Ina Garten Shares How She Entertains Guests Outdoors
By Diana Cooper
We’ve all gotten a sneak peek of Ina Garten’s marvelous Hamptons home by photos she’s been sharing on her social media. Now, the Food Networkstar is sharing her secrets on how she entertains her guests at her home – which is something we would all love an invite to!
On her blog, Barefoot Contessa, Garten wrote about “Entertaining Outdoors.”
“First, for safety, I only entertain people from one ‘household’ at a time so I put chairs at both ends of a 6-foot dining table or both sides of a 5-foot square coffee table to ensure social distancing,” she shared. “Second, although we’re sitting far apart, I want it to feel cozy, so I fill the tables with flowers and candles. Third, I set up outdoor heaters or build a nice fire, plus cushions and blankets for each person so we’re nice and warm under the stars.”
The cooking show host shared an image of this set up, which included a heating lamp, candles to add some light to the table and blankets to keep guests comfortable.
Garten added, “And finally, since entertaining outdoors is more work than serving inside, I make really easy no-cook appetizers for cocktails and very simple lunches and dinners. This is the time when a take-out pizza and a big Caesar salad makes the best evening for everyone, even the host.”
Some recipes the 72-year-old author recommended for outdoor dining are available in her Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Her most recent one, Modern Comfort Food, was published on October 6th and features 85 new recipes. She’s currently on a virtual book tour, which fans can purchase tickets to on her website.
New episodes for Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro begin Sunday, October 25 on Food Network.
Vetted Hamptons Resources
