Rating: 
Summary: You'll use it often
Review: You'll use it often. For company. For holidays. For everyday suppers with the family. Ina's style is usually simple and fairly quick. You won't be looking all over town for her ingredients. Some things won't please your cardiologist but balance is the key. The photographs are beautiful!
Rating: 
Summary: Recycled Martha.
Review: Garten is probably the most egregious of all the "hobby job" cooks (one could NEVER call them chefs) flogged by the Food Network (followed closely by the laughably inept Sara Moulton and Rachael Ray). Here as in her other books, she recycles recipes done earlier and better by Martha Stewart (her obvious role model), Bert Greene, Lee Bailey, etc. Better to buy books by professionally trained, working chefs like Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, etc. or at the very least, by truly gifted home cooks like Nigella Lawson or Nigel Slater. You might actually learn something original from them.
Rating:
Summary: Unpretentious and Yummy
Review: This is my favorite cookbook. Everything I've made so far has been lovely enough to serve guests, yet unfussy to prepare. Recipes focus on fresh, in-season foods enhanced with seasonings or sauces rather than drowned in them. (Although look elsewhere for low-fat cooking.) This is "welcome to my house, relax, eat this simple yet delicious food" food rather than "look, you're so lucky to be in my house eating with me, because I'm chic and trendy, and I'm using obscure ingredients" food. Yay, Ina.
Rating:
Summary: Die Happy
Review: Buy this cookbook. Make the pan-fried onion dip. Die happy.
As Emeril says, "When you're out of butter, there's always lard." Ina Gartin's recipes are not low fat, and tend to incorporate a lot of butter, but they are high on the yummy scale. This is a luscious cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: A cookbook one can trust
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: One of my top 3 favorite cookbooks
Review: Every single thing i've made from this book has been excellent and i would make again. And it's rare that i can say that about a cookbook. This should also be a case study to other cookbook authors about how really good photos can enrich the recipes and make people like me actually want to make every single dish that's pictured. I can't wait to buy the other two books!
Rating:
Summary: Simple Elegance
Review: I purchased this book when it first came out because the cover caught my eye. The provencal potato salad is absolutely wonderful! All the fresh ingredients and simple, yet elegant way of preparation and presentation. I love the side - bar conversations, helpful hints and short cuts! Ina could be my friend with her easy approach to elegant cuisine! I now own all of her books and am eager to share "my" successful recipes when entertaining guests, as well as, family!
Rating:
Summary: Wow, Wow, Wow
Review: Fabulous book--pics are fabulous to go with the easy to follow recipes. There is a wonderful caterer in LA who makes to die for coconut cupcakes and when I wanted to try my own, viola, there was a recipe in this book. TO DIE FOR coconut cupcakes I have now mastered thanks to Barefoot Contessa. Side dishes have been a mainstay at every dinner party, as have the cupcakes! I love this cookbook and can't wait to get my hands on anything else from this delectable diva.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous! Wonderful!
Review: I love this cookbook and it is very well-used in my house. Garten's recipes are wonderfully elegant but essentially most are very uncomplicated.There are very few recipes that intimidate me and I think that is due to her great style and her desire to make simple food GREAT! While the food is considered upscale it is not difficult for the average cook to make successfully. I really appreciate the use of fresh foods and many things that I have on hand on a regular basis. I have given this as gifts to three people and they all love it. One cookbook was for my daughter who is very young and a real novice cook. Even she found these recipes simple and easy to make, not ambitious at all as some reviewers have suggested. I love all the gorgeous photos and the author's cooking hints are invaluable, even to someone like myself who has 35 years of cooking experience!
Rating:
Summary: A must have for any kitchen
Review: I'm a neophyte kook, so naturally I was a little hesitant before purchasing Ms. Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I've only tried about three of the recipes so far (turkey meatloaf, for which I substituted the turkey for ground beef, parmesan smashed potatoes, and the grilled salmon salad), but they all were fantastic and you didn't need to be a rocket scientist to follow the instructions. Highly recommended.
| 
