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. Hardcover, 256 pages.
