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The new season of Be My Guest premiered last Saturday! In case you missed it, you can stream the first episode with Allison Janney on HBO Max.
This coming Saturday, join me and the incredibly talented musician and composer Jon Batiste! It was so much fun to host Jon at the barn. He took over the kitchen to show me how to make his mother’s Red Beans and Rice, New Orleans style.
Jon has done amazing things in his life, including winning eight Grammy Awards! He has a fascinating way of thinking about music, community, and food. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
Our show airs this Saturday, April 18th, at 12 PM (EST), on Food Network.
Ask Ina:
“I love going to the park or having a cookout on the beach with friends. Now that the weather’s getting nice, what kinds of recipes do you recommend for picnics?”
A beach cookout always sounds like a great idea. Everyone sits on blankets, admiring the gorgeous sunset or enjoying the nice weather. But then there’s schlepping the charcoal, grilling accessories, and giant coolers, and it can be such a mess to clean up in the dark!
Many years ago, I invited some friends for a picnic on the beach to see if I could do it differently. I wanted the party to be fun, not just for my guests but for me too.
I invited everyone for an early supper around 6:00 PM so we’d have lots of afternoon light. Instead of putting together a whole cookout, I made food that could be packed into containers and served cold or at room temperature—anything I could make ahead and put in Tupperware. It’s not fun worrying if the food will stay hot or become soggy on its way over! At the end of the night, we threw away the disposable napkins and utensils and packed up the food containers to clean at home. I could enjoy the beautiful weather and the company, and it felt worth the extra effort to bring it to the beach instead of serving it at home.
These are a few of my favorite salads and desserts to make and bring on picnics:
This Week’s Favorites:
I’m going on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight! I adore Stephen and I have a little surprise for him when I get to the studio. You can watch the show at 11:35 PM (ET) on CBS.
After the Artemis II landing, Jeffrey and I went back and rewatched Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks. It is still so good - I can’t believe it did not win Best Picture at the Oscars that year!
The paperback edition of my memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, comes out today! I love that it’s the perfect size for throwing in a beach or pool bag.
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