Food & Home

Brunch with The Barefoot Contessa

Beloved all over the planet (not only for her food), Ina Garten has become an inspiration in the kitchen for so many of us. Her ease, warmth, and grace make her shows as delectable to watch as her food is to eat. Ms Barefoot Contessa herself invited me over to cook and eat two recipes out of her new book How Easy is That?. (Who knew homemade ricotta could be on the table in 25 minutes?) Ina, her best friend, the wonderful Barbara Liberman (who served as photographer), and I sat down in the garden to enjoy the delicious brunch after what seemed like only 15 minutes of prep. It was one of my most perfect mornings ever.

Love,
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Making Herbed Ricotta Bruschette


Photographs by Barbara Liberman

We started making the ricotta, mixing 4 cups of milk with 2 cups of cream and some salt.

It quickly came to the boil and we added 3 tablespoons of vinegar. In 60 seconds it began to curdle.

We strained it through cheesecloth, left it to sit for 20 minutes and voilĂ ! Fresh ricotta.

Then we stirred in the fresh herbs, which we had chopped.

We made bruschetta and topped it with the cheese mixture. We made green salad to go on the side.

A perfect brunch.

Recipes from How Easy is That?

Ricotta

Ricotta

Never buy ricotta again! Ina Garten (a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa) shows us that making cheese is easier than we ever thought.

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Herbed Ricotta Bruschettas

Herbed Ricotta Bruschettas

Serve this herbed ricotta bruschette for a perfect brunch or as an antipasti on a warm evening with a crisp white wine.

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