This one is a great one. The cheddar corn chowder is A+++ delicious and I make it quite often. I have opened this book many times, sometimes just to look at the pictures and sometimes because I actually want to cook something from it. It's a well loved, and well used book in my collection.

My one complaint about this book is the amount of food the recipes make. I frequently halve them and have more then enough for four people, and since it's just me I always have a ton of leftovers. I think the above mentioned corn chowder serves 20 in the book? It's some crazy ridiculous number like that. It's obvious to me that she just took the recipes from her catering/restaurant days and didn't modify them much for the home cook. It's not a problem exactly, but it does bump this one down to four stars.

I read this the whole book, but have not read/tried every recipe. The stories themselves are just ok, but the recipes are where it's at! Kitchen Clambake is one of my favorites. You can tell this is her first book as it seems a little dated, but I think she is amazing.

All the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks are great. They are perfect for everyday food and especially for entertaining. The recipes are hearty and earthy. No fuss, fancy cooking. Great gift. I've made plenty of recipes and they are always delicious.

This is the best BFC book in my opinion (and the first). I love that she relies on seasonal freshness and high-quality but uncomplicated ingredients. The food has always turned out great. This is a reliable go-to cookbook for any cook at any level.

I just got this lovely book for Christmas. It does not have a million recipes like some other cookbooks. But what it does have is a nice collection of classics and favorites, most with excellent illustrations, organized by food type (i.e. main dish, dessert, appetizer). I am not talented in the "food presentation" area (After all, I created the "Paul Potts Pork Roast"), but Ina makes some simple and easy suggestions on making your food look good without sacrificing anything in taste. This would be a nice cookbook for a wedding gift or to someone who knows the basics of cooking (i.e. how to boil water and dump Rag from a jar) and wants to step up their prep a bit. My only criticism has nothing to do with the author or the food--but the fact is, some of the fancier ingredients are not available rurally as they would be in a suburban or urban area; even our local farmer's market closed, taking away or fresh produce. Still, the book is quite fine, and I don't see why reasonable substitutions would be a problem for most recipes.

All of her books and recipes have been critized for being easy and obvious. This is true, but I love her still and actually do cook from her books all the time. I love her show and her menu ideas. Watch her ingredient amounts though--she's got a heavy hand!

no likey yucky ewwwww

why is there feet in my spaghetti :(

4 stars

- Ms. Jenn

Can't wait to try some new recipes!

I've never been one to fangirl over any celebrity and while I watch Food network I dislike how all shows are now some kind of competition and not really about cooking. I don't think I ever watched Barefoot Contessa on TV, except for the times when she was a guest on some other show. Last month I listened to the audiobook of her autobiography and it was enjoyable. I am a collector of cookbooks and I decided that this first one of hers was one I wanted to add to my collection. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, but will give a few things a try soon. The book is a little dated but the recipes appear to be ones that will stand the test of time. I found a used copy of it online that is in like new condition.

Fantastic book!

This is a great cookbook! It's filled with lots of delicious sounding recipes and pictures, which I love! I will definitely be trying some of these recipes!

WOW