ou might think that after writing
12 cookbooks, I’d have difficulty
coming up with ideas for new
recipes. But I have a trick thathas worked for me since I wrote my first
book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,
in 1999. I start with a remembered
flavor— a taste from my past that I loved.
It could be as simple as a wonderful
chicken soup that my mother made,
or as elegant as a pavlova that I ate
in a restaurant. Then I think about
the texture of the dish, like the bite of
perfectly cooked vegetables in the soup,
or the crunch of the pavlova’s meringue
shell surrounding silky whipped
cream and fresh berries. Finally, as I’m
developing a recipe, I decide how many
flavors I want to include. Should I let
just a few flavors shine, or should
I incorporate layers of flavor that
come through gradually?
My Bourbon Honey Cake came froma strong taste memory: It’s inspired by
a classic Jewish holiday dessert that my
mother served. I started with the flavors
of honey, orange and autumn spices,
then I added hot coffee for depth and
rich bourbon to give it a grown-up edge.
And because texture is so important, I
added crunchy sliced almonds to the top.
When it all came together, it was even
better than I remembered!
For Ina Garten, sometimes the best
new recipes come from the past.eet
94 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE ●SEPTEMBER 2020