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I thought I was a solid—if a bit inexperienced—cook when I put on my apron for the first time in Ina's barn. We were making banana-chocolate coffee cake, and one of my jobs was to mash the banana. I put the banana into a bowl and proceeded to chase it around with the back of a spoon, the banana sliding all over the place. Ina came over and showed me that if you put the banana on a cutting board and mash it with a fork instead, that banana will be history in no time. Sounds simple, and it was—a simple change that made a huge difference.
In the two years since, I've learned much more in Ina's kitchen—she's imparted wisdom in everything, be it arranging flowers or carving a chicken. I've grabbed some great tips and tricks that make entertaining simple, stress-free, and most importantly, fun! I can't wait to share them with you here.
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There are few things I love more than having friends over for dinner. But even though dinner parties are typically pretty casual affairs at my age, they're still not as easy to throw together as they seem. When my friends used to come over for the evening, I'd usually just open a bottle of wine and take some beer out of the fridge. I mean, I love a good cocktail, but individual drinks take too long to make and tend to require a well-stocked bar—which I never have. Ina's tip: Make one big-batch cocktail ahead of time. That way, you can start the party with a pitcher of something boozy to set the mood—and everyone can just help themselves when they arrive.
I've loved frozen strawberry daiquiris since I was kid. I discovered the "virgin" version on a cruise with my family; I remember feeling very grown up when I drank them. I also remember creeping around the ship with my brothers, plucking the coveted little tropical umbrellas from any unattended cocktail in sight.
This weekend, I decided to do some experimenting with different kinds of fruit and came up with a recipe for "adult" daiquiris that works really well with strawberries, mango, and pineapple. My advice: These are actually better—and easier—with frozen fruit than fresh fruit. Frozen fruit helps the drinks freeze without having to add too much ice, and it saves time. All you have to do is tear open the bag and measure. I also found that using cream of coconut (a sweetened version of coconut cream) instead of sugar gives them a more distinct, tropical flavor and nice, creamy texture.
If you have time, I highly recommend making two batches of daiquiris with two different kinds of fruit, and then layering them in a pitcher. I tried a combination of strawberry and mango, and my friends loved the Miami Vice-inspired twist (half strawberry daiquiri, half pina colada). The colors look beautiful in layers, and are absolutely delicious when mixed together—which will happen naturally as you pour.
I served these in silly plastic margarita glasses, but I can guarantee they taste delicious in any glasses, plastic cups, or even straight from the blender.
Get my recipe here.
Lidey Heuck works as Ina Garten's assistant, social media manager, and occasional recipe tester. She lives in East Hampton, NY.
