Rating: 
Summary: More Recipes Easily Prepared at Home. Many Leftovers
Review: This is Ina Garten's third cookbook. It leaves the caterer's shop and party platter to concentrate on meals, which do well made at home.One of the first things I sense is that there is little difference in the style of menu in this book than there is in the first two. The second and more revealing aspect of this book is the degree to which it is visiting old material rather than trying to present something new. There are three signs of this tendency in the book. The first is the number of references to sources of recipes in both classic cookbooks such as Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and recent, well known cookbooks such as Danny Meyer and Michael Romano's 'Union Square Café Cookbook'. Other cookbooks are quoted as well. The second is the appearance of patently classic recipes, which have appeared in many other books. Two of the most common are a recipe for a Caprese Salad (Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarela) and roasted leg of lamb. Repeating classic recipes like this becomes more of an issue in a book of this size (88 recipes) and price ($35 list). This book has very little new in the way of basic recipes to offer a person who already owns ten (10) cookbooks, let alone someone who owns over 200. The third is the number of recipes for relatively simple staple items which have the feel of being added to bulk up the page count. These are chicken stock, croutons, iced tea, mashed potatoes, and sautéed carrots. To be sure, each of these has some twist to offer, but that twist is a bit expensive at over $.40 per recipe. Especially given the fact that many of these recipes have appeared on Ina's Food Network show and are therefore available on the Internet on the Food Network web site for free. There is an up side to this book, especially for people with few cookbooks and little time to watch the Food Network. First, as with the earlier books, these recipes are typically easy to make with virtually no expensive or difficult to find ingredients.
Second, the book has a recipe index, something that every cookbook should have.
Third, the book has a healthy number of breakfast food recipes. This would seem to be the main feature which sets it apart from the other two books and which places it 'in the home'.
Fourth, a large percentage of recipes are for desserts. If one has no interest in having a dessert book laying around, this book will put you in good stead with recipes for some classics like key lime pie and angel food cake plus some very good special event desserts such as an American Flag cake. If you want the read deal on desserts, I strongly recommend Wayne Harley Brachman's latest book, 'American Desserts'. Ina Garten' three books together will run you over $100 list price. For less than $20, you could get an excellent general purpose cookbook such as 'The Joy of Cooking' or 'James Beard's American Cookery' with over 1000 recipes. The extra tariff buys you the cachet of recipes from a well-known culinary celebrity who should know what she is doing to keep things both simple and economical in the kitchen. You also get full page, average or less than average quality photographs of all recipes and chatty commentary on the recipes from Ms. Garten. Basically, Ina is simply running out of original material, just like her Food Network colleague Paula Deen, whose second cookbook also had a lot of filler. The difference is in the relative price Ms. Garten and Ms. Deen are charging for leftovers. Again, this is a good book if you simply do not own other cookbooks and you can get it at a good discount. For the rest of us, I give it only four stars so you think twice before buying the name, again.
Rating: 
Summary: Great, Non-Fussy Food
Review: I got this as a Christmas gift and have reached for it at least 3 times a week ever since. I love Ina's approach to good, non-fussy food. Living in a city filled with great restaurants (San Francisco), it's easy to get caught up in the "experience" of eating; the Barefoot Contessa is all about "enjoying the experience." Making everyone part of the food preparation is also inspired. There's a section just on Kids, which is great. I have not made a single thing that I haven't liked out of this book. I can't say enough good things about this cook book.
Rating:
Summary: INA IS THE BEST
Review: I own AT LEAST 250 cookbooks and Ina Garten's three stay in my kitchen. Whenever we want to cook anything, we check and see if Ina has a recipe for it first. Her Parmesan Chicken is *spectacular*, Meatballs and Spaghetti is fantastic, Tequila Lime Chicken and Chicken Stew with biscuits are divine. Tomorrow we are having Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. I have made many recipes from her other books and ALWAYS get rave reviews. The brownies are to DIE for. She hasn't disappointed me yet. Can't wait for her next book!!!
Rating:
Summary: I love Ina Garten!
Review: The book is delightfully done, fun to read, and I'm so glad I own it!
I was a little dissappointed with the lack of variety in the recipes though, guess I would have liked to have seen a few more desserts and maybe even bread recipes. The actually recipes in this book are side dish heavy.
The best thing about this book is the text. Thouroughly enjoyed reading Ina's thoughts on cooking for friends and family. Her thoughtfullness and the joy she obviously feels from preparing flavorful dishes and her presentation are what makes her my favorite cook!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, easy yet classy and not beginner
Review: This is just a wonderful looking book and is full of equally wonderful recipes. Much like her show I would make and eat any of her recipes! I really enjoy the little personal touches and statements that accompany most of the recipes (origin, substitutions, etc.). Also includes some very hand tips for the kitchen such a tools you should definately have and grocery items to keep on hand. All in all a great book for yourself or to give as a gift (GREAT SHOWER ITEM)!
Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally simple, practical and delicious
Review: All of her books are outstanding. The recipies are tasty, simple, and composed of few ingredients. I highly recommend all of her cookbooks.
Rating:
Summary: Easy- but that's the point
Review: For all you complainers out there who claim this book is too 'easy' and not 'gourmet', THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT!!!!! The cover even says 'Easy ideas and recipes to make everyone feel like family.' To me that indicates that there will not be difficult and challenging food that guests can't even pronounce the name. It's the kind of book that you can depend on when friends and family come over to always be good. It's comfort food and food that you're familiar with while kicking it up a notch. And it's very good comfort food. My father loves the Orange Pound Cake, which can then be turned into a Raspberry Orange Trifle. My mom says the Sagaponack Corn Pudding is better than her own, and my brother can't get enough of the raspberry cheesecake. The Tequila Lime Chicken was enjoyed by everyone. I can't wait to try more recipes for this book. (PS I may only be 12 years old, but I'm still a very good cook, or so people tell me.)
Rating: 
Summary: Not one of the best out there, but it might suit you fine...
Review: The author provides some helpful recipes and tips, but I can't help to wonder why she insists on encouraging the oversalting almost all of the food she prepares. She also seems to have almost no formal training whatsoever (nor do I, but I recognize bad technique when I see it), and a fairly crude approach if you ask me. Trying to be a "poor-man's" Martha Stewart or a more ethnic version maybe, but I don't quite get it. I would recommend picking up a book by Emeril or one of the other Food Network personalities first, but if this book contains more of, then I say go for it...what's the harm.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!!!
Review: This is my first Ina Garten book and I love it!! The recipes are simple to follow and everyone thinks I killed myself to make them. I can't wait to get the others!
Rating:
Summary: Nice Pictures but Few Recipes
Review: It is more of a book to look at than to use. The pages are nice and thick and glossy and there are more photographs of food than there are recipes. I would not have bought this book if I had held it in my hands and looked at it first. Not what I was expecting from the reviews. I suggest looking at it in a book store before purchasing it. What recipes there are are ok but nothing new and nothing that you can't clip from a magazine or get from a less expensive cookbook
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