We are gathered here today to discuss the queen of "good olive oil and vanilla" and the icon of East Hampton: the one and only Ina Garten.
While many of us are hooked on watching the Barefoot Contessa's Hamptons brunches and following her recipes, some shocking news has recently resurfaced: Ina's preferred method for cutting bagels.
That's right, she cuts her bagels into THIRDS, Big Mac–style.
The original tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, has over 3 million views and has generated a lot of mixed reactions. Many, like myself, are devastated that this wild new info about their favorite Hamptons chef has come to light.
And here I thought Ina was my ally, my friend, my MOTHER. Much rethinking to do. https://t.co/qpMqfUa4kB
— Barney Schreiber, CPA (@luxurytrash_) March 8, 2024
Well, to all who love the idea of "increased surface area" for cream cheese and other toppings, I found Ina's original bagel recipe from 2013. As we've already seen, she starts by slicing two bagels into thirds.
"Instead of having a big, thick bagel, I'm cutting it into thirds," she says. Then, to my shock, she holds up two slices of said bagel and reveals that she'll be making three sandwiches out of the six slices she's cut, not two triple-deckers.
After she assembles the bagel with some herby cream cheese and lox, this is the result.
Trust me — I'm no bagel expert (or one to ever question Ina). I'm just a North Jersey gal who grew up eating two a day. But if I were handed a bagel with a missing third, I would be devastated — especially if it were one of the two versions that used the middle as a slice. I cannot fathom biting into that.
