Have you seen the Food Network series, The Barefoot Contessa? Ina Garten is fantastic.
I love her recipes because they are at the same time both luxurious and simple. In addition to being an amazing cook, Ina is a truly great entertainer. The premise of her series is that Ina prepares food to entertain guests each episode. From fancy dinner parties to rustic picnics, she serves up homey and sophisticated dishes while managing to have fun and enjoy the event she is hosting. Some of the scenarios the producers have dreamed up are a bit outlandish, and I’m amused by how often she is preparing food for one of her gay boyfriends. It’s as if she has half the gays in the Hamptons on speed dial just ready to swing by for a clam bake.
This past weekend, Steve and I put on our own version of The Barefoot Contessa when we cooked up a meal for our friends Steph and Brad who recently had a baby.
We figured that they had been cooped up indoors with beautiful baby Clara for 6 weeks, and it was time we brought the BBQ to them. (So channeling Ina!). Steve made his fantastic 5 hour memphis ribs. And I made homemade mac and cheese, a corn and avocado salad and a buttermilk raspberry cake. We loaded it all up into the car and drove over to Steph and Brad’s house to enjoy a nice dinner.
Look! Someone else’s kitchen table instead of mine. Isn’t that refreshing?
No more boring food pictures with my World Market table as the backdrop. Steph is a real live professional wife, complete with place mats. I’m not pulled together enough to have place mats yet.
After dinner, the guys went outside to talk as men do… apparently when guys are being guys, that means they like to hit golf balls in the backyard.
Nice form honey!
They hit wiffle ball drives directly towards the back of the house, which I don’t truly understand. But then again, I’m not a guy.
All in all it was a great evening! It was so nice to spend some quality time with our good friends, and to watch as they mature into parents. As people start having babies, it will probably be more difficult to get together regularly, but it’s important to me to try. Just because I’m not ready to have babies for YEARS doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy my friend’s offspring. Honestly watching someone you’ve known since you were 14 hold their first born and understand how to meet that little baby’s needs is amazing.
I’m excited about growing up! Especially if it means I get to play pretend like the Barefoot Contessa more often.
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I want to come over to your house for dinner! ha ha
The baby’s cute, but I wanted to see those ribs! Seriously, Elizabeth: I think you’d be more entertaining on TV than Ina.
Ina is my FAVORITE, and what a treat for your friends to bring food to them. Nicely done!
It was fabulous! I want to get a Flip Camera and we will film our own mock episode. I’m completely serious about this. It will cut to me at home saying, “It’s so nice having friends bring you dinner. And you know that since Elizabeth is making it it will be delicious.”
That meal looks/sounds sooo good!
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