Average Rating: 
Rating:  - I Used To Hate Cooking...
Before I found The Barefoot Contessa I hated cooking. Even after building a new home with a large, beautiful, functional kitchen, I wasn't interested. In fact my oven didn't get used for the first two months. Then a friend recommended Ms. Garten's book and I liked it because it looked pretty on my countertop. Since the day I opened it, my husband says I'm a changed woman. My first attempt at a recipe was Parker's Split Pea soup, which is as delicious as my mother's (sorry, mom) and sooooo simple. If you can use a knife to chop veggies you're 90% there. The Rosemary Whitebean soup (use FRESH rosemary or don't even bother) enticed my neighbor to ask about the aromas she could smell from her yard. I then moved on to recipes that required more focus but are easily followed like Filet of Beef Bourginon (my husband's all-time favorite) and Swordfish with Tomato and Capers with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes served at a dinner party for eight (something I never would have even considered a year ago) where a guest inquired about whom I used for a caterer! Overall, extremely well written and simple to navigate your way through each recipe. Ina's side column notes are helpful personal touches, like why to use Kosher salt instead of table salt. (I had never even heard of such a thing...) The biggest rewards are hearing guests rave about MY cooking and, of course, enjoying the incredible food in my newly-discovered kitchen.
Rating: - Ava Gardner would have approved!
This lavishly illustrated volume containing many stunning full-color photographs of finished dishes as well as locally grown produce strives for elegant simplicity and proves that good food need not be complicated. The dishes described are not difficult to prepare and require no special expertise or equipment. The author provides clearly written recipes that call for widely available ingredients. She knows that even standard dishes can benefit from fresh thinking and encourages inventiveness in the kitchen. This book would make a lovely gift for anyone who likes to entertain simply, naturally, and with style.Another book that I highly recommend is Sonia Uvezian's masterpiece, "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen," which has to be one of the greatest ethnic cookbooks ever written. It too inspires innovation and brims with magnificent recipes suitable for entertaining that have consistently brought me raves from both family and guests. Uvezian's recipes for hummus with red pepper paste and for pomegranate wine punch are just two of the hundreds in her book that will bring you fame as a cook.
Rating: - Absolutely phenomenal! The best of the best ...
Although a recent acquisition, this has already become one of my top favorite (and most-used) cookbooks. The recipes are all tried-and-true, with introductions explaining how each was perfected, why it is so special, etc. -- i.e., everything I love in a cookbook, with the bonus of gorgeous photos.My one and only caution is to remember that this is a chef's cookbook, so be ready to substitute different pans. For example, the delectable (and quick and easy!) roasted vegetable tart calls for a 6-inch cake pan, which I had never even heard of and had no idea where to find. No matter; as it turned out, even my 8-inch cake pans were too small. However, the results were utterly delicious (and no one cared how much overflowed or had to be baked separately), and I just made a note to try a larger pan next time. I can't even imagine anyone not loving this book. It is beautiful, the recipes are well-tested and utterly delectable, and the descriptions let you know what to expect. Absolutely fantastic.
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