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The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook [Hardcover]

Ina Garten , Martha Stewart
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (295 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 6, 1999
For more than twenty years, Barefoot Contessa, the acclaimed specialty food store, has been cooking and baking extraordinary dishes for enthusiastic customers in the Hamptons. For many of those years, people have tried to get the exuberant owner, Ina Garten, to share the secrets of her store. Finally, the energy and style that make Barefoot Contessa such a special place are shown here, with dozens of recipes and more than 160 breathtaking photographs, in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
        
Ina's most popular recipes use familiar ingredients, but they taste even better than you would expect. Her Pan-Fried Onion Dip is the real thing, with slowly car-amelized onions and fresh sour cream. Tomato soup is created from oven-roasted tomatoes and fresh basil to intensify the flavors. Meat loaf is as good as your grandmother's, but it's healthier because it's made with ground turkey and fresh herbs. The light and flaky Maple-Oatmeal Scones are baked with rolled oats, whole wheat, and real maple syrup. Now these and other famous Barefoot Contessa recipes can be prepared at home.
        
Ina says that before she owned a specialty food store she often spent a week making dinner for six friends. Her experience at Barefoot Contessa has given her hundreds of ideas for creating wonderful parties in a few hours. And they're all in this book. Crab Cakes with Rémoulade Sauce can be stored overnight in the refrigerator and sautéed just before the guests arrive. Cheddar Corn Chowder can be made days ahead, reheated, and served with a salad and bread for a delicious autumn lunch. The ingredients for Grilled Salmon Salad can all be prepared ahead and tossed together before serving. The batter for the Raspberry Corn Muffins can be mixed a day before and popped into the oven just before breakfast.
        
Ina Garten teaches us how to entertain with style, simplicity, and a relaxed sense of fun. There are notes throughout the book for giving cocktail parties, lunches, and dinner parties where everything is done before the guests arrive. And there are easy instructions for creating gorgeous party platters that don't even require you to cook!
        
With Ina Garten and The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, you have the perfect recipe for hosting parties that are easy and fun for everyone--including the cook.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lauren Bacall gets cranky when Barefoot Contessa, an East Hampton specialty food store/institution for more than 20 years, is sold out of Indonesian Ginger Chicken. She can now thank her lucky stars that exuberant owner Ina Garten has written The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and included this recipe. Ms. Bacall is sure to be pleased to discover how easy it is to achieve such fantastic flavor. Simplicity is something of a bottom line at Barefoot Contessa. "Food is not about impressing people," Ina Garten says. "It's about making them feel comfortable."

Aimed at the cook who intends to entertain, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook draws on Garten's experience as a caterer, as well as her knowledge of what customers really want to eat when they arrive at her shop. She has culled her favorite recipes and has included timesaving tips, always striving for ease and simplicity. Neither cooking nor entertaining should be a chore, according to Ina Garten, and her lovely cookbook is a case in point.

This is an intensely illustrated cookbook that shows the foods to best advantage (and makes it a lovely gift book). Presentation counts for a great deal, and Garten's food styling adds to any food platter. But just as relevant are photos that bring in the spirit of fresh, locally grown produce. There's the local poultry producer proudly holding a laying hen in case anyone should wonder where the eggs come from.

Starting with appetizers, Ina Garten isn't afraid to include such basics as hummus and guacamole: she knows from experience that her versions make a profound impact. There are French Onion Soup and Corn Cheddar Chowder, Baked Virginia Ham and Salmon with Fennel, Roasted Carrots and Caramelized Butternut Squash--and then one killer dessert after another. Included, too, are some breakfast specialties. Any upscale bed and breakfast could have this book in the kitchen and get rid of all others.

This isn't a cookbook about getting outrageous with food. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is about warming the hearts and souls of your guests with familiar food raised to a gourmet level. --Schuyler Ingle

From Booklist

Long Island's summer foodie crowd flocks to the Barefoot Contessa for the kinds of upscale eats that are required for the endless rounds of parties. Garten's creations satisfy her customers, and this cookbook makes it easy to understand why. Savory dishes such as turkey meatloaf and lobster potpie are sure to be crowd pleasers. Potato-fennel gratin improves simpler spud creations; one can go over the top with buttery, creamy Parmesan smashed potatoes. Croissant bread pudding provides a rich ending to a grand dinner. For those entertaining overnight guests, Garten offers a handful of trendy breakfast scones. A chapter on finger foods provides the basis for grazing or for summer lawn cocktail parties. Garten's use of extra-large eggs as her standard measure may cause some cooks to encounter difficulties in reproducing some recipes. Mark Knoblauch

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (April 6, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0609602195
  • ISBN-13: 978-0609602195
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.8 x 10.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (295 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In 1978, Ina Garten left her job as a budget analyst in the White House to pursue her dream of operating a specialty food store in the Hamptons. She is a frequent contributor to major national magazines and writes a recurring column in O Magazine. Her new television series on entertaining can be seen on Food Network. Ina lives in East Hampton, New York, and Southport, Connecticut, with her husband, Jeffrey.

Customer Reviews

Not only are the recipes wonderful, but they are so easy and beautiful to look at. Geri  |  111 reviewers made a similar statement
Every recipe I have tried has been a success. MJ  |  51 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
207 of 210 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A cookbook one can trust June 26, 2003
Format:Hardcover
When I see more than 100 reviews of a book, I usually balk at adding my own two cents worth to the mix. However, I am a big fan of Ina Garten and own all of her books (3 so far) and wanted to throw my opinions into the ring anyway.

Many reviewers commented on the beautiful photos, but complained about the number of recipes. I can understand that point of view, but I would rather have a really good, dependable cookbook with 25 great recipes (and there are more than that in this book) than a cookbook with 100 recipes that are just so-so. It's the ol' quality versus quantity argument, I suppose.

And about those photos -- I know that color photos add to the cost and bulk of a cookbook, but when they are beautifully done, as is the case with this book, it makes you WANT to try the recipes. On the other hand, I've got some gorgeous cookbooks with some stinker recipes in them. That's another reason why I love this book. You get beautiful photos AND really good recipes.

Do you want a cookbook you can trust? This book fits the bill for me. I have made her recipes for the first time FOR GUESTS -- something that would normally create heart palpitations and have me reaching for that unnecessary extra glass of wine. Yet my guests and I have yet to be disappointed. I'd say that was cause for celebration myself.

One other comment -- Garten emphasizes using fresh and good quality ingredients. If you do you will find her recipes work all of the time. I suspect that one or two of the less than satisfied reviewers here took some shortcuts or perhaps used a less than stellar ingredient.
There is no substitute for fresh thyme for example when it is a PRIMARY flavoring. You might get away with dried thyme in a stew or soup, but not when it is paired with only fresh lemon, garlic, and olive oil for chicken. Stick with fresh herbs and don't buy cheap olive oil or substitute margarine (yuk) for butter and you will get good results. I think this applies to cooking in general, not just to Ina's recipes.

Obviously I highly recommend this book and I think the majority will ultimately agree that it is a good choice. Looking forward to your next book, Ina!

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277 of 286 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars magnificent December 13, 1999
By DJP
Format:Hardcover
I had people for dinner a few nights ago, and no one can stop talking about the wonderful results. I tried the Indonesian Ginger Chicken, and it sure was tasty. I followed her easy directions, and marinated the chicken overnight-- which is a real lifesaver, since you're not in the kitchen, seasoning, while everyone else is gossiping in the living room. I love recipes where you can prepare ahead, and just pop them in the oven when you want to eat. That seems to be the focus of Ina's book-- have fun with whomever you're entertaining, while a scrumptous meal cooks in the oven. The only thing I would do differently with the Ginger chicken is to buy pre-minced garlic and ginger. Doing it yourself takes forever because of how much is called for in the recipe. All in all, I think this book is terrific, and I've read through each recipe many times, simply imagining the tastes and looks of the food. It's so well put together, and I think Ina owes much of the book's success to the wonderful photography. This is the kind of cookbook you pick up to read just for fun, even if you're not planning to use it that day. Great job! Buy this now!
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269 of 281 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and Delicious! July 23, 2001
Format:Hardcover
This is not your ordinary cookbook. It is a visual feast for all your senses. The photographs are stunning, the recipes are simple to understand, and the tips are actually very helpful. Ina Garten expertly walks you through preparation to presentation, and injects personal anecdotes throughout. I was left with the impression that she truly wants her readers to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of a great meal.

The book begins with an introduction to fresh ingredients and again, the emphasis is on quality and simplicity. Ina guides us through a farmer's market of fresh fruits and vegetables, explaining what to look for and how to select the very best ingredients for our meals. In the midst of this primer, she delivers a simple recipe for fresh lemonade (a quick application of what we have just learned!), followed by a glossary of kitchen terms, and all accompanied by beautiful photographs. The first section is devoted to appetizers, and includes detailed instructions on what to serve at cocktail parties (and exactly how to serve it) and how to make and present an elegant, yet simple fruit and cheese platter. My favorite recipe from this section was the vegetable sushi. She then covers Soups (including home made croutons), Salads (the French Potato is tremendous!), Dinner Entrees (including a kitchen clambake and the famous Indonesian Ginger Chicken recipe), Vegetables (with instructions on creating a stunning vegetable platter), Desserts (the country dessert platter is perfect for small groups get-togethers!) and a section simply entitled "Breakfast" with a wonderful recipe for White Hot Chocolate and a short primer on how to make "the perfect cup of coffee". The book ends with details for assembling party food and has a complete resource section loaded with information on how to find specialty items.

I own many cookbooks, but I have found this to be the most inspiring and entertaining that I have read. The recipes are simple, and quite delicious, making this a terrific resource for both the experienced and novice cook.

5 Stars. Magnificent!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
This cookbook completes my collection of Ina Garten's cookbooks.
The quality of the paper, the photographs of the food and the easy to read print
are all great... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Denise Fazio
5.0 out of 5 stars BAREFOOT CONTESSA
my wife loves the book. Contessa is one of her favorite cooks. she watches it all the time on the food network.
Published 12 days ago by steve
5.0 out of 5 stars Great For Both Novices & Experienced Cooks
I tend to shy away from cookbooks, as most require way to many ingredients, steps and time.
This is a well written and illustrated cookbook with a great assortment of easy to... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Nancy
3.0 out of 5 stars I can tell this is her first cookbook
This is a good cookbook with good recipes but I can tell it is her first cookbook. She has made lots of improvements over the years. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lisa M. Satterly
5.0 out of 5 stars Ina!
Again, anything that is put out there by Ina Garten is bound to be delicious, healthy and visually interesting to the reader
Published 1 month ago by Lucy F. Crawford
3.0 out of 5 stars A book for beginners
If you are not a beginner, this is a book on how to assemble a platter beautifully. The recipes are very simple.
Published 2 months ago by mimic
5.0 out of 5 stars The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
If you enjoy the Barefoot Contessa TV program you'll enjoy her cookbooks. Clear, easy to follow and wonderful photos. A real gem. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rainman
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a relaxed way to cook
Started with Ina's "Foolproof" book and have been working my way through her books. Each book contains beautiful pictures for each recipe but also helpful hints on... Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Cookbook!
It was fun to see how In'a recipes evolved from this book to her latest books. A great gift for any home cook.
Published 3 months ago by AbinoLynne
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Cookbook!
Love Ina, and every book she writes! Her books are great, and this book is one of the best. Great for everyone!
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Steven D. Myles
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Music for Ina's show
In the Q&A section on the Barefoot Contessa website the identity of the musicians are not disclosed but it is made specificly for her show.
Jul 19, 2008 by Ben Goodson |  See all 4 posts
Welcome to the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook forum
which one of the barefoot contessa cookbooks is your favorite? I am looking to get one that uses everyday ingredients and not things that are hard to find at a local supermarket. Help anyone????
Feb 4, 2009 by SM |  See all 4 posts
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