavors (and the sweet smell invited us in for more!).  The aromatic scent of cinnamon filled the room and always pairs nicely with cranberries and apples.  Can't wait to try in the fall with fresh picked apples!

Jan brought a creamy Mac & Cheese.  It has everything you could want in a luscious mac and cheese...milk, tons of cheese, and bread crumbs on top for some crunch. This recipe also adds tomatoes on top, which gives a little acidity to the dish!

Lydia cooked Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. It was a light, pleasing dish perfect for the summer months. There was an abundance of feta cheese and basil, and even some pine nuts for crunch! The roasted veggies deepened the flavor of the overall dish. She felt the color of the orzo was darker after it cooked, but it tasted delicious and everyone loved it!

Diane brought Roasted Shrimp and Orzo. Having a lot of fresh herbs, this recipe had a pleasant, earthy taste. Another perfect dish for a summer picnic! She used less shrimp than the recipe called for, but there was more than enough shrimp for everyone!

Trudy whipped up some tasty Raspberry Crumble Bars! The raspberry jam gave the bars a sweet taste and paired well with the almonds on top. The bars themselves were doughy and Trudy would rather not push the dough up the side of pan but instead leave it on the bottom so there is a better ratio of dough to jam on the outer pieces.  There is even granola in part of the dough, so I could eat this for breakfast or dessert!

Anna made Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad.  This salad looked beautiful and also tasted great.  The roasted beets and the goat cheese gave the salad a hearty, earthy taste and paired well with the tangy balsamic vinaigrette. The color of the beets were a deep, dark red, which was very appealing to the eyes. I have four beets in my fridge at home and I'm definitely going to be using them to make this dish!

Pat R. hand-crafted these easy cookies: English Chocolate Crisps. With only 4 ingredients, what's not to love about a simple, easy (and chocolatey) cookie!

Pat R. also made Baked Farro & Butternut Squash. She used pearl barley instead of farro (farro has a nutty flavor), and Tuscany seasoned chicken stock.  There is even bacon in it! It is a flavorful and hearty side dish!

Marie made Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  They were crispy and chocolatey, exactly what a chocolate chip cookie should be. However, she said the cookies spread too much and could use more flour. She also noted that the recipe is similar to the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe.

Sue S. made Lemon Chicken Breasts. The recipe calls for chicken breasts with the skin on, which she found at a butcher shop. The skin helped to keep the chicken moist, and not dried out. It had a bright, fresh lemon taste that complemented the oregano, thyme, and garlic.  

Jennifer made Caramel Panna Cotta. She serves the panna cotta with seasonal fresh fruit instead of the caramel sauce. The panna cotta was light and creamy and the fresh fruit was an excellent addition to pair with it.

Bill also made Mac & Cheese, although he altered the recipe by omitting the tomatoes (he doesn't like them). This creamy mac and cheese has the addition of nutmeg, which imparts a nutty and sweet flavor to the dish. A very good mac & cheese with a nice crunch on top!

Sue R. made Lemon Cake! She used a lot of lemons, and it paid off! This cake had a bright and refreshing lemon flavor. However, she did find that it was too labor intensive, and she would probably never make it again--too many steps. That being said, I thought the cake was totally worth it!

Sue R. also made Garlic Roasted Potatoes. It was an easy, breezy recipe! The potatoes were perfectly crisp and salty...and garlicky since the recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic. Very tasty!

Rose Mary brought a couple of recipes with her, too! One was the Lemon Chicken that Sue S. made and Chocolate Ganache.  She watches The Barefoot Contessa and saw her make it on her show.You can always turn it into a frosting, too, if you beat it in the mixer after it cools.

All in all, this was quite a delicious Recipe Club meeting.  All of the food was tasty! I left with plans to use these recipes again! For more Ina Garten recipes, check-out some of her cookbooks at one of your Milwaukee County Libraries or find her recipes on her website or the Food Network! Tune in for her new show on the Food Network called "Cooking Like a Pro."

Getting hungry? Join us May 4 at 6:30pm in Franklin Public Library's Fadrow Room. The theme is Rachael Ray! All you have to do to join is to cook a dish from the monthly theme, and bring the dish and the recipe to the meeting! It's as easy as pie! See you soon!