Book Report: Don't Be a Chicken Fete-a-Tete 2

Book Report: Ina Garten, Stuck In Your Head

Ina. She’s been doing her thing for so long, and doing it so well, that there’s really no point in changing things up.

Make It Ahead, while it presents no real departures for Ina (and dear Jeffrey) provides more of those old faithfuls that we’ve come to rely on her for. These can all be made ahead of time, so that you can party sans preoccupations.

We might argue that Ina’s approach is as comforting as the food itself – each cookbook is familiar in color and tone, they all feature (basically) the same smiling photo on the front, they all look nice sitting next to each other on a shelf, you can mix and match them without risking confusion. Ina’s like the Billy Joel of cookbooks – her hits might look and sound the same, but every one’s going platinum. Another similarity between Ina and her neighbor out east? You AND your mom like both of them. It’s okay. You can admit it.

So even though there’s no revolution happening within the pages of Make It Ahead, cooking a few recipes from it confirmed our feelings that Ina’s the queen of scrumptious, approachable dishes that seem special without being stuffy.

The recipes in Make It Ahead draw inspiration from Asian, American, and French flavors, and allow you to spend less time in the kitchen during your party. The recipes are more sophisticated than many make ahead books – don’t expect slow cooker dishes or casseroles – and some require a smidge of your attention during your soiree. All allow you to serve something impressive without being overtaken by the task.

We started our evening out with Bruschette with Sauteed Chard, which even our pickiest boyfriends enjoyed, probably because of the lemony parmesan finish. (Tip: Blanching the chard before you sauté allows the bitterness to cook out, a great trick for any bitter greens). Then we served the Pastitsio, or Greek Lasagna, stuffed full of cheese, meats, and spices (the cinnamon was a nice touch). The cooking took some time, but we had martinis while we waited, which made the time fly by. We served the Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus as a side, and will be using that at many parties to come. It looked pretty fancy, if you ask us, and took almost no time.

Another cold fall night, we plucked the recipe for Parmesan Chive Smashed Potatoes from the book to serve with our simple roasted chicken. The result? Perfect harmony.

Chock-full of ideas for any meal from summer barbecues to fall luncheons, we’ll use this book to plan full menus (which she suggests in the end) or, perhaps even more usefully, as a quick way to finalize a meal by adding a simple starter, decadent side dish, or easy dessert.

Like all of Ina’s books, and Billy’s songs, we’ll be throwing Make It Ahead into our party rotation, where it will live on, forever, in our New York state of mind

A full – proof, make it ahead menu for your next dinner soiree:

Start with

BRUSCHETTAS WITH SAUTEED CHARD

Entree

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE

Sides

GINGERED BASMATI RICE

ASPARAGUS & PROSCUITTO BUNDLES

Dessert

SALTY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

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Ina Garten Make It Ahead Fete-a-Tete
Ina Garten Make It Ahead