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If you’ve watched Ina Garten’s shows or social media (her 2020 cosmo how-to is iconic!), you know she has a warm, welcoming approach to food. In fact, she invites friends into her home on episodes of “Be My Guest,” to share a snack and conversation before cooking together in Garten’s bright, airy kitchen.
The mood around the table in her childhood was not so vibrant, she admits in her new memoir, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.”
“My parents were very, very harsh,” Garten said in a guest appearance on the podcast “Your Mama’s Kitchen.” Her mom, a dietitian, allowed no carbs and no butter on the menu, and often sent young Ina to school with a sardine sandwich. “All I wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich like the other kids, and it was absolutely forbidden,” Garten recalled. (No wonder she’s so fond of the “simple pleasure” of a well-made classic PB&J these days!)
Garten told podcast host Michele Norris that for her mom, “cooking for people wasn’t about love. It was about feeding them. To me, when you cook for someone, it’s about taking care of them. Showing them they’re important to you.”
While Garten doesn’t have many fond memories from family meals, she started writing her own story once she moved out and set her own table with Jeffrey, her husband of 56 years. “I wanted to have a different life than I had as a child,” she said.
That life now includes daily servings of high-quality French butter, cake for breakfast every so often, and dining with flowers, fun, and lingering around the table.
The One Recipe Ina Garten’s Mom Made That the Barefoot Contessa Actually Liked
Although Garten has forged a completely different—and much more joyful and abundant—relationship with food as an adult, she told Norris that one recipe of her mother's still has a place at the table…with Ina's own special touch.
“Parmesan chicken is probably the thing I’ve made the most. It’s the simplest,” Garten admitted, adding “that does actually come from my mother.”
In true Contessa fashion, she upgraded the dish, adding an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette to the fried chicken cutlets.
“There were probably canned peas rather than a fresh salad,” the author recalled of her childhood. “This is my version of it…canned vegetables have no texture and no flavor.” She and Norris praised "perfectly delicious" frozen veggies, but agreed that in-season produce is best.
Fresh arugula is an early harbinger of spring, so I took that as a sign from the universe to follow Garten’s lead to this easy dinner. Once I found the recipe and perused the reviews, I was sold. “The chicken was juicy, crispy, and light,” one Barefoot Contessa fan notes, and the “cold arugula and warm chicken” are “so fresh and delicious,” another says. Let’s give it a shot.
Ina Garten's Creamy Sausage Pasta Recipe Is So Good I Make It at Least Once a Month
How to Make Ina’s Lemon Parmesan Chicken Recipe
This easy chicken recipe starts with the standard breading procedure you might be familiar with if you’ve made mozzarella sticks or chicken tenders. Prepare three plates: one with flour, salt, and black pepper, the second with eggs beaten with a splash of water, and the third with seasoned dry bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and chopped fresh thyme.
Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper, then use a mallet, rolling pin, skillet, or any other sturdy object to pound or press the poultry into ¼-inch thick pieces.
Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, then dunk in the eggs with a fork. Let the excess egg drip off, and finally dredge both sides in the herb-spiked, cheesy bread crumbs, pressing lightly to ensure they adhere. Repeat this process with each piece of chicken.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Cook the breaded chicken for two to three minutes on each side, on until they’re evenly golden brown and cooked to the USDA’s safe minimum internal temperature: 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
Tip: You’ll likely have to work in batches to cook the chicken. Keep the initial pieces warm on a wire rack-lined sheet pan in a 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) oven.
In a liquid measuring cup or mason jar, combine olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to blend, then drizzle over a big bowl of fresh arugula.
To serve, top each piece of warm chicken with a generous handful of dressed arugula. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan shards on top.
I made a half batch, and was able to get dinner on the table in just 30 minutes. The spicy arugula cut through the rich breading beautifully, and the combination left me satisfied yet not stuffed. (Translation: I had just enough room for a slice of Ina’s apple tart!)
I agree with a fan’s rave review that this Mom/Ina mashup meal is “easy to make but so delicious, and light too."
After learning more about Garten’s childhood, I’m even more grateful for her recipes—including this one—that bring so much joy to my table.
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