Ina Garten's Panzanella

Or if you don't feel like clicking the link, here's a Youtube of her recipe.

Where does Barefoot Cuntessa buy her large, billowy shirts?

R3 - I once knew a fat chick who always looked great - had a whole wardrobe of billowy shirt/dress outfits in flattering colours and patterns. Turned out she was a great amateur seamstress herself and made them all. Doubt if ina makes her own - but sure she gets someone to run up shirts with the appropriate billow whee we she needs em.

OP - the recipe looks fine to me - and I love panzanella! - but usually I take day old sourdough bread and just pop it in the oven for ten minutes - with maybe a drizzle or spray of olive oil olive onnit. Think that frying it up might be overkill?

Obviously I mean to say a drizzle or a spray of good olive oil. Also made sure you use only good sourdough bread - and good tomatoes. It’s a bust otherwise...

Remember to use good olive oil.

Please remember to use GOOD everything, as usual, but will it cause me to be fartin' like Ina Garten?

Thanks, R3. I suspected her pan-frying in olive oil might be a little excessive.

What else would one do? Throw the chunks of bread in the toaster first?

Is it just me or does Ina have a weird inflection to her voice? Is that a Hamptons thing?

[quote]Where does Barefoot Cuntessa buy her large, billowy shirts?

I read on her website a long time ago under her FAQ about that same question. Fat Fraus number one question is where to get them. Her answer was sorry girl, you cant buy them anywhere, they are all custom made.

Start by pan frying the bread in bacon grease.....

"Legit"?

R10 CORRECTION: Begin by frying Ina Garten in bacon grease.

R3 here again. It figures - about the custom made shirts I mean. The stylish fat chick I knew was always being asked by other fuller figured gals she met where she got her outfits. I think on a few occasions she was even persuaded to barter goods and services - she ran up a fabulous outfit or two in exchange for whatever they had to offer in kind.

She really did look great. I admired her talent and style a lot.

That is not panzanella.

She made a crouton salad. It might be very nice but what she made has nothing to do with panzanella.

Panzanella is made with left over stale Tuscan bread. Tuscan bread is saltless and had a thick crust.

The bread is NOT toasted. The stale bread is soaked in water and then the water is squeezed out.

Also: raw garlic is never used in Italian cooking. And no mustard in panzanella.

The end result looks somewhat like cous-cous.

*Tuscan bread is saltless and has a thick crust.

Agreed R14. Vaguely reminiscent of her "latke" recipe. She did not use oil, but chose butter instead. This was before I knew she was a fellow MOT; I had cut her some slack. She may very well used browned-butter ghee, I can't recall. She muddles many an authentic recipe in my book. I give her a pass for failing panzanella, but not latkes now I know she is of Jewish heritage. It's a shonda she didn't call for oil, even if she doesn't keep kosher! Some simple things need no "improving"!

r16, I saw her put oil in pasta water once, "to keep it from sticking. How simple is that?"

Another "It's a shonda" from me R17. This seems to be the problem of cooks like Ina: they toss out all the simple rules that exist for good reason. I would only give her a pass on this one if she were making aglio e olio... as it wouldn't prevent any sauce sticking. She needs help, and simethicone for her flatulance problem!

Ina is great with French inspired recipes, but she really sucks at Italian. She seems to think Italian is do whatever comes to mind, throw it all in a bowl and you cant go wrong. I think I even heard her quote someone once that Italian is not even cooking.

She has no respect for the ingredients and simplicity of Italian cooking. She's like the Sandra Lee of Italy.

I'm surprised she hasn't made an Immaculate Conception cake.

You slay me R19! She may as well make Immaculate Conception Cake (whatever that is) since she fried latkes in fucking butter. I agree she masters the French basics very well. Five-Star Bistro classics, and a few complicated sauces. Jack of all trades she is not. Next someone is going to tell me she cooks brisket in milk.

This is how the classic panzanella is made.

Most use cucumber instead of celery. And that's how I prefer it.

You'll also find variations with anchovy. Or tuna and white beans in which case it becomes a "piatto unico"...a main dish.

Lol at crouton salad.

[quote]Where does Barefoot Cuntessa buy her large, billowy shirts?

They're not shirts, they're SHENTS. (Shirt + Tent.)

[quote] She may as well make Immaculate Conception Cake

Could she pull off a Kwanzaa Kake?

Even Ina calls it a "shent."