Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family 
asked by linda on November 21, 2006 9:01 AM
Ina Garten, who shared her gift for casual entertaining in the bestselling Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Barefoot Contessa Parties!, is back with her most enticing recipes yet—a collection of her favorite dishes for everyday cooking. In Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina explains that sharing our lives and tables with those we love is too essential to be saved just for special occasions—and it’s easy to do if you know how to cook irresistible meals with a minimum of fuss.
For Ina, the best way to make guests feel at home is to serve them food that’s as unpretentious as it is delicious. So in her new book, she’s collected the recipes that please her friends and family most—dishes like East Hampton Clam Chowder, Parmesan Roasted Asparagus, and Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. It’s the kind of fresh, accessible food that’s meant to be passed around the table in big bowls or platters and enjoyed with warm conversation and laughter.
In Ina’s hands tried-and-true dishes are even more delicious than you remember them: Her arugula salad is bright with the flavors of lemon and Parmesan, the Oven-Fried Chicken is crispy without excess fat, and her Deep-Dish Apple Pie has the perfect balance of fruit and spice. Barefoot Contessa Family Style also includes enticing recipes that are memorable and distinctive, like Lobster Cobb Salad, Tequila Lime Chicken, and Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash.
With vivid photographs of Ina cooking and serving food in her beautiful Hamptons home, as well as menu suggestions, practical wisdom on what to do when disaster strikes in the kitchen, and tips on creating an inviting ambience with music, Barefoot Contessa Family Style is the must-have guide to the joy of everyday entertaining.
For Ina, the best way to make guests feel at home is to serve them food that’s as unpretentious as it is delicious. So in her new book, she’s collected the recipes that please her friends and family most—dishes like East Hampton Clam Chowder, Parmesan Roasted Asparagus, and Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. It’s the kind of fresh, accessible food that’s meant to be passed around the table in big bowls or platters and enjoyed with warm conversation and laughter.
In Ina’s hands tried-and-true dishes are even more delicious than you remember them: Her arugula salad is bright with the flavors of lemon and Parmesan, the Oven-Fried Chicken is crispy without excess fat, and her Deep-Dish Apple Pie has the perfect balance of fruit and spice. Barefoot Contessa Family Style also includes enticing recipes that are memorable and distinctive, like Lobster Cobb Salad, Tequila Lime Chicken, and Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash.
With vivid photographs of Ina cooking and serving food in her beautiful Hamptons home, as well as menu suggestions, practical wisdom on what to do when disaster strikes in the kitchen, and tips on creating an inviting ambience with music, Barefoot Contessa Family Style is the must-have guide to the joy of everyday entertaining.
Reviews
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Hello. I have this cookbook and I absolutely love it. While the negative reviewer below is entitled to feel the way they feel, I do feel that it was a bit much. I personally am a fan of Ina Garten and all of her cookbooks and shows. I am accustomed to her style and that's what really comes through in the book. Maybe you should have looked into it a bit more before you bought it. I am used to her style of cooking and love the cookbook and all the recipes in it. It is very versatile and just yummy! :) Direction is given appropriately for the recipes and I give it 5 stars. If you like Ina and even if you don't, it's a good book to introduce you to some knew things in a very homey way. Good food=Good times.
reviewed by iconfess on November 25, 2006 3:51 PM
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This is my first time writing an online review; but, I felt compelled to do so after reading one person's negative comments challenging Ina's ability to cook! By way of background, I am a serious cook, with a serious cookbook collection and an even more serious kitchen. (I would say my kitchen rivals the one Ina cooks out of on her show.)
I can say without any hesitation that Ina's recipes are foolproof! Even a novice cook would find success with any of Ina's recipes. That is the beauty behind her style of cooking. I can't tell you how many times I have turned to her books for inspiration. Moreover, I have never been disappointed with the results.
I am not trying to be mean but If the reviewer that blamed Ina for her failure in the kitchen is having problems with these recipes, she really needs a basic course in cooking. Please do not let one person's opinion discourage you from getting this book. If you are still on the fence, print a few of her recipes off the food network site and convince yourself. Ina knows what she is doing!
I can say without any hesitation that Ina's recipes are foolproof! Even a novice cook would find success with any of Ina's recipes. That is the beauty behind her style of cooking. I can't tell you how many times I have turned to her books for inspiration. Moreover, I have never been disappointed with the results.
I am not trying to be mean but If the reviewer that blamed Ina for her failure in the kitchen is having problems with these recipes, she really needs a basic course in cooking. Please do not let one person's opinion discourage you from getting this book. If you are still on the fence, print a few of her recipes off the food network site and convince yourself. Ina knows what she is doing!
reviewed by costa on November 28, 2006 11:09 AM
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So happy to have this Ina cookbook - her recipes never miss!! You can really tell how much time she takes to make sure the flavor and texture is just right. My partner and I have been able to impress many friends with her recipes. Keep up the good work Ina!
reviewed by rafit on November 29, 2006 2:57 AM
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I don't know who is to blame for my lack of satisfaction, my lack of enthusiasm with this book. The pictures are great, the meals seem like they will be ideal, and I love Ina Garten's television show; it's addictive even after my sad disappointment with using this cookbook, BAREFOOT CONTESSA FAMILY STYLE: Easy Ideas and Recipes that Make Everyone Feel like Family.
I will have to admit, I think, that this is a case of 80/20: Of course, I have to be at least 20 percent to blame for the failure of recipes that I carried out to an unsatisfactory end (though this is only one theory); but Ina Garten should be held responsible for her directions as well.
My other theories include the prospect that Ina Garten does not REALLY want to share her true recipes with the public and also the possibility that Garten does not REALLY know how to cook. Her show is not one, you know like Rachel Ray's, in which no food is ever produced from a refrigerator or oven fully cooked with actual preparations stages skipped....
I'm not here to give Barefoot Contessa a hard time. However, I am here to tell you what problems I had with this FAMILY STYLE edition of her cookbook series:
EXPENSE: I would say that these recipes are pretentious. You may decide that I'm low-class and out of my league. Maybe--!---I certainly felt like it sometimes. And maybe it's only me, but I like recipes that don't call (with the exception of some seasonal ingredients) for me to go out and buy a whole new arsenal of food, a veritable wardrobe of spices, meats and breads--ALL exotic species. Too often, Garten forgets that some (probably a lot) of the people she is talking to actually have budgets to think about and not chefs to whom they can hand off this cookbook with its lovely, glossy photos.
COMPLICATION: Her overworked recipes can leave the cook trying to follow her guidance beside his or herself! These recipes take so much time and attention to detail that I honestly don't suggest that a person (other than a chef or a cook with a great deal of experience) try one without at least one helper--1 meticulous friend to attend the highly detailed instructions while you do the cooking. Shoot, if you have enough friends (and a large enough kitchen) it might be nice to have at least 1 friend available for prep! Additionally, I found that while I might achieve success with a recipe once, due to this factor, it was hard to duplicate.
Recipes That Worked For Me and My Husband:
* Lasagna with Turkey Sausage
* Linguine with shrimp scampi
* Penne with five cheeses
* Parmesan Chicken
* Mashed potatoes & gravy
* Hashed Browns
Recipes That Fell Flat in Our Home:
* Green Salad and Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette (was so disappointed with how the dressing failed to cohere and how the tastes fought each other)
* Real Meatballs and Spaghetti (worked once, but never again)
* Herb-roasted Lamb
* Challah French Toast
Bottom Line: There are too many recipes in this book for me to feel satisfied with the fact that only 6 of them were actually hits. Simple, Efficient Recipes that Still Capture Great Taste Profiles and Health are NOT to be Found in FAMILY STYLE.
On the other hand, I highly recommend Rachel Ray TOP 30, 30-Minute Meals, COMFORT food.
I will have to admit, I think, that this is a case of 80/20: Of course, I have to be at least 20 percent to blame for the failure of recipes that I carried out to an unsatisfactory end (though this is only one theory); but Ina Garten should be held responsible for her directions as well.
My other theories include the prospect that Ina Garten does not REALLY want to share her true recipes with the public and also the possibility that Garten does not REALLY know how to cook. Her show is not one, you know like Rachel Ray's, in which no food is ever produced from a refrigerator or oven fully cooked with actual preparations stages skipped....
I'm not here to give Barefoot Contessa a hard time. However, I am here to tell you what problems I had with this FAMILY STYLE edition of her cookbook series:
EXPENSE: I would say that these recipes are pretentious. You may decide that I'm low-class and out of my league. Maybe--!---I certainly felt like it sometimes. And maybe it's only me, but I like recipes that don't call (with the exception of some seasonal ingredients) for me to go out and buy a whole new arsenal of food, a veritable wardrobe of spices, meats and breads--ALL exotic species. Too often, Garten forgets that some (probably a lot) of the people she is talking to actually have budgets to think about and not chefs to whom they can hand off this cookbook with its lovely, glossy photos.
COMPLICATION: Her overworked recipes can leave the cook trying to follow her guidance beside his or herself! These recipes take so much time and attention to detail that I honestly don't suggest that a person (other than a chef or a cook with a great deal of experience) try one without at least one helper--1 meticulous friend to attend the highly detailed instructions while you do the cooking. Shoot, if you have enough friends (and a large enough kitchen) it might be nice to have at least 1 friend available for prep! Additionally, I found that while I might achieve success with a recipe once, due to this factor, it was hard to duplicate.
Recipes That Worked For Me and My Husband:
* Lasagna with Turkey Sausage
* Linguine with shrimp scampi
* Penne with five cheeses
* Parmesan Chicken
* Mashed potatoes & gravy
* Hashed Browns
Recipes That Fell Flat in Our Home:
* Green Salad and Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette (was so disappointed with how the dressing failed to cohere and how the tastes fought each other)
* Real Meatballs and Spaghetti (worked once, but never again)
* Herb-roasted Lamb
* Challah French Toast
Bottom Line: There are too many recipes in this book for me to feel satisfied with the fact that only 6 of them were actually hits. Simple, Efficient Recipes that Still Capture Great Taste Profiles and Health are NOT to be Found in FAMILY STYLE.
On the other hand, I highly recommend Rachel Ray TOP 30, 30-Minute Meals, COMFORT food.
reviewed by success06 on November 29, 2006 5:15 PM
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This is a wonderful book. Of course all of Ina's books are first class.
I would recommend it. You will not be disappointed.
N Jorgensen
Omaha, NE
I would recommend it. You will not be disappointed.
N Jorgensen
Omaha, NE
reviewed by paradiselove on November 29, 2006 5:38 PM