When my oldest daughter was 2, she went through a particularly rough sleep regression. My husband and I tried everything — noise machines, blackout curtains, endless hours of rocking.
One evening, when we were at our wit's end, we noticed that she seemed to be soothed by the unlikely tune of Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa" theme song. And so began our family's obsession with the show's star, Ina Garten.
Soon after, as a birthday gift for my daughter, I bought the two of us tickets to a live Q&A Garten hosted to promote her cookbook "Cooking for Jeffrey." I was sure my daughter would be the youngest guest in attendance, but we were excited nonetheless.
At the end of the presentation, the celebrity chef opened the floor for audience questions. I eagerly asked Garten to share the best beginner-friendly recipe for me and my daughter to make together. She paused, thought for a moment, and replied, "My devil's food cake would be a great one. It's to die for."
I've made dozens of Garten's recipes over the years, but I've still never attempted this cake. My daughter is almost 9 now, so we decided it was time to change that.