Cookbook Review: Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?

I know this review is long overdue. I’ve had this book for a while now. But I’ve had bronchitis twice, the flu, and then a sinus infection, and I wanted to give this the proper attention. (Are you sick of hearing about me being sick? I’m sick of talking about it. Let’s move on, then.)

I went through this book, page by page, as soon as I got my hands on it. I’m a big, huge fan of Ina Garten because her recipes are fool-proof. Some are more involved than others but the emphasis, in her latest book “Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?” is on “her easiest recipes ever.”

Right off the bat she will tell you this book is about saving you time, but that “these aren’t recipes with three ingredients that you can throw together in five minutes before dinner.” These are tried-tested-tested-tested-and-true recipes you will turn to time and time again because they worked the first time, they worked the second time, and you know they will work any time after that. (Read to the bottom for recipes from the book, courtesy the good people at Random House Canada).

Quick and dirty review of recipes I’ve tried:

Old-fashioned banana cake: This cake was moist and tasty, as cakes with overripe bananas usually are, especially when they are smeared with cream cheese frosting. But I wasn’t completely wowed by it. Anyone should be able to whip this up, and I guess I was looking for something that was a bit more of a challenge, and that I couldn’t buy at a good bakery just around the corner.

Roasted vegetable frittata: I have made this countless times, at least once a week. It’s one of five dishes I can count on my son to eat, and I roast my vegetables the night before, so it literally takes me minutes to assemble this and put it in the oven. Served with a baguette, I have a quick, nutritious weeknight meal.

• 1 whole bone-in turkey breast (6½ to 7 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• ¾ cup dry white wine

Directions:

This is the essence of simplicity, celery root enriched with chicken stock and cream so that all you taste is that fresh celery root flavor. I serve this with a simple roast pork and a bottle of full-bodied Chardonnay; I’m in heaven. You can easily make this a day in advance and reheat it before dinner.

• 5 pounds celery root (2 large)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel the celery roots with a large chef’s knife and cut each one in half. With the cut side down, cut it in 1/2-inch dice, removing any brown spots. Be careful—keep your fingers out of the way of the knife!

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery root and saute for 3 minutes, stirring to coat with the butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once, until the celery root is very tender.

In batches, transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and reheat gently over low heat. Check the seasonings—it should be very highly seasoned—and serve hot.

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe is inspired by a cranberry pie from Sarah Chase’s book Cold Weather Cooking. My friend Barbara Liberman calls it “easy cake”—I call it delicious.

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• ¼ freshly squeezed orange juice
• 11⁄8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1⁄8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.