Girl's Night Out with Ina Garten

Last Wednesday, Girls Night Out was planned around seeing Food Network star Ina Garten (a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa) speak at the Cobb Energy Centre. My girlfriends and I started our evening with a spectacular dinner at Muss & Turner’s, followed by Ina’s show at which she shared with us her philosophies on life, cooking, and loving what you do! If you happened to miss An Evening with Ina, pull up a chair…I’m going to share with you now some of the highlights (and surprises!) of the evening

Ina’s a HUGE Taylor Swift fan and admitted to the audience (unapologetically, I must add!) that she listens to Taylor’s music to get “pumped up” before filming a show. I can easily imagine Ina listening to Michael Bublé or Frank Sinatra, perhaps some obscure little French singer…but Taylor Swift? Surprising!
Many of Ina’s recipes are simplified versions of recipes from Julia Child’s cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She explained that today’s ingredients are much better than they were years ago and dishes can be cooked differently as a result (i.e. less cooking time for her Boeuf Bourguignon vs. Julia’s because today’s beef is much more tender).
Ina’s Food Network show Barefoot Contessa was actually copied after Nigella Lawson’s BBC cooking show (same producer) and averages ONE MILLION viewers per episode.
Interestingly enough, Ina and Martha Stewart are really close friends! Wouldn’t you LOVE to be a fly on the wall when one invites the other over for dinner?
For hostess gifts, Ina prefers to give Frans Caramels www.franschocolates.com . I have to admit, I’m a little surprised she doesn’t prefer to make her own hostess gifts (maybe a pound cake or a fancy spice rub)? I wonder what Martha Stewart thinks about this???
Ina revealed that she had never dined in Atlanta and didn’t know much about items produced locally. BUT, she did let us know that she loves Duke’s mayonnaise!
Ina said that the best piece of advice she has ever been given was from her husband, Jeffrey. From the very beginning, he’s said, “Do what you love to do – if you love it, you’ll be good at it!”.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about our Girls Night Out with Ina. But of course, no Girls Night Out is complete without the perfect cocktail to get the party started! Below is Ina Garten’s recipe for Pomegranate Cosmopolitans, make a big pitcher, they’re sure to be a huge hit!

Pomegranate Cosmopolitans

Serves 6

2 cups good vodka

1 cup orange liquer (recommended Cointreau)

1 cup cranberry juice cocktail

½ cup pomegranate juice

½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)

Thinly sliced limes, for garnish

Combine the vodka, orange liquer, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and lime juice in large pitcher. Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice, pour the cocktail mixture in, and shake for a full 30 seconds. Pour into martini glasses, garnish with a slice of lime, and serve immediately.

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