This is a fairly standard cookbook. Lots of basic recipes with extra touches to make them a little more exciting. For example, I would have never have thought to put expresso or hot coffee powder in my hot chocolate. I still won't as I don't care for coffee or coffee flavored beverages but some might. I'm excited to try a few recipes from this book (chocolate buttercream cake...drool). Lots of great pictures although some of them had too much focus on the background and you couldn't see the food that well.

I love that everything you make from this cookbook tastes so good. Not always the healthiest, but sometimes you just want really satisfying food. The lime tart and sundried tomato dip are particular favorites for entertaining.

Really enjoyed this book. It provides a modern interpretation for many of the dishes.

Sam Smith
http://www.buzzreviews.com

Absolute go-to, from the day I started cooking in earnest up until now, when I barely have to look at recipes to make a really cool meal. Ina Garten has taught me so much about cooking, picking the right ingredients, and putting together a visually stunning home-cooked meal and table. The grilled lemon chicken salad in this book - yum - I think I could eat once a week and never get tired of it!

Found at Tj Maxx for 8 dollars!! Had to have one of her cookbooks after reading her book. I have enjoyed the recipes I have tried!

My go to guacamole recipe and summer tomato soup recipe (roasted tomato basil soup - the reason that I have a kitchen garden!!) come from this book. They are absolutely delicious and these two recipes alone are worth the price of this book. You know when you have a recipe so good that you don't even bother ever looking for another? Well that's how it is with these two.

It's a cookbook, so I didn't read it cover-to-cover like I would I novel, but it's Ina Garten, so of course it is wonderful. I bought the e-book which is great to use with my tablet in the kitchen.
Her recipes are relatively easy to follow—I'm an experienced cook—and always delicious!

good Book .

Another great cookbook for hearty, satisfying food. Lots of glossy photos of the dishes, which I appreciate. The instructions are straightforward but Ina manages to imbue them with a considerable amount of her joyful personality. Medium degree of difficulty on the recipes. A pleasure to read and to cook from.

I love a simple well-tested cookbook. Preparations had the right amount of details and shortcuts where appropriate. Ina knows how to take care of her home cooks.

Here are the dishes I've tasted and the cookbook club cooks who made them:


Sheela - Lobster Salad in Endive: You can't go wrong with quality lobster. No leftovers with this one.

Molly - Rosemary White Bean Soup: Pureed and delicous. Really an amazing soup and surprisingly right for a summer's evening.

Gretchen - Grilled Tuna Nicoise Platter: Very beautiful presentation and quite delicious. I still dream about the french potato salad and that heavenly vinaigrette. I was grateful for the leftovers. They made me happy.

Me - Fresh Fruit Tart: Ina can turn anyone into a baker with her simple and well-tested recipes. I looked like a star with this one. My first pastry cream. The crust was more of a shortbread than a pie crust and was challenging to cut and present.

Additional thoughts:
I've made the Key Lime curd tart on a couple occasions and it is always a star in the center of the table. Key lime never lets me down.

I love her recipe books for the simple fruit and veggie recipes and the delicious desserts. I feel like her main dish recipes are not always my taste. I am really picky with what I think a cookbook should look like. I think she got it right. Each recipe has a picture, big fonts, simple and not too much on the page to distract my eyes. She gives great tips and explanations.

Here's why I like Ina Garten's recipes. They are simple but use the highest quality ingredients she can find. Here's what's happened to cooks in America. They are simply assembling the cheapest "edible" ingredients. I know. Not everyone. I love the Garten is clear about exactly which ingredients make her dishes so good. There is nothing overly fussing here.

This cookbook was published in 1999. That may make it seem dated, but it also gives a lovely familiarity to the recipes. They are accompanied by photos that make me want to try each one. This may have been an accompanying cookbook to the Barefoot Contessa show on the Food Network. In either case, most recipes can be found on their website.

A lovely cookbook to have on hand.