Barefoot Contessa (2002–…): Season 21, Episode 3 - Bread and Butter - full transcript

I'm Ina Garten,
the Barefoot Contessa.

I'm having a party,
and you're invited.

Surprise!

Happy birthday.

To Frank.

Cheers.

Let the celebrations begin.

I'm helping my adorable,
new Barefoot recruit

throw a housewarming party.

Lidey's just moved
to East Hampton,

and she's got a crowd of friends
coming to celebrate.



I'm cooking up delicious
make-ahead dishes

with lots of local flavor
for a fabulous, easy-food table.

Flame-grilled tequila
citrus chicken,

a huge bowl of divine,
fresh corn and avocado salad,

and a big platter
of roasted summer vegetables.

The secret here is to make it
in advance,

set it up, and you're done.

Then all that's left
for Lidey to do

is have fun at the housewarming
with all of her friends.

-- Captions by VITAC --

Closed Captions provided by
Scripps Networks, LLC.

When Lidey was talking about
doing a housewarming,

I thought, "Party?"
I couldn't help myself.

I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun
to help her get it all set up?"



And the easiest thing
for a housewarming

is to do a big food table.

Everything goes
right on the table,

it's all room temperature,

and that way, Lidey can be
a guest at her own party.

So the first thing I'm going to
make is corn and avocado salad,

and I'm starting
with fresh corn.

So what I did was I cooked
the corn for three minutes

until it was just tender,

then took it out and put it in
ice water to stop the cooking.

Now I'm going to cut it
off the cob.

So what I do is I cut
the end off so it's really flat.

I'll show you
what a difference it makes.

And then you can, like,
stand it up on its end,

its little rear end.

And just run your knife
right down between the kernels

and the cob.

See, they just come off
like that.

It's really easy.

We're going to do a food table
that's a combination of things

that we make
and things that we buy.

I want this to be really easy
for her.

This corn looks so sweet.

So it's avocados and jalapeños,
red onions.

I know it's tempting to use
frozen corn,

but it's so much better
when it's fresh.

Okay.
Done with that.

Okay. Big bowl.

I'm just going to break this up
when I put it in

so that it's all kernels.

Can't wait to taste this salad.
Looks great.

I think Lidey's gonna love it.

Okay.
That's the corn.

So the next thing
is grape tomatoes --

two pints of grape tomatoes.

I think they're great
if you can find them.

If you can't,
cherry tomatoes are fine.

So Lidey and I made a plan.

I'm going to do the cooking.

She is going to get the cottage
all set up,

which is no small task
when you've just moved in.

And she's going to do
the shopping, too.

This is my first
housewarming party,

and I know with Ina's help,
it'll be a great success.

So I had an idea for Lidey
for the food table.

For the props, I told her

she should get things
that do double duty.

So for example, for the flowers,
I suggested she get a pitcher

so she can use it as a pitcher
or a vase.

Wow, this is beautiful.

What do I need?

Dish towels to use as napkins.

Ooh, I like these.
These are going to be perfect.

And maybe for something to hold
the utensils, you know,

with the forks and the knives,

maybe she should get
some coffee cups.

Ooh, I like these.

And Ina says I can put
silverware in them

for the party.

Okay, here you go.
Thank you so much.

Thank you.
Have a nice day.

Okay.
That's the tomatoes.

Into the bowl with the corn.

I've sent Lidey
to the hardware store

because isn't that the first
thing you realize

when you move into a new house
and have a party?

You forgot to get a corkscrew.

Okay.
So the next thing I need

is a galvanized bucket
to chill the wine.

And a corkscrew.

Perfect.

So next is red peppers.

And these are actually
from Amber Waves.

The theme of this food table
is local ingredients.

I always try
and use local things,

and they're such great
purveyors here.

But the others, I thought
it'd be a great way for Lidey

to get to know the local
purveyors and farmers.

So, she is shopping locally.

I love Amber Waves.
I love what they do there.

Let me tell you about it.

Amber Waves is farmed
by two adorable girls --

Katie Baldwin
and Amanda Merrow.

It's really cool because
they run it as a nonprofit,

community-supported agriculture
and education project.

And they're growing more
than 100 varieties of fruits,

vegetables, and flowers.

It's incredible.

And it'd be lovely

to have some Amber Waves produce
on Lidey's housewarming table.

I love the salad.

It's just building all kinds
of fresh ingredients.

Okay.
Next is red onion.

I have a cup
of a chopped red onion.

It's also from Amber Waves.

Right into the bowl.

Nice thing about this

is you can really customize it
for yourself.

If you like something better
than something else,

put it in or don't.

A quarter of a cup of jalapeño.

Amazingly, that's also
from Amber Waves.

Okay.
The zest of one lime.

That's not from Amber Waves.

Can't grow limes
in this climate.

Next is four avocados
that I actually diced

and tossed
with fresh lemon juice.

Just keeps it
from turning brown.

Okay.
Next, the dressing.

So it's a half a cup
of freshly squeezed lime juice,

which gives it
a real Tex-Mex flavor,

half a cup of good olive oil,
2 teaspoons of kosher salt,

a teaspoon of freshly
ground black pepper,

a teaspoon of minced garlic

and a half a teaspoon
of cayenne pepper,

so it's got some heat.

So that's just
a classic vinaigrette

with Tex-Mex flavors.

You want to pour it
right over the salad.

This looks so good.

Just looks so fresh, doesn't it?

Okay.
Give it a big stir.

Mix everything
with the vinaigrette.

Make sure it sort of soaks
into it.

This looks gorgeous.
I love the colors and flavors.

I think Lidey's friends
are going to love it.

So I think I'll just put it
in a big serving bowl.

Big serving bowl.

And just leave it
in the refrigerator

until I'm ready to go
to Lidey's.

And that's a gorgeous
corn and avocado salad.

Next for the food table,
roasted summer vegetables

and a fabulous grilled
tequila citrus chicken

and a simple dessert platter.

It's a recipe for a really
successful housewarming.

Lidey.

There's a new member
of the Barefoot team.

Her name is Lidey,
and we're crazy about her.

She's just moved
into a new cottage,

and she decided to do
a housewarming for her friends,

which is such a great idea.

And I decided
I was going to help her.

I thought the best thing
would be a big food table --

all room-temperature food.

It's going to be
the easiest thing for Lidey.

These roasted vegetables
are perfect for a food table,

and they're so easy to make.

I just cut four zucchinis
diagonally

in three-quarter-inch
thick slices.

They'll seem large, but
they'll shrink when they cook.

I put bell peppers
on a second sheet pan --

two red peppers
and two yellow peppers.

Next, the fennel.

I removed the stalks

and cut them right through
the core in big wedges.

The key here is to cut it
through the core

'cause the core
holds the pieces together.

You want big pieces
on the platter.

So they went
on the third sheet pan.

And then on the fourth sheet
pan, two small red onions

sliced into quarter-inch rounds
leaving the slices intact.

Then I drizzle over
4 tablespoons of olive oil,

sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of
minced garlic, toss them gently,

very gently, season them
with 2 teaspoons of salt,

a teaspoon of pepper,
and, finally,

I just put eight sprigs
of fresh thyme leaves on top

just to flavor them.

I roast the vegetables
at 375 degrees for 15 minutes,

take them out, turn them,

and put them back
for 5 to 10 minutes

until they're just tender.

So this is actually
the simplest of platters.

It's just roasted vegetables.

But I find if I put them
in groups of colors

instead of mixing them together,
it looks so dramatic.

So one of the things
about a food table

is you don't want
just three things,

like the meat and the vegetable
and the side dish.

You really want
more things on it.

So I've sent Lidey
to Cavaniola's --

it's the cheese shop
in Sag Harbor --

to get a fabulous cheese board
for the table.

I'm Lidey.
I work with Ina.

Hi. Ina said
you were coming today.

You need some help
with a cheese plate.

I do.
I'm having 10 people over.

Good.
We can help you with that.

Okay. Great.

So to make
a great cheese plate,

you're going to need a cow,
goat, and sheep's milk cheese.

Okay.

The first one we're going to
start with is monte enebro.

It's a goat's milk cheese,
full-flavored,

and it has
a great texture.

Okay. And where
is this one from?

This one's from Spain.
Okay.

The second one
is a sheep's milk cheese

from the French Pyrenees
called abbaye de belloc.

It's mild.

It has a more firm texture

than the first one
that we chose.

And the third cheese
we're going to do

is...a really nice,
creamy cow's milk called...

Okay.
...brillat savarin.

It's a triple crème
from France,

and it's very, very creamy,
unlike the other two.

It looks great.

Now, you could just stick
with these three,

and that'd make
a great cheese plate.

But because I know Ina loves
Neal's Yard Dairy cheeses,

we're going to put
a montgomery's cheddar

on the board as well.
Okay.

So a general rule of thumb

is you don't need more
than three or four cheeses.

You want a good mix
of texture, color, size.

If you're having more people,
just cut the sizes bigger.

And we just need
to finish off the tray.

Add a few things
that go with cheese to eat --

the crackers
and dried fruit.

Make it look pretty.

These are a nut
and fruit cracker.

They add a lot of texture
to the plate

and a lot of contrast,
which is nice.

Yeah, they look good.

These are dried figs.

And I cut some open

just to be able to see
even more texture.

Dried figs and fresh figs
look beautiful...

Great.
...on a cheese plate.

I love figs.
It looks great.

These are
dried cranberries.

The tartness
of the cranberries

is very good with the cheddar
and the goat cheese.

Lastly, we just need
a little green.

So I have some sprigs
of rosemary

and then some leaves
from the fig tree.

Great.

Do you need
anything else today?

Actually, I do.

Could I have two
of those baguettes?

They look amazing.
Of course.

Let me get all this
wrapped up for you.

And you'll be all set.

Thank you so much, Tracy.
I really appreciate it.

You're welcome.
Enjoy.
Thanks.

For Lidey's housewarming,

I thought the main course should
be tequila citrus chicken.

It's kind of a twist
on a Barefoot classic.

I'm going to grill it now

and then she's going to serve it
at room temperature.

So it's perfect for a buffet.

Okay. Fill the charcoal grill
with hot coals.

Put the grill on top.

And I always like to brush
the grill with a little oil

just to keep it from sticking.

There's no point in making
really delicious chicken

if it sticks to the grill.

Okay.
And then the chicken goes on.

And since I'm using
all local ingredients --

Well, as much as possible --

The chicken is from Iacono Farm,
which is right down the road.

I get my chicken and eggs
at the farm,

like so many locals
and restaurants in the area do.

Sadly,
we lost Mr. Iacono recently,

but happily his family
have taken up the reins

and are doing an incredible job.

Chicken from Iacono is so good.

And this marinade's amazing.
It's got great flavor.

And the chicken sits it
in overnight,

so it really gets
into the center of the meat.

It's so easy.
Let me tell you how I made it.

So in keeping with Tex-Mex vibe,

the marinade starts
with one cup of gold tequila.

Then one and a half cups
of freshly squeezed lime juice,

a cup of freshly squeezed
orange juice

and half a cup of freshly
squeezed lemon juice.

Next, it's 2 tablespoons
of chili powder,

2 tablespoons of minced,
fresh jalapeño peppers,

without the seeds,

2 tablespoons
of minced, fresh garlic,

4 teaspoons of kosher salt,

2 teaspoons of freshly ground
black pepper.

The marinade ingredients
just get combined.

And then finally,
the chicken gets added --

12 boneless chicken breasts
with the skin on.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
and refrigerate it overnight.

And that's all there is to it.

Okay.
Salt and pepper.

Why is it true on a barbecue,

the smoke is always
wherever you're standing.

Guaranteed.

It's fantastic.
Okay.

Chicken needs to cook for five
minutes on the first side,

skin side down.

Next, when the chicken's done,

I'm heading to Lidey's to help
pull the party together.

I'll be sharing secrets
of arranging a food table

and making a delicious
short-cut dessert platter.

Lidey.

Tequila lime chicken

is the main course
for Lidey's housewarming party.

So I've cooked the chicken
on one side for five minutes.

I'm just turning it,

cooking it for 10 minutes
on the other side.

This is going to be so fantastic
on the food table.

So while I finish the chicken,

Lidey's at home preparing
her new cottage for a party.

So for flowers, Ina thought

I should do something simple,
like hydrangeas.

And they're just beautiful
in my new pitcher.

So I borrowed these hurricanes
from Ina

to add just a little bit more
height to the table.

So the chicken's done.
It's barely cooked.

The key to chicken is that you
want to let it rest under foil,

and it'll finish cooking
that way.

And then it's going to be
fantastic, be tender and juicy.

Okay. Last one.

It's fantastic.
I think it's perfectly cooked.

Okay. I'm just going to cover it
in foil, let it rest.

Its going to be so juicy.

And then I'm going back
into the barn.

I'm going to collect everything
for the food table

and a few extra things

and some delicious wine.

And I'll be ready for the party.

Fantastic.

Okay.
So we've got the cheese board,

the bread basket, the plates,

the knives and forks
and the mugs

at the side of table
like Ina said.

Hi, Ina.
Hi, Lidey.

This is so exciting.
I know. I can't wait.

I can't wait
to see the cottage.

Thank you so much.
So good to see you.

Okay.
Ready for the food?

I just have a few things
for the party.

Okay.
Oh, my gosh!

Think there's enough?
There's a few.

We've got our work
cut out for us.

We have to set up
the buffet.

So are you in charge
of the...
Great.

...corn and avocado?

I'll take
the roasted vegetables.

And we'll be back
many times.

I know.

Okay. So the first thing
I'm going to do

is set up the platter
of tequila citrus chicken.

And since chicken on a plate
doesn't look so great,

I'm going to put
hydrangea leaves

that I took from the hydrangeas
in front my house.

So I'm just lying the chicken
out very simply,

right on the leaves.

And then, because it's citrus,
but you really can't see it,

I'm just going to put
some lemons in.

It'll not only flavor it,

but then everybody's gonna know
that it's citrus.

All I have to do is unwrap
the corn and avocado salad.

This looks so good.
Really fresh.

And the roasted vegetable
platter's all ready to go.

Just have to unwrap it.

Wow, that looks great.

Okay, Lidey.

I'm going to show you
how I set up a catering table.

Okay.

This is 30 years
of catering experience...

Oh, my gosh.
...in one minute.

So the chicken's
right there.

And what I like to do is
actually have a little height,

so everything's
not the same.

It gives it
a little texture.

Avocado and corn salad
goes there. Okay.

Here you go.
Oh, fabulous. Right there.

Front and center.
Isn't that gorgeous?

You can lift that up.
Mm-hmm.

In order to give
a little height here,

put these two dishes
upside down.

Oh, that's a great idea.

And just put that
right on top.

And I think we'll unwrap it
at the last minute.

That looks great.
Did you do this yourself?

I wish.

It looks really great.
Take credit for it.

Thanks.
Yeah, okay.

Okay. Let's see.
We've got...

I did a platter
with grapes and figs.

Okay.
Want to bring that?

I'll get that, yeah.
Great.

It's great having a helper.

Okay.
Oh, great.

I don't know if you know this,
but I love red grapes.

You do?
They're my favorite, yeah.

Oh, I nailed it.
Oh, excellent.

I just think it's nice
to have something

just fill out the table.

And then we have figs and grapes
to go with the cheese.

Okay.
Oh, fantastic.

Okay.

So I'm going to do half this
basket, I think, in bread.

And I cut it almost through

so it still stays in the shape
of a baguette.

People can just break off
a little piece, yeah.

They can just break
off a piece, yeah.

Okay. We're going to put this
right here.

Okay. Great.
So how'd we do?

I think it looks beautiful.
Doesn't it look great?

I can't believe all this food
fit on the table.

Well, that's
the height thing, too.

I think it really --

You can slide things
underneath other things.

I know.
And it doesn't feel too crowded.

Oh, good.
It's great.

Dessert platter?
I think so.

We're on it.
All right.

Next, the clock's ticking down

to Lidey's first party
in East Hampton.

So, we're pulling together
a country dessert platter.

Then, it's time for a party
to celebrate Lidey's new house.

Lidey.

Lidey's just moved in
to an incredible little cottage

in East Hampton.
Oh, thank you.

And she's giving
a housewarming

and I thought, "I could
help you do this."

I could use your help.
"I used to be a caterer."

So I told her one of the rules
of catering

is you don't have to make
everything yourself.

So we did some things

and we're going to make
a dessert platter.

So I brought all kinds
of incredible things

from Sag Harbor Bakery
that are incredible.

And we'll do a really great
dessert platter.

Okay. Great.
I'll show you how to do it.

They look delicious.
Aren't they great?

So I chose things that have

different textures and colors
and shapes.

So they all look good
on a platter.

Do these look good?

That's a joke.

I don't know which one
I want.

And pecan bars.
Oh, I love pecan bars.

I think we'll do
quadrants of things.

I would never think
to do that.

That looks great.
You wouldn't?

Oh, good.
Oh, good.

This is what we used to do
in the store.

I did them
for, like, 20 years.

Oh, my.
I can imagine.

Can you imagine
how many we did?

Okay.
Then, we have cookies.

So the shape is round there.
Lemon.
Okay.

So we have a nice,
round-shape cookie.

And we have
chocolate cookies.

Oh, those look
really good.

Oh, don't those look
decadent? Incredible.

So, I have biscotti
because I thought

that's a different shape
and a different texture.

Oh, yeah.
Does that look nice?

Maybe something green
underneath them.

I want to have as much texture
as possible

and not have it too busy.

So I would tend to take maybe
five different things or six.

Okay.
So you just...

You have a little bit of
texture, but it's not a mess.

Okay.

I actually always put
something that's fruit.

So long-stem strawberries
are just fantastic.

Right there. Just pile 'em right
up in the middle.

And then there are
some lemon bars.

Where are we going to put
these lemon bars?

I think we can kind of
slide these guys over.

Oh, perfect.
How's that?

Okay.

And I'm even going to put
even more on. Yeah.

And that's
a dessert platter.
Oh, my gosh.

I mean, and you didn't
have to bake a thing.

That's gorgeous.
How easy is that?

Okay. Let's see how this looks
on the table.

How's that? Think anybody
will like dessert?

Oh, no, not at all.
This looks beautiful, Ina.

I think we're all set.

I think there a couple things
to do.

You're going to light
the candles.

Right.
Put the wine on ice.

That's right.
And unwrap the cheese.

There we go.

And that's all
you have to do, right?

And you can tell everybody
they're local ingredients.

Oh, they're going
to love that.
Except maybe the lemons.

That's okay.

Have a wonderful party.
Thank you, Ina.

Thank you so much
for your help.

It was so much fun.
Will you call me at the end?

Absolutely.
It's our secret.

Okay.
Nobody will know.

I'll tell them
I did it all myself.

Exactly.
All right.
Thanks, Ina.

Now, that's going to be
a fun party.

I know. In the summer, this
cottage is going to be amazing.

It's so perfect.

There is so much good produce
in the Hamptons.

That's kind of something
that surprised me, actually,

about living here

is all the farmstands
and the local stands.

Oh, this food is so
delicious. I'm so impressed.

Well, my plate is
already empty.

Hey, guys.

I just want to propose
a toast to Lidey.

Thank you so much for having us.

Thank you guys
for being here.

To Lidey.

Cheers.
To Lidey.

Cheers.

- Hi, Lidey.
- Hi, Ina.

I just wanted to let you know
that the party is fantastic.

Isn't that great?

I'm so glad you called.

Thank you so much, Ina.
Good night.

Bye, Lidey.

Wow. Well, my first party
was a total disaster.

I'm so glad Lidey's
was a major success.