Monday, January 7, 2013

Foolproof Giveaway

We had a fun weekend visit from Dad and my step-mother, Ellen. The kids adore Dad because he brings them gifts (this time it was light up rings), he tells jokes that they find funny (notice that they might not be objectively funny, but the kids like them), and he plays games and colors with them. One of Dad's favorite activities with the kids (especially the Boy) is drawing flags. Don't ask me how this activity got started, but Dad and the Boy will spend hours creating flags of fictitious countries or improving on the flags of actual countries. This visit Dad got the Baby in on the activity by showing her all the U.S. state flags. The Baby and the Boy thought that the New Mexico flag could use some improvement. In case you were wondering, the flag looks like this:



I think the New Mexico flag has an understated elegance, but it's not very flashy or interesting like say, the Isle of Man flag:



Honestly, I'm not sure what's going on there. Parasitic twin? Also, did you know that Andy Garcia had a parasitic twin? That link is to a list of ten celebrities with "strange physical flaws." I feel certain that many, many men have looked at Megan Fox and thought, "I'd hit that, but for her stubby thumbs."

Back to the flags. So, they designed some new flags that were more colorful than the original New Mexico flag and Dad promptly packaged them up in envelopes and sent them to to the Governor of New Mexico, who will, I am sure, put them someplace safe:


My major accomplishment of the weekend was finally learning how to properly cook salmon. For Christmas, Mom gave me a copy of the new Barefoot Contessa's aptly-named cookbook, "Foolproof." So, here's the deal with cooking and me. It's not that I'm a bad cook, I just don't like spending a really long time cooking something that only 2/5th of the family will eat and then cook several auxiliary meals to feed everyone else. It dawned on me recently that there are people who enjoy the actual process of cooking. To me this is like enjoying the process of getting dressed. Yes, I like to have something to eat and I want to get dressed, but I don't relish the steps it takes to achieve those ends.

All that being said, I really love all the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Does this make sense given my self-proclaimed dislike of cooking? Yes. Her recipes are fairly quick, with easy to follow directions and the resulting food will be really good. So, I made salmon and melting cherry tomatoes and it.was.so.delicious.

The good news for you all is that I happen to be too lazy to return the copy of "Foolproof" that I ordered for myself before receiving my gift copy for Christmas. The reason that this is good news is because I am giving away my extra copy!


So, I've never done a contest before, so here are my guidelines (such as they are):

1. Leave a comment with your favorite Barefoot Contessa recipe from any of her other cookbooks.
2. If you don't have a favorite recipe, make something up, i.e., "I really like her smoked turtle fritters with creme fraiche and shaved chocolate."
3. That's it.

I will announce a winner (picked via random number selection) next Monday, January 14. May the odds be ever in your favor. (Note: Despite the "Hunger Games" reference, the winner will not be required to battle to the death with other OWTL readers.)

17 comments:

  1. Love, love, love Ina. I am always making her Rosemary Cashews so when I flipped through a few of her other books (yes, I have most of them, but NOT the new one) and came across another fancy mixed nut recipe, I decided I had to try it. I can't remember the name, but it had maple syrup and chipotle powder and was delicous! Also made her roasted shrimp cocktail on New Year's Eve. Yum.

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    1. I love cashews and I have a rosemary plant that is overtaking my back steps, so I will have to try that recipe!

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  2. Her Mac and Cheese is ridic! This ain't your Paula Dean 6 sticks of butter and velveta block kinda thing. It's the real deal and will put in in a Gruyère and carb coma. Bliss.

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    1. I love mac & cheese and hate the stuff in the box that is all powdery orange fakeness. The real thing is the only way to go.

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  3. Big fan of Ina's recipes. At Christmas I made her potato fennel gratin. My in-laws were not going to eat it when they saw me with the fennel bulbs (that's going to taste like licorice!) - joke was on them...they loved it. It is more of a potato au gratin with Gruyere. The recipe is in her The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

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    1. I've make that potato fennel gratin, too! It was so good.

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  4. Well, since there is more than one Robin in your life, let me clarify that I am the one who lives around the corner and shares your affinity for idle advanced degrees, childhood ailments and the Mouse.

    I do not have any of Ina's cookbooks, although I am someone who enjoys cooking. I made her potato salad last year from the Food Network web site, and it got rave reviews!

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    1. Ha! Yes, I think the other Robin may be Robin C., but perhaps another Robin is out there lurking. Thanks for the correction below. Apparently this was my big typo post which makes me think I may be able to get a job as an editor at the NYT!

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  5. P.S. Next Monday is January 14, although I probably shouldn't tell you that, since my odds are better if you close it tonight!

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  6. I just bought the book, so no need to enter me. I made the flank steak last week that was good, not great. I know I've made lots of her recipes, but the pomegranate cosmos from "Back to Basics" stand out as a fave of mine.

    Can't wait to try the salmon. Cooking fish is tricky.

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    1. I'm totally entering you and if you win you can regift it :) or give it away on your blog. The salmon recipe does appear to be literally foolproof.

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  7. I really liked her turtle fitters (fritters?) with creme fraich but without the shaved chocolate.

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    1. Yes, I don't think a fitter is a thing you'd eat, but may be someone who does large-scale plumbing work. I don't think that Ina has any cannibalism recipes. Thanks for the catch!

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  8. Hi Susannah! It's Virginia Q - I used anonymous b/c I'm too lazy to figure out all the other choices. I love Ina. I covet her life. She's ridiculous. Sadly, I usually use her most basic recipes. Like 'roast bacon' (not kidding) and green beans (haricots verts). I've made her coconut cake though and it is terrific.

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    1. Hi VAQ! Did you know that she flipped houses in D.C. before opening her store in the Hamptons? And, before that she worked for one of those government agencies with initials that does something important but I don't understand? I'm with you on the basics because sometimes it doesn't occur to someone that you might need to know how to do that first, before you make the fancy stuff. Do you know how many times I've googled "how to cook hardboiled eggs"? Literally every single Easter for the last 10 years.

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  9. Hi Susannah, I came across your blog through the decatur mamas group. I enjoy reading your blog. To answer your question, I love Ina's Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe. I dont own any of her books yet but found this recipe on the food network. It takes time to make it but its so worth it.

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    1. Thanks so much for finding me! You cannot go wrong with chocolate cake and I agree, from scratch is the best if you have time to do it!

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