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Whether it’sValentine’s Day, a dinner for 20, apatio partyor otherwise, the No. 1 mistake hosts make when entertaining at home, according to Ina Garten?Spending too much time cooking.
The salad, soup, main dish and dessert each call for 35 minutes of prep time or less, and three out of four of the recipes amongIna Garten’s French Bistro Favoritescan be made partially or entirely ahead. That way, you need not spend the entire soirée sweating over the details.
Now that the menu is settled, all that’s left to do is send out the invites to your fabulous French bistro party, stock up on someaffordable, food-friendly winesand follow Ina’s lead. In the words of the icon herself, “How easy is that?!”
Onion and Fennel Soup Gratin
When cooking for Jeffrey, for a crowd or for herself, Ina enjoys taking a traditional recipe and turning up the volume. “Who doesn’t love French onion soup gratinée with its topping of onion-soaked bread and gooey melted cheese?” Ina asks. Fresh fennel and a triple play of boozy elements (white wine, sherry and cognac or brandy) give classic onion soup a deeper and more complex flavor. Don’t worry: The ooey-gooey Gruyère toast is still invited to the party!
24 Ina Garten Recipes We Can’t Stop Making
French Green Bean Salad with Warm Goat Cheese
When in Paris, Ina tells the Williams Sonoma team that she adores opting for a big salad with warm goat cheese for lunch. So this stunning yet simple starter is her re-creation of that bistro favorite. The cold French string bean and leafy green salad beautifully balances out the rich goat cheese encased in flaky, buttery phyllo dough.
Beef Bourguignon
French Apple Tart
Cap things off with what might just be Ina’s “all-time favorite dessert.” Rave-worthy due to the fact that it highlights the “simple essence of sweet apples and crisp pastry with no distractions,” Ina says, this easy apple dessert recipe is designed to be completed at least an hour or two before you dig in. If you opt for the Ina-approved shortcut and use defrostedfrozen puff pastryinstead of making the crust, you’ll only need five ingredients to make this dreamy dessert a reality.
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