I simply adore Ina Garten, star of the TV show Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, which is is a 30-minute cooking show with an emphasis upon easy entertaining. In the latest This & That post on the blog The Simply Luxurious Life, I learned that her season premiere airs at 10:30 AM on Sunday. I hardly ever watch TV, so I thought that catching this episode was something different I could do during my weekend. The show far exceeded my expectations. It turned out to be Italian-themed!
This season of the show celebrates Ina’s new cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey, which is to be released on October 25th. Jeffrey is her husband and they are such a cute couple. To my surprise, Ina prepares an Italian-themed birthday dinner party for Jeffrey in this episode. She made bruschetta, meatballs, polenta, and a salad along with a spritz. His birthday gift was a trip to Florence! I enjoyed watching the episode and might watch more of the season. Furthermore, I can see her recipes and tips inspiring my own cooking and entertaining.
The previous photos show my view from the sofa. I was recently given a gently used flat screen TV. I love this wonderful gift, particularly to hostess movie nights. I haven’t done so yet, but it would be nice to do with the girls in the winter. Like I said, I rarely watch TV, so sometimes, it sits in the living room and other times, it is stored in my walk-in closet. Since it’s not out all the time, I haven’t dealt with all those unsightly cords. Oh well.
I walked to Target this morning for a flu shot. Because there was a delay at the pharmacy, I killed some time by shopping for two household items and spontaneously grabbing a tall cappuccino from the in-store Starbucks. By the time I was finished, the pharmacy was ready to help me. It was nice to sip my delicious Italian coffee while viewing the cooking show featuring an Italian meal. I love embracing a theme.
I watched the episode this morning. I really want to make that apero cocktail she made. I have no idea what apero tastes like though!
They kept saying "spritzer," but in Italy, it's known as "spritz." It's a popular drink and I usually have it when I visit Venice. Aperol is a orange colored and flavored bitter. Mixed with prosecco and club soda, it's refreshing. At least it's nice to drink a local specialty on the edge of a beautiful piazza! I have an unopened bottle of Aperol, I should pick up the other ingredients so I can have it at home plus describe it better to others!
What a coincidence, I caught this show too! Of course, I just had to run out to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients for the salad and bruschetta 😉 it's nice to think we are all connected in this lovely way… Happy Sunday 😉
I love meatballs so I might look at her recipe… I will not be replacing my beloved pasta with polenta though! I also think her salad may inspire me to play around with different lettuces. I like the taste of arugula with the color of the radicchio. Not sure about her topping for the bruschetta, but I should replace the chopped tomatoes with something and have that dish more than just in the summer.
It is nice to belong to a like-minded community! Have a wonderful meal! Buon appetito!