Store-bought is fine
Photos from Ina Garten’s Instagram @inagarten
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Stuck not knowing what to cook during the community quarantine? Don’t worry— you’re not alone.
With limited options for food, save for the few restaurants that deliver, home cooks now have the challenge of planning a menu for the family three times a day. And this can go on for weeks!
Thankfully, there are cooking shows and tons of videos available on the internet. And while they’re fun to watch (and drool over), these videos are more user-friendly than before, featuring easy steps and tasty dishes that anyone can do. Gone are the days of expert knifework and complicated steps limited to professional chefs. The modern-day internet has made the kitchen open for anyone and everyone.
One iconic home cook who’s been making cooking less intimidating is Ina Garten— or better yet, the Barefoot Contessa. She is known for her famous Food Network show “Barefoot Contessa”— her namesake— where she uses fresh ingredients from her garden to create simplified and tasty restaurant-quality dishes. And you might remember her for her iconic phrase: “if you don’t have ____, store-bought is fine”.
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During the ongoing quarantine, the Barefoot Contessa comes to the rescue with a regular series that showcase simple family recipes— something that can be done by anyone, even those who want to learn how to cook. Plus, they’re easy and budget-friendly too! And you can find these on her Instagram page.
Quarantine-friendly Recipes
The first recipe in the series features Broccoli and bow ties— a healthy lunch menu for kids. And if you have no broccoli on hand, you can swap it out for another hardy green. Garten used broccolini for hers. And if you don’t have bowtie pasta? Any other kind will do.
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She even has desserts too! Check out her Jam Thumbprints— something you can make with the kids.
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And if you’re not sure what to stock up on, she even has a handy tip. You really learn a lot from this talented lady!
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To debut the start of her series, she wrote: “I know so many of you are very anxious about what’s to come because I am, too. The one thing we CAN do, though, is cook for the people we love who are sheltered in place with us.”
And we couldn’t agree more. Garten’s quarantine recipes on her Instagram link back to her website: www.barefootcontessa.com.
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