During the colder winter months, most people like to hunker down and enjoy a warm and comforting meal at home. Ina Garten is doing just that in her own signature classy yet cozy fashion, which she chronicled on Instagram.
Pacific Productions, the production company behind The Barefoot Contessa, gifted Ina with a bouquet of anemones and clematis from her neighbors at The Bridgehampton Florist to give her home a vibrant punch of springtime color.
As she shared the stunning blooms, Garten commented that the gift was "particularly appreciated when it's 12 degrees outside. Brrrr." This led to a flurry of questions from fans about the entertaining ace's plans for the cold snap ahead, plus a few comments about how the recipes from her latest cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, were helping them weather the storm.
"Made your brisket for [the] first time. Great reviews!"
One asked, "What are you cooking up to stay warm on a 12-degree day??"
To which Garten popped in to reply, "Soup! I'm making a big pot of Split Pea Soup. ❤️❤️"
This of course set us off on a quest to try to follow in her sage footsteps, especially when a fan chimed in to add, "@inagarten Your pea soups are my new fave winter comfort go-to. Thank you as always.🤗"
We've narrowed down her menu to two top contenders: Parker's Split Pea Soup (which has earned nearly 400 five-star reviews since it appeared on season six of her Food Network show) or the Split Pea Soup with Crispy Kielbasa from Modern Comfort Food (her updated rendition of ham and pea soup that looks ridiculously smooth and scrumptious). She didn't reveal which she landed on, so we figured the only rational choice—you know, for the sake of "research"—would be to add both to our meal plan this week.
From the looks of her dreamy video, it looks like she made her spoonable winter fare just in time. We'll definitely be taking a page from Ina's book and warming up with one of her recipes or a bowl of our Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Garlicky Croutons.