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5th out of 10 books
—
3 voters
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust
by
Ina Garten
Millions of people love Ina Garten because she writes recipes that make home cooks look great; family and friends shower them with praise and yet the dishes couldn’t be simpler to prepare using ingredients found in any grocery store. In Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, the Food Network star takes easy a step further, sharing her secrets for pulling off deeply satisfying meals...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
October 30th 2012
by Clarkson Potter
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One of my best friends is not a fan of Ina Garten. (She considers her show a little too highbrow.) And I can see why she feels that way...but to be honest, if I had a budget that allowed me to use the fresh, sometimes luxurious ingredients that she does, and the patience/time/ability to cook with her techniques, Ina's appreciation for fresh and quality ingredients is something that's grown on me; and this cookbook cemented her as a chef I can appreciate.
Again - some of these recipes are things I...more
Again - some of these recipes are things I...more
I own all of Ina's previous books, but they are starting to get a little repetitive, so I rented this from the library instead. I am glad I did so, because a lot of the recipes are very similar to ones in her earlier cookbooks, with maybe one variation to make it seem new. To me, that is not enough to justify buying a new cookbook.
However, I did copy the following recipes, which looked AMAZING:
Crab Strudels (they look like Southwestern seafood egg rolls)
Tuscan mashed chickpeas (I already have h...more
However, I did copy the following recipes, which looked AMAZING:
Crab Strudels (they look like Southwestern seafood egg rolls)
Tuscan mashed chickpeas (I already have h...more
Ina Garten, I LOVE YOU. I want to BE you when I am older, hosting dinner parties for my friends, all of whom happen to be florists, table setting landscapers and wine connoisseurs. I think that you and Jeffrey should adopt. I am a great person to have around the house. Imagine having a spunky young spirit picking fresh lemons for you everyday so that you can squeeze them onto your dishes in a cinematic fashion without having to worry about running out. I will lay out beautifully symmetric mounds...more
Yes, I read a cookbook. Actually I look through a lot of cookbooks to learn new ways to prepare whole foods, but I read this all the way through. Lots of good photos of food that looks really good. This book is for someone throwing dinner parties though. There's no information about calories, and the meals take a long time to prepare. It's got some good recipes for mixed drinks, and if I drank hard liquor I would be all over it. There's a good section on desserts which I really wish I hadn't rea...more
Ina Garten cooks and bakes the way I like to eat. Her recipes are simple, yet they can be served at any dinner party to impress. Each recipe is photographed, beautifully. I also enjoy seeing photos of her home, in the Hamptoms. It's a little bit of voyeurism as to how "the 1%" lives. I need to build up a bigger repertoire of appetizers and beverages, so I've bookmarked a few recipes:
Dukes Cosmopolitan, Mustard & Gruyere Batons, and Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers. The tomato soup with grilled chee...more
Dukes Cosmopolitan, Mustard & Gruyere Batons, and Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers. The tomato soup with grilled chee...more
Well, this was interesting. I read all of the non-recipe bits, and skimmed some of the recipes. I started getting quibblish when one of Garten's first comment was that no one always has a fully-stocked pantry, so she was sure to use items that could easily be found at the grocery store. Then I came across a recipe that used Israeli couscous. And another that called for demerara sugar. Sorry, I cook quite a bit and haven't ever encountered either of those two ingredients.
The pictures were nice, a...more
The pictures were nice, a...more
I was really excited about this... and then i realized I wouldn't ever make half the recipes in it. That sort of took the wind out of it for me. Her dill sauce for fish, however, is amazing, and very do-able. And i will someday try putting grilled cheese croutons in my tomato soup... but I'll make my own recipe for tomato soup. I'm not making tomato soup with saffron, that seems to me a waste of an expensive spice. If I have saffron (ever) I will spend it on something where it reigns king of the...more
Looking forward to trying some of these recipes, particularly the side dishes (brown rice and wheatberries; orange carrots and parsnips). As usual, some of Garten's recipes just seem too fussy for me (e.g., cook salmon, make a sauce, then put the salmon on a charcoal grill) or make me say, "yeah, right," as in the "accidental turkey" recipe with directions such as, "Make sure your oven is really clean."
And I'm not ever going to make my own chicken stock.
But I think even I can handle some of th...more
And I'm not ever going to make my own chicken stock.
But I think even I can handle some of th...more
I'll be cooking from this this week so for now can only speak on the layout. This is a gourmet cookbook, no matter how friendly, simple and easy Ina Garten tries to make it sound. Lush photos, a number of recipes featuring lobster (not for the ordinary family) and a lot of mention of how easy it all is (we'll see). From her introduction you can tell she is a precise and organized person, and she wants you to be that way, too, thus the emphasis on menus and timing. This is probably perfect for th...more
Foolproof by Ina Garten is a fantastic slender cookbook, chock full of recipes which have been tested, easy to prepare and ..well….they are foolproof. Published by Clarkson Potter with 88 recipes covering everything from appetizers, cocktails, main course, sides and desserts.
I am very interested in Duke’s Cosmopolitan, Sidecars with Dried Cherries, Crispy English Potatoes, Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding, Salted Caramel Brownies (I have been having a slated caramel craving lately) and Winter M...more
I am very interested in Duke’s Cosmopolitan, Sidecars with Dried Cherries, Crispy English Potatoes, Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding, Salted Caramel Brownies (I have been having a slated caramel craving lately) and Winter M...more
This Is my first Barefoot Contessa book, although of course I've heard of her. I looked through the book at B & N, and became hungry and anxious to cook immediately. Since I've brought it home around New Years, I've made plenty of the appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. I absolutely love it! I love to cook, but sometimes procrastinate on my start times. This book is easy enough that I can wait till I get home from work and till get dinner on the table in a reasonable time.
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/WtDXOc
My opinion: Ina's recipes are always a winner for me, especially when I am looking for a bit more upscale yet still easy to prepare recipes. One of my favorite things about this cookbook are Ina's tips and tidbits for the kitchen and entertaining.
On that note, I found a large number of the recipes I wanted already posted on Foodnetwork.com. There was a large handful of recipes that I actually needed to copy from the book.
My opinion: Ina's recipes are always a winner for me, especially when I am looking for a bit more upscale yet still easy to prepare recipes. One of my favorite things about this cookbook are Ina's tips and tidbits for the kitchen and entertaining.
On that note, I found a large number of the recipes I wanted already posted on Foodnetwork.com. There was a large handful of recipes that I actually needed to copy from the book.
LOVE her! The recipes and entertaining ideas are great. My only complaint is that I've seen some of them before - I"m not sure if it was in her other books, or just similar ideas (mainly in the starters section) that are similar to some of Dorrie Greenspan's. But this is a really useful - and beautiful - book.
I might have to buy this book! There are some great recipes for entertaining friends. One of these days when I'm feeling skinny (ha ha!) I will make the Sticky toffee date cake with bourbon glaze. The cake itself has 8 tablespoons of butter in it & the glaze contains a whopping 12 tablespoons! I bet it tastes delicious!
I enjoy many of Ina Garten's recipes. Some are unrealistic for my kitchen but many are doable. I've made 1 thing so far, the sword fish and it was a amazing. I have many things dog eared in this book that I know will turn out great. Looking foward to many more great meals!
I hated to bring this back to the library. The Carrot Cake with Ginger Mascarpone Frosting was possibly the best carrot cake I have ever eaten. On a healthier note - the Winter Minestrone is delicious. So many recipes look so good that I might have to buy this book.
A fun, accessible cookbook; really liked the recipes and photos, also appreciated Garten's suggestions for table settings and the "Foolproof menus" in the back for anything from Thanksgiving dinner to "French Bistro," "Dinner for In-laws," and "Snowy Day," menus!
A fun, accessible cookbook; really liked the recipes and photos, also appreciated Garten's suggestions for table settings and the "Foolproof menus" in the back for anything from Thanksgiving dinner to "French Bistro," "Dinner for In-laws," and "Snowy Day," menus!
I like a lot of Ina's books and love her Barefoot in Paris book, that is loaded with wonderful recipes. This is just a beautiful book as her others, the photographs and the layout but I just wasn't impressed with this one. I found a few that I would like to try and based on past experience, I know there are good recipes in there but some seem repetitive. Ina can come across as a bit too upper crust on her program but the woman has some "fabulous" (her words!) recipes and sticks very closely to b...more
I can't say enough good about Ina and her books. I have them all. Have never tried a recipe I nor my family have disliked. I recommend watching her shows on Food Network as a wonderful education in overall "normal" cooking.
You CAN rely on Ina Garten!
Every recipe WORKS!
She has 'real world' tips on making cooking a positive affair, not a nightmare.
I own ALL of her cookbooks and will forever think of her as the BEST American cook, EVER!
Every recipe WORKS!
She has 'real world' tips on making cooking a positive affair, not a nightmare.
I own ALL of her cookbooks and will forever think of her as the BEST American cook, EVER!
Ina`s cookbooks are always really good. My only objection to this one is--too many ingredients either not generally available or too expensive. For instance, several recipes call for lobster--not in my budget!
Love this book and all the beautiful pictures. Still easy ingredients to procure and make in the comfort of my home. But the best recipe out of all of her books is the apple crostata.
Rather disappointed that many of the intros to recipes in this book note, "I've written this recipe for previous books...but here's a twist!" Eg., salt and caramel on brownies she's put in books before. I hadn't actually read previous BC cookbooks but it left me with a pretty 'meh' taste in my mouth.
Enjoy her books -well illustrated and I find pictures motivating in cookbooks. I like the conversational tone used in the book - you can hear her telling you the tips:)
Beautifully put together and I picked out a few recipes. Most of the recipes had a bit too fancy of ingredients for me - maybe for special occasions.
Another great book from Ina. If you watch her show on Sat. mornings on food network, the past few Sat's she has been doing recipes from the book !
Alright - i had to up the number of stars in my review after letting this book sit for a couple of weeks and then actually cooking from it. Her Chocolate chunk Blondies were amazing and yes, foolproof. The tomato soup was also delicious. A nice cookbook - beautiful pictures, well laid out recipes, i still like "How easy is that" more.than this one.
least favorite barefoot contessa book, but even then it is a fairly good cookbook. I just wasn't intrigued by the recipes or the type of food.
I have so many cookbooks. Most I never use. I got this one from the library and have already picked out a couple of recipes to make for Thanksgiving. These recipes are simple and look easy to follow. I might ask Santa for this book.
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Ina Rosenberg Garten is an American author, host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and former White House nuclear policy analyst. Known for designing recipes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and time-saving tips, she has been noted by Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and Patricia Wells for her cooking and home entertaining.
Garten had no formal training; she taught herself culinary...more
More about Ina Garten...
Garten had no formal training; she taught herself culinary...more
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