I met Ina Garten!!

Andy and I went to Ina Garten's book signing at Sur La Table in Arlington today!! We waited patiently in line for 90 minutes, outside in the cold and inside the store which was very crowded with people and merchandise. Luckily I had enough toys and snacks for the boy so he was content in his stroller the whole time. This trip could easily have been disastrous if he failed to cooperate. Here's our first glimpse of Ina! We thought we were getting close, but inside the line wrapped around the entire store, so we weren't even half way yet at this point.In the ROOM!

So, it's not exactly a picture with Ina Garten, more like we're in the same frame, but at least she's smiling.
She talked to Andy over her table, asked his name and remarked how well behaved he was. The lady in front of us agreed he was very patient (Good Boy!!). There was a pause while she was signing my books, so I go "I'm a big fan." I'm such a dork! But she did chat with me for about 10 seconds, so that was nice of her.

Here are a few recipes I plan on trying out soon:
Parmesan & Thyme Crackers
Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Coq au Vin
Dinner Spanakopitas
Chive Risotto Cakes
Orange Pecan Wild Rice
Brownie Pudding
Easy Sticky Buns
Homemade Granola Bars
French Apple Tart

Plum Tart and Ina Garten

I halved Ina Garten's recipe for plum tart for dessert tonight, and it was really good, not too sweet. We had it with whipped cream and blackberries we picked last weekend.
Plum Tart (recipe halved; makes 4-5 servings)
Barefoot Contessa Parties! Cookbook

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 T. finely chopped walnuts
6 T. light brown sugar, lightly packed
6 T. cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 egg yolk (messy but it can be done!)
1 pound firm, ripe plums, pitted and cut lengthwise into quarters or eighths

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.

Press two-thirds of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 8x8 dish or small tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I absolutely LOVE Ina Garten. She is my favorite celebrity chef and I have all of her cookbooks and use them regularly, especially Barefoot Contessa Family Style. Her website is great if you have all the cookbooks because there is an index for ALL the recipes by category, plus menu ideas.

Ina's launching a book tour next month for Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, and I fully indend on being at Sur La Table in Arlington on October 29th between 12 and 2pm!