12 Weird Frequently Asked Blog Questions

Unless you're a blogger (or run some other kind of website), you might not realize that our analytics software tells us the search terms that you (my amazing readers) enter into Google, and which lead you to this blog. Though the majority are completely innocuous (usually recipe or ingredient questions), I'm always amazed at the weird ones that seem to come up again and again.

So, I decided I'd just post and answer them here. You ask. I answer.

Enjoy!

Q: Is Ina Garten's husband Jeffrey gay?
A: No, Ina Garten's husband Jeffrey is NOT gay. In fact, any true fans of the Barefoot Contessa will have already known this just by watching the adoring way that he looks at Ina whenever she serves him one of his favorite meals. While Ina does seem to have an above-average number of gay male friends who spend time at her house, I'm fairly certain that Jeffrey is not one of them.

Q: Why is Ina Garten's husband Jeffrey always away on business?
A: You'll notice this more in rerun episodes of the Barefoot Contessa because up until 2005, Jeffrey was the dean of the Yale School of Management and spent much of his time in Connecticut (they have a home in Southport), only coming to the East Hampton house (where the Barefoot Contessa is shot) on occasion; he is currently still a professor there. The Gartens also have an apartment in New York City, and travel frequently between the three depending on their individual work obligations (Jeffrey is also an author with multiple books and columns to his name.)

Q: How do you eat a souffle?
A: Dessert and other soft souffles (whether sweet or savory) should be served with a spoon like any other custard dish. Entree souffles containing pieces of solid food (like a fish souffle) should be served with a spoon and a fork. But I really wouldn't stress about this. Literally NOBODY is going to judge you on your souffle eating technique. Nobody.

Q: What should I serve with ribs?
A: That's really up to you and your tastes, but I prefer vegetable accompaniments like braised greens or some kind of puree (sweet potato, regular potato, parsnip, etc.) to soak up the sauce. Creamed kale would also be a delicious side, but be prepared to roll your guests home afterwards.

Q: Where can I buy shirataki noodles?
A: These days, shirataki noodles (no-carb pasta made out of an Asian yam root) are available pretty much everywhere. Check the refrigerated aisle of your local well-stocked supermarket; they are usually stocked next to the tofu. From experience I know that Whole Foods, Trade Joe's, Fairway, Harris Teeter, Stop n' Shop, Safeway, and Morton Williams all carry them. They can also be purchased online on Amazon.com.

Q: What is a fruit that starts with M?
A: I feel like I might be helping you cheat at some kind of word game or grade school homework assignment by answering this, but here we go: Mango, Mangosteen, Melon, Mandarins, Muskmelon, Miracle Fruit, Malay Apples, Macadamia (it's a nut AND a fruit), Morinda, Marang, Marula (among many, many other tropical fruits…)

Q: Why does Ina Garten have so many gay friends on the show?
A: You people are obsessed with Ina Garten! (It's OK. I am, too. She's amazing.) I, of course, don't know this for sure, but I would assume that years of owning a gourmet shop in the Hamptons popular with celebrities and wealthy locals has a lot to do with it.

Q: Can you make waffles without a waffle maker? 
A: Yes! Well...sort of. Click here for my amazingly genius method for making waffles without a waffle iron.

Q: Should I cook the pudding?
A: Hmm...well, there are a lot of answers to this question. I'm just going to assume you're American and referring to the creamy concoction, not a Brit asking about all desserts in general. If it's instant pudding, you don't have to cook it. If it's from-scratch or some other kind of non-instant pudding--yes, you should cook it. If it's pudding you bought in a plastic container at the store, it's already cooked. If you're wondering if you should cook the pudding before adding it to a cake recipe, the answer is no. Do not cook the pudding. Just dump that pudding powder into the batter.

Q: What are the rum cakes from TJ Maxx?
A: Aha!!! I feel you my fellow Tortuga rum cake fans. Those babies are AMAZING. I buy them by the dozen around the holidays. No joke. (That's FULL cakes, not slices. No shame.) Click here for your own DIY Tortuga Rum Cake Recipe.

Q: What is the gin and champagne blog?
A:  I have no idea what you're looking for, but I will say that sounds amazing! Gin and champagne are two of my favorite things. Especially when combined into a single delicious gin and champagne cocktail.

Q: Tilapia jokes?
A: Pretty sure the answer to this question is: "Yes, please!"

Do you have any random questions you'd like answered? Do you know any good tilapia jokes? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Alejandra