From Jackie Wise - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A few months ago you were featured in Parade Magazine. The very last thing you mentioned in the article was your favorite comfort food...oatmeal with butter & maple syrup. I would love to know how you make it!
Ina's Answer:
I make my oatmeal in my microwave - it's so easy! I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann's) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes. I add a pinch of salt, a splash of milk, a little bit of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup, and stir it all in. My favorite breakfast!
From Heath Lynn Silberfeld - Gainesville, Florida
My question is about your Linzer Cookies recipe in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I followed your recipe, but the dough never held together. Any ideas?
Ina's Answer:
If shortbread dough doesn't come together, adding a few drops of water usually does the trick. I hope that helps!
From John - Connecticut
Because fall is approaching, what are some of the best foods to get a farmers market in the fall?
Ina's Answer:
Some of my favorite fall vegetables and fruits are Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and good, crisp apples.
From Mike Taylor - Enterprise, AL
When you cook with butter, what brand do you use?
Ina's Answer:
I often use Cabot unsalted butter, but there are many good brands of butters available. What's most important is to make sure you use unsalted butter, so you are able to control the amount of salt in the recipe. Salted butters can vary significantly in the amount of salt they contain.
From Ginny Krol - Buffalo, NY
What’s the best way to soften butter?
Ina's Answer:
When I need room-temperature butter, I leave it out on the kitchen counter for several hours, or even overnight, to make sure it is completely soft.
From Liz Kovats - Brielle, NJ
Do you have a foolproof way to melt butter for a recipe? I usually melt it in the microwave in a glass bowl, but sometimes it pops and causes a mess.
Ina's Answer:
I melt butter on the stove in a small saucepan over low heat. It only takes a few minutes - and no mess!
From Mary M Broadfoot - Florida
On one of your food network shows, you mentioned that you buy your truffle butter online. Would you share where you purchase it?
Ina's Answer:
I use Urbani or D'Artagnan white truffle butter.
From Helen Feenie - Los Angeles / London
I saw you make truffled mashed potatoes the other day and wondered what the difference in taste is between white and black...which is more "truffley?"
Ina's Answer:
Black truffles tend to come from the South of France, while white truffles tend to come from Italy. Black truffles have a much more subtle flavor, but I prefer the strong pungent flavor of white truffles. I actually only use truffle butter, which has actual truffles in it- because truffle oil can vary enormously in terms of truffle content.
From Sue Carroll - Bethesda, MD
How do you decide whether to use a stand mixer or a food processor when blending butter into flour?
Ina's Answer:
When you're blending butter into flour, a stand mixer does it more slowly, and you can control the speed better. If you're careful, you can certainly use a food processor instead, you just want to be sure that you don't over-blend the butter.
From Nancy Ciampa - Long Island, NY
I love your shortbread cookie recipe and love giving them as gifts. However, I find the dough hard to work with, it's not a smooth dough and find it hard to keep together and roll out smoothly to make cookies. Any advice?
Ina's Answer:
Different butters have different water content, and some can be drier than others. If the shortbread dough feels dry, I add a teaspoon or two of water until it's easier to work with.