And that was it. I knew I had found my life twin, my sister from another mister, my destined boon companion. For those of you who have never heard of the Barefoot Contessa, I am referring, of course, to Ina Garten, former White House nuclear weapons analyst turned gourmet chef extraordinaire. It takes a great woman to work her way up to the White House, but a truly phenomenal one to give it all up for the sake of delicious food.
While most people name Oprah, Martin Luther King Jr. or (most commonly) Madonna as their biggest heroes, Ina is mine. And it's not just because I blush whenever she tells me that her beef bourguignon is so easy even I could do it there are just some uncanny similarities between the two of us and I'm certain we are soul sisters.
First, we share passions for both food and foreign policy. Though most of my friends still think I am majoring in eating, I am in fact a government major. I can honestly say that Ina is one of the few people with whom I could have equally engaging discussions about Balance of Power theory and the balance of flavors in a honey and chvre baguette. Second, we both love anything French. Ina fell in love with France after a four-month camping vacation and I, well I'll spare you from hearing me talk about France yet again.
Most importantly, the College has had an impact on both of our lives. Ina actually met her husband Jeffrey Garten '68 while visiting her brother at Dartmouth. (I hear it was at a fabled Heorot dance party.)
In sum, the signs are hard to ignore. This friendship is simply meant to be. This week's scalloped tomatoes a Barefoot Contessa classic is dedicated to Ina.
- Head to Collis. Grab a piece of garlic bread and rip half of it into pieces in a soup cup.
- Top the pieces with tomato sauce from the meatball pot.
- Rip the rest of the garlic bread into the cup and top it with more tomato sauce.4.Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (I like to add oregano and crushed red pepper, too).
- Grab some cherry tomatoes from the salad bar and place in a separate cup (for convenience reasons when you check out).
- After you check out, put the tomatoes into the cup and push them down toward the bottom.
- Microwave the concoction for about two and a half minutes and be careful when you take the first bite. The roof of my mouth hates me right now for not being patient.
I know the Mid Mass basement kitchen probably (definitely) pales in comparison to yours, Ina, but if you're ever in Hanover, I could use a lesson or two on those game-changing chocolate ganache cupcakes of yours.
