Barefoot Contessa Season 11 Episode 11 Turning Up the Volume

In the eleventh season and eleventh episode of the Barefoot Contessa, titled Turning Up the Volume, Ina Garten is ready to party and entertain her friends! The show opens with Ina making a delicious cocktail for her guests, an apple cider martini. The martini recipe has apple cider, vodka, and a splash of fresh orange juice. Ina shakes it well and garnishes it with a slice of orange peel. Ina shares that she loves throwing dinner parties and letting her friends know how much she cares for them. She’s ready to turn up the volume with her latest party!

For the appetizers, Ina decides to make roasted figs and prosciutto. She starts by cutting figs in half and places them on a baking dish, drizzles olive oil, and sprinkles salt, pepper, and thyme leaves over them. She roasts them in the oven for 10 minutes and she gets to work on the prosciutto. She fetches a platter and artfully arranges the prosciutto and arugula leaves. Once the figs are out of the oven, Ina arranges them on the platter, with some sprinkled with goat cheese. The festive colors and flavors of this dish will surely impress her guests!

Next up, Ina shares her secret for creating an excellent dinner party playlist with music from the 50s and 60s. She notes that having music is a great way to get her guests in the mood, especially during the transitions. She creates a playlist that keeps people bopping for hours while waiting for dinner.

For dinner, Ina decides to keep it simple with a roasted filet of beef with basil parmesan mayonnaise. She comments that a roast is the perfect dinner party dish because it's so easy to make and always delicious. To make the filet of beef, Ina sears the meat on the stovetop with some olive oil before roasting it in the oven for 45 minutes. While the beef is roasting, Ina makes the basil parmesan mayonnaise, which is a mix of mayonnaise, basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese, and lemon juice.

She takes the beef out of the oven and lets it rest before slicing it. She arranges the slices on the platter and tops them with some basil leaves and a dollop of the basil parmesan mayonnaise. The dish is incredibly simple, but the brightness of the basil and cheese become an instant hit with the guests.

To serve alongside the main course, Ina opts for a side of smashed sweet potatoes. She comments that adding maple syrup and nutmeg makes them the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. She makes the mashed sweet potatoes by boiling them until they're soft, then mashes them with some maple syrup, nutmeg, butter, and season with salt and pepper. After the sweet potatoes are seasoned to taste, Ina adds some pecan halves on top.

Lastly, for dessert, Ina shakes things up by making a cherry cheesecake tart. She starts by preparing a fresh cherry topping by cooking cherries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture thickens. She places a pre-made pie crust in the tart pan and makes a homemade cheesecake filling with cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Ina then spooned the cherry mixture over the cheesecake and spreads it evenly. She places it in the oven for 20 minutes until the filling is set. The resulting dish looks like a gorgeous work of art!

Before saying farewell to her guests, Ina gifts them with a fabulous holiday cocktail, a spiced pomegranate flip. To make the cocktail, Ina adds pomegranate juice, bourbon, egg white, lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. She shakes it well, pours it into a glass, and garnishes it with lemon zest. This cocktail is the ideal after-dinner drink for the perfect holiday party.

In the end, Turning Up the Volume is another successful Barefoot Contessa episode, with Ina Garten’s amazing appetizers, laughter, music, conversation, and newly learned holiday party tricks. The dishes looked absolutely delicious, and the guests looked like they had an excellent time at her dinner party.