Rating: 
Summary: Great ideas--the salmon is superb.
Review: I love this book if for nothing more than the incredible salmon with onion and fennel recipe. This recipe can be broken down in size for family dinners, and is special enough for company. Just delicious, as well as easy and special!
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY STUNNING, LOVELY BOOK
Review: Clearly the best cookbook in a very long time. I tried several recipes (baked ham, grilled lemon chicken, coconut cupcakes, scones, and spinach pie)...and they all came out perfect. I hope the author Ina Garten is working on the second book because the only drawback is the very limited amount of recipes in the current book. The book is truly a blessing to have in your own kitchen. Have fun!
Rating: 
Summary: Ok
Review: I love the layout of this book but I have made three recipes out of this book already and had problems with two. The pan-fried onion dip was delicious but extremely heavy. The coconut cupcakes were good but cut the frosting recipe in half and the sun dried tomato dip does not need the extra salt. I also feel the this book was too expensive for the amount of recipes you get. Visually stunning, but wait until it goes on sale to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Money well spent on this book.
Review: The corn chowder, the banana crunch muffins, the orange yogurt-they are the best I have ever tasted. The recipes are not complicated,and the pictures are always good to have in a cookbook. I have slowly been giving away the many cookbooks I have because I did not use them very much, but this book is a definite keeper.
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Summary: Beautiful photos and appealing, simple recipes!
Review: I just got The Barefoot Contessa from Amazon two days ago. The first thing I did was flip through and look at the photos and recipes. There are pictures at the beginning of the book showing exactly what Ina means when she says "small dice" or "chop", narratives that set the mood for each chapter, and margins on each page to make your own notes about the recipes. These recipes are generally pretty simple: the list of ingredients is short, and cooking instruction is clear and basic. Each recipe is written on no more than two pages. I've only had time to make one recipe--Banana Crunch Muffins, which are delicious. I'm off to a good start. This is the first cookbook I've bought where at least 75% of the recipes really appealed to me. That says a lot!
Rating:
Summary: Nice recipes, but impractically rich
Review: There's no doubt that Ina Garten's recipes are almost universally delicious. Every single item I've tried from this book has been a hit. A big but, however: These things taste so great because they contain WAY more fat and sugar than the everyday versions of the dishes. This is standard practice in the restaurant/catering industry, but there is a reason that gravy at your favorite restaurant tastes so much different from your grandma's. Granny didn't load hers up with a cup of whipping cream on top of a heavy butter/flour roux. Where the standard "Joy of Cooking" recipe for an item might call for whole milk, Ina uses heavy cream. Where Fannie Farmer wants 2 tablespoons of butter, Ina uses half a cup. Please explain to me why mashed potatoes need heavy cream, butter and sour cream. I'm far from a dietary scold, but this book has to be used as for special occasions only. Live on a day-to-day diet of these recipes, and you're going to end up looking like their author.
Rating:
Summary: the recipes in this book is so great that it
Review: (...)I tell you, the recipies in this book is fantastic! I love the orange marmalade recipe, the white rabbit truffle, the delicious tart, and the wonderful golden brownie.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most used cookbooks in my kitchen
Review: I am a huge Ina Garten fan, and this cookbook is one of my favorites. I love Ina's simple elegance with each dish. The photography is amazing and it makes you want to use this book. Love it!
Rating: 
Summary: I'd rather keep my figure thanks
Review: Sure these recipes are delicious, many variations or adaptions of recipes that have been floating around for years. But as I read through the book, I kept thinking "Been there, done that." I remember making fanastic lemon and pecan squares back in the 80s. Back then, my waistline could handle it. But as I get in to my 60s, I would rather exercise and maintain my figure than reach for those 2 sticks of butter. It's all a choice really, and if I am going to indulge, I'd rather have champagne. That's enough.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Recipes
Review: This is a great cookbook for anyone entertaining or just wanting to prepare good food. Highly recommended!
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