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| Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family | 
 enlarge | Author: Ina Garten
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $17.49
You Save: $17.51 (50%)
New (55) Used (25) Collectible (4) from $15.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  146 reviews
Sales Rank: 1097
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 7.6 x 0.7
ISBN: 060961066X
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5
EAN: 9780609610664
ASIN: 060961066X
Publication Date: October 29, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A big help June 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am the quintessential "ambitious but inexperienced" cook to whom Ina Garten's book are supposed to cater. Prior to using this book, my lasagnas would make messes, rather than good dinners. Where other recipes fail to deliver, EVERYTHING I have tried from this book has succeeded. Speaking of the turkey sausage lasagna... I made endless substitutions, right down to using vegan Tofurky sausage and pureed cottage cheese instead of ricotta. It turned out wonderfully, and my non-vegetarian "please don't put meat sustitute in my food" husband loved it. Following the recipes exactly might be important in some cases, but the cooking process seems to be the magical element in many others. In fact, my spouse doesn't really care for sauce-less veggies but loved the roasted asparagus recipe when I used baby broccoli instead.
I appreciate the footnotes that help me when I want to stray from the original recipe, or make something ahead of time. This really increases the utility of the recipes.
While the ingredients might be expensive at times, at least they end up producing "mmm's" at the table rather than ending up in the trash or dog bowl.
And yes, there is a lot of butter used throughout, but the food turns out so elegant and rich it takes only a portion to be satisfied, and this calorie watcher has not gained weight despite eating the mashed potatoes.
If you combine the ideas in this book with those from the t.v. show- make one main dish, a salad/veg & dessert- you will have a complete lovely dinner without needing 2 ovens and 2 hours. This book has made me feel inspired and successful, despite being quite average in the kitchen. If I can now make good tiramisu, so can anyone.
 Ina & her playmates May 31, 2008
2 out of 13 found this review helpful
Ina is like the only real cook on the Food Network. She's totally the only person on this MTV-like, bastardized, asinine network that has a modicum of understanding of the culinary arts. BTW, have you ever noticed that on every single show she loves to entertain her little playmates? All of her girlfriends always have that fugly spikey haircut and all of her little boyfriends are each as g-a-y as a Christmas goose. I suppose it's that whole Fire Island, Suffolk Co. thing. Anyway, I enjoy Ina's recipes very much because they're always simple and come out pretty well. Incidentally, you'd think with all her artsy friends she could clean up her act a little? Ina's in serious need of a makeover. And I thought it was so hilarious when the Food Network forced her to do that ludicrous Christmas Show a couple of years ago. Even a blind and deaf person can tell that Ina is not a gentile. Why is American TV so afraid of showing Jews in a realistic setting? You know, just because Ina's a big-mama doesn't mean she has to look like a slob. I love how she says on her shows "oh I have to go make myself look beautiful for the party." Someone needs to tell her that slapping on a layer of fire-engine red lipstick and tucking in her monochromatic turtleneck is not a "good thing." I have a great idea, maybe that little hog Rach can give Ina some beauty tips and Ina can give her some cooking lessons? That would be an even-steven trade-off, wouldn't it?
Recipes for empty nesters! May 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Family Style
Easy Meals
This book is ideal for the "empty nester" home.
Have fun! I bought one for my sister and one for me.
Thank you,
Carol
The tequila lime chicken was the best grilled chicken I've ever had! April 6, 2008
I had never heard of Ina Garten before I bought this book, and so had no idea about Barefoot Contessa or anything, but the tequila lime chicken was the most tasty grilled chicken I've ever tried. I am really excited to try more of these recipes. Some of them seem a little simplistic to me and are things that I already know how to make (like mashed potatoes) but the dessert section looks great and I am considering buying one or two of the other BC books. Very impressive and the photographs inside the book are gorgeous. I would recommend adding this to any cookbook collection.
Simple recipes March 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Description: simple, straight-forward, everyday, delicious, must try, great cook book. I was impressed by the easy going, not fancy yet absolutely flavorful recipes. Also try FINGER LICKING DIFFERENT!
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