What do you think?
Rate this book
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust: A Cookbook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Food Network star and beloved home cook shares her secrets for pulling off deeply satisfying meals that have the “wow!” factor we all craveStart with delicious Dukes Cosmopolitans made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus Jalapeño Cheddar Crackers that everyone will devour. Lunches include Hot Smoked Salmon, Lobster & Potato Salad, and Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, all featuring old-fashioned flavors with the volume turned up. Elegant Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise and show-stopping Seared Scallops & Potato Celery Root Purée are just two of the many fabulous dinner recipes. And your guests will always remember the desserts, from Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Bourbon Glaze to Salted Caramel Brownies.For Ina, “foolproof” means more than just making one dish successfully; it’s also about planning a menu, including coordinating everything so it all gets to the table at the same time. In Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, Ina shows you how to make a game plan so everything is served hot while you keep your cool. There are notes throughout detailing where a recipe can go wrong to keep you on track, plus tips for making recipes in advance. It’s as though Ina is there in the kitchen with you guiding you every step of the way.With 150 gorgeous color photographs and Ina’s invaluable tips, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof is a stunning yet infinitely practical cookbook that home cooks will turn to again and again.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2012
694 people are currently reading
11149 people want to read
About the author
Ina Garten
31 books2,143 followersIna Garten is a New York Times bestselling author and the host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, for which she has won four Emmy Awards and a James Beard Award. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Jeffrey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
November 9, 2017
I've been in one of those moods lately where I have no dang clue what to cook. You have to feed the men people in my house though so I've been looking for new ideas. Then I decided to stop just hoarding the cookbooks I own and actually use some of them.
This week it was The Barefoot Contessa. Did you guys know that this chick could cook so well? I thought she just did fancy smancy dinner parties and swooned over Jeffery all the time.
First up for us was her Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese.
All I can say is..OH MY FREAKING GAWDS! This was some good stuff. I'm not even crazy about tomato soup. I would post a pic of the finished meal that I did but we ate it. All of it. The husband and I stood over the pot and took a spoon and scraped ever last dribble of it up.
I probably should tell you that I never really follow a recipe exactly and I added cheddar cheese slices instead of Gruyere cheese in the grilled cheese.
I do what I want.
Next up, Jambalaya!
See those food spills all over. I'm messy.
This was really beyond good too. I had used Justin Wilson's Jambalaya recipe for years and thought it was pretty decent until I had this. My tongue did the happy dance.
Here is my finished version of this.
Wondering what I changed in this one? The wine. Some heifer drank all the wine before making this because a friend bought me the best wineglass ever.
(You know you have to make sure these glasses don't leak or nuthin.)
And last for the week. (We probably are going to try a few others out of this book next week because dang they good.)
Was the meatloaf.
The one recipe that I follow all the dang rules too and I still jack up the garlic sauce somehow.
It still tasted better than anything I usually make so I'm still calling it a win.
I will say that Jeffery better be looking out because the boy child is pretty enamored of these recipes and he might be gonna try and take your woman.
This week it was The Barefoot Contessa. Did you guys know that this chick could cook so well? I thought she just did fancy smancy dinner parties and swooned over Jeffery all the time.
First up for us was her Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese.
All I can say is..OH MY FREAKING GAWDS! This was some good stuff. I'm not even crazy about tomato soup. I would post a pic of the finished meal that I did but we ate it. All of it. The husband and I stood over the pot and took a spoon and scraped ever last dribble of it up.
I probably should tell you that I never really follow a recipe exactly and I added cheddar cheese slices instead of Gruyere cheese in the grilled cheese.
I do what I want.
Next up, Jambalaya!
See those food spills all over. I'm messy.
This was really beyond good too. I had used Justin Wilson's Jambalaya recipe for years and thought it was pretty decent until I had this. My tongue did the happy dance.
Here is my finished version of this.
Wondering what I changed in this one? The wine. Some heifer drank all the wine before making this because a friend bought me the best wineglass ever.
(You know you have to make sure these glasses don't leak or nuthin.)
And last for the week. (We probably are going to try a few others out of this book next week because dang they good.)
Was the meatloaf.
The one recipe that I follow all the dang rules too and I still jack up the garlic sauce somehow.
It still tasted better than anything I usually make so I'm still calling it a win.
I will say that Jeffery better be looking out because the boy child is pretty enamored of these recipes and he might be gonna try and take your woman.
July 3, 2013
Once again, Ina has come out with a not-to-be missed cookbook. The recipes are, indeed, foolproof.
"Foolproof means so many,things to me. Clearly, it means that the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can ne made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an putrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire. I want these all to be the recipes that you love so much that you make them over and over again because *that's* when a recipe becomes truly foolproof: when you feel that you can almost make it with your eyes closed." EDIT: to be sure this paragraph is recognized as a quote from the book.
She begins with some general cooking tips and then moves into cocktails. Don't miss the Caramelized Bacon nor the Parmesan Crisps (we've probably all made them, but she gives 'em a new -to me- twist.)
In the section on Starters, her Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Croutons is a winner, using canned Marzano tomatoes. I've always loved mussels, made the traditional French way. We have them at least once a month. I was dubious about her Mussels with Saffron Mayonnaise, but decided to try it, but making my own mayonnaise. Delightful! It will be hard to decide which method to use in the future. The Marinated Artichoke Hearts (Artichaut Barigoule) are fabulous. She adds sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, olives, and more.
For Lunch, there's nothing that can touch the Lobster and Potato Salad. Ina says, "The name Barefoot Contessa is about the juxtaposition of elegant and earthy." Perfect! We also enjoyed the Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad; and the recipe for easy Hollandaise is, in fact, easy, and will actually hold for a while!
So many good choices for Dinner. Mustard-Marinated Flank Steak; Amelia's Jambalaya; Straw and Hay with Gorgonzola...I could go on and on. Everything I've tried has been fantastic, not just good.
Vegetables. Sides are always difficult, at least for me. She has given us so many interesting choices here that I feel I can serve up sparkling menus time after time. A few faves: Crispy Roasted Kale (so simple, and I also serve this as hors d'oeuvres); crispy English Potatoes; brown Rice and Wheatberries; and Balsamic Toasted Brussels Sprouts.
Desserts are usually a puzzlement for me. We're not big on desserts, and I look for very light, small, simple things. But her Orange French Lace Cookies, and the traditonal Prunes in Armagnac fill the bill nicely.
Then come sections on Foolproof Table Settings (she does this so well) and Foolproof Menus (perhaps my favorite part of the book.). The menus' dishes either link to recipes in this book, or refer to which of her other books contains them. Very useful.
Finally, Sources...because she gives us her favorite brand name ingredients, it's nice to know where to get them.
Once again, Ina Garten, dare I call her today's Perlel Mesta?, has given us a "complete" book on a culinary/entertaining focus. This book will serve anyone, barest beginner (no cookbook should be without intructions for making chicken stock, and this one has it!) to the most accomplished home cook.
"Foolproof means so many,things to me. Clearly, it means that the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can ne made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an putrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire. I want these all to be the recipes that you love so much that you make them over and over again because *that's* when a recipe becomes truly foolproof: when you feel that you can almost make it with your eyes closed." EDIT: to be sure this paragraph is recognized as a quote from the book.
She begins with some general cooking tips and then moves into cocktails. Don't miss the Caramelized Bacon nor the Parmesan Crisps (we've probably all made them, but she gives 'em a new -to me- twist.)
In the section on Starters, her Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Croutons is a winner, using canned Marzano tomatoes. I've always loved mussels, made the traditional French way. We have them at least once a month. I was dubious about her Mussels with Saffron Mayonnaise, but decided to try it, but making my own mayonnaise. Delightful! It will be hard to decide which method to use in the future. The Marinated Artichoke Hearts (Artichaut Barigoule) are fabulous. She adds sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, olives, and more.
For Lunch, there's nothing that can touch the Lobster and Potato Salad. Ina says, "The name Barefoot Contessa is about the juxtaposition of elegant and earthy." Perfect! We also enjoyed the Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad; and the recipe for easy Hollandaise is, in fact, easy, and will actually hold for a while!
So many good choices for Dinner. Mustard-Marinated Flank Steak; Amelia's Jambalaya; Straw and Hay with Gorgonzola...I could go on and on. Everything I've tried has been fantastic, not just good.
Vegetables. Sides are always difficult, at least for me. She has given us so many interesting choices here that I feel I can serve up sparkling menus time after time. A few faves: Crispy Roasted Kale (so simple, and I also serve this as hors d'oeuvres); crispy English Potatoes; brown Rice and Wheatberries; and Balsamic Toasted Brussels Sprouts.
Desserts are usually a puzzlement for me. We're not big on desserts, and I look for very light, small, simple things. But her Orange French Lace Cookies, and the traditonal Prunes in Armagnac fill the bill nicely.
Then come sections on Foolproof Table Settings (she does this so well) and Foolproof Menus (perhaps my favorite part of the book.). The menus' dishes either link to recipes in this book, or refer to which of her other books contains them. Very useful.
Finally, Sources...because she gives us her favorite brand name ingredients, it's nice to know where to get them.
Once again, Ina Garten, dare I call her today's Perlel Mesta?, has given us a "complete" book on a culinary/entertaining focus. This book will serve anyone, barest beginner (no cookbook should be without intructions for making chicken stock, and this one has it!) to the most accomplished home cook.
April 2, 2020
Flipped through this and loved it. I'll reserve the last star until I make the recipes. I love watching Ina Garten's show, and I will certainly cook some of these recipes!
May 5, 2018
An excellent, beautiful cookbook, very well written with personal stories and easy to follow directions. I have added this to my to-buy list, definitely want this on my regular rotation.
December 3, 2021
Checked this one out from the library on a whim. Great book and wonderful recipes. I made several dishes over the course of a couple weeks and everyone was delicious!
January 6, 2013
I hated to bring this back to the library. The Carrot Cake with Ginger Mascarpone Frosting was possibly the best carrot cake I have ever eaten. On a healthier note - the Winter Minestrone is delicious. So many recipes look so good that I might have to buy this book.
February 23, 2015
Love Ina Garten. I've made several recipes from this book and they've all turned out wonderful with rave reviews!
May 22, 2013
Well, this was interesting. I read all of the non-recipe bits, and skimmed some of the recipes. I started getting quibblish when one of Garten's first comment was that no one always has a fully-stocked pantry, so she was sure to use items that could easily be found at the grocery store. Then I came across a recipe that used Israeli couscous. And another that called for demerara sugar. Sorry, I cook quite a bit and haven't ever encountered either of those two ingredients.
The pictures were nice, and some of the recipes sounded quite good. Guess my idea of foolproof isn't fit for the Hamptons. :)
The pictures were nice, and some of the recipes sounded quite good. Guess my idea of foolproof isn't fit for the Hamptons. :)
March 18, 2013
Beautifully done book with lots of good recipes. I haven't tried any of them yet though.
January 14, 2021
This Barefoot Contessa is . . . . still really good, and not my favorite. It's got a firm focus on entertaining, and 'foolproof' recipes to make entertaining delicious and not stressful. Carmelized Bacon, Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas, Grilled cheese croutons (unsalted butter and grated Gruyere), Tzatziki with Feta, and, best of all, the Barefoot Contessa Barbecue sauce.
May 14, 2022
The helpful tips and guidance she provides make this a very comforting and practical cookbook. I look forward to trying some of the recipes!
August 21, 2025
Nice book
February 16, 2017
Another wonderful cookbook from Ina Garten.
There are some great recipes in this book and lots of tips on entertaining. I continue to enjoy how she makes everything seem effortless and doable- and I know that her recipes will work every time. I really like that she had menu ideas at the back of the book- ways to put the included dishes together to make a full meal for a dinner party. She is quickly becoming my go-to chef for recipes and ideas.
There are some great recipes in this book and lots of tips on entertaining. I continue to enjoy how she makes everything seem effortless and doable- and I know that her recipes will work every time. I really like that she had menu ideas at the back of the book- ways to put the included dishes together to make a full meal for a dinner party. She is quickly becoming my go-to chef for recipes and ideas.
November 5, 2012
Ina Garten cooks and bakes the way I like to eat. Her recipes are simple, yet they can be served at any dinner party to impress. Each recipe is photographed, beautifully. I also enjoy seeing photos of her home, in the Hamptoms. It's a little bit of voyeurism as to how "the 1%" lives. I need to build up a bigger repertoire of appetizers and beverages, so I've bookmarked a few recipes:
Dukes Cosmopolitan, Mustard & Gruyere Batons, and Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers. The tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons sounds comforting. The Accidental Turkey sounds intriguing, just in time for Thanksgiving. I'd like to try the 1770 Meatloaf recipe and the Seared Scallops with Potato Celery Root Puree. I have no doubt that they'll all be successes.
Dukes Cosmopolitan, Mustard & Gruyere Batons, and Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers. The tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons sounds comforting. The Accidental Turkey sounds intriguing, just in time for Thanksgiving. I'd like to try the 1770 Meatloaf recipe and the Seared Scallops with Potato Celery Root Puree. I have no doubt that they'll all be successes.
March 8, 2013
Looking forward to trying some of these recipes, particularly the side dishes (brown rice and wheatberries; orange carrots and parsnips). As usual, some of Garten's recipes just seem too fussy for me (e.g., cook salmon, make a sauce, then put the salmon on a charcoal grill) or make me say, "yeah, right," as in the "accidental turkey" recipe with directions such as, "Make sure your oven is really clean."
And I'm not ever going to make my own chicken stock.
But I think even I can handle some of these.
And I'm not ever going to make my own chicken stock.
But I think even I can handle some of these.
May 26, 2019
Another Ina Garten cookbook and another lovely read. This cookbook held a few recipes that have peaked my interest and will be tested in the coming weeks - most likely pared down to feed 4 instead of the party of 8 that it usually describes.
Recipes to try:
- 1770 House meatloaf (with or without the garlic gravy sauce)
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes (skipping the maple frosting)
- Penne alla vecchia bettola (if I'm feeling carby!)
- Amelia's jambalaya (only if we're having company over!)
Recipes to try:
- 1770 House meatloaf (with or without the garlic gravy sauce)
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes (skipping the maple frosting)
- Penne alla vecchia bettola (if I'm feeling carby!)
- Amelia's jambalaya (only if we're having company over!)
February 24, 2013
Rather disappointed that many of the intros to recipes in this book note, "I've written this recipe for previous books...but here's a twist!" Eg., salt and caramel on brownies she's put in books before. I hadn't actually read previous BC cookbooks but it left me with a pretty 'meh' taste in my mouth.
April 18, 2016
Oh Ina, you've never done me wrong. I love you. The recipes I've made from this are sublime, and the text and images are clear and helpful. Even if she is doing variations on past recipes, they're still great.
December 28, 2012
I gave this book to Christi for Christmas in hopes that she can lure me away from the peanut butter and jelly.
August 13, 2013
Possibly my favorite Ina yet...
February 16, 2014
I love this cookbook. Ina has tried and true recipes. I love that this cookbook uses normal everyday ingredients and each recipe turns out!
December 30, 2018
She did it again and all I can say is COME THROOOOOOOOOGGGGGGHHHHH INAAAAAA!
Read
August 4, 2023World’s best Minestrone!
January 24, 2013
Loved it! It was better than Cats.
February 6, 2025
It’s Ina, it’s a cookbook, it’s perfect.
I hate rich people - so smug thinking their luck is due to hard work. Ina started off on third base and works harder than any rich person I know. Without the entitled attitude. She’s so easy and calm, so gracious and professional and, above all, grateful for all her opportunities.
She has so many tricks and knows the little things that make everything she cooks taste so much better than regular American east coast dinner party food. For example, she has you soften the onions before adding them to the meatloaf which makes meatloaf taste like something special. Like you’ll have dreams about it, even if you never really ate meatloaf before. That’s Ina.
She makes dinner parties sound like a fun thing to do. I’m not doing that but I still love the way she can put regular things together and make them special.
I hate rich people - so smug thinking their luck is due to hard work. Ina started off on third base and works harder than any rich person I know. Without the entitled attitude. She’s so easy and calm, so gracious and professional and, above all, grateful for all her opportunities.
She has so many tricks and knows the little things that make everything she cooks taste so much better than regular American east coast dinner party food. For example, she has you soften the onions before adding them to the meatloaf which makes meatloaf taste like something special. Like you’ll have dreams about it, even if you never really ate meatloaf before. That’s Ina.
She makes dinner parties sound like a fun thing to do. I’m not doing that but I still love the way she can put regular things together and make them special.
March 24, 2021
Bought this mostly for a heavily discounted price and to add to my BC collection. There are no bad BC books. This one also uses all the other ones as a tie-in to combine recipes for menus - great integration/sales tactic! Very practical - put in extra work/thought at the beginning to avoid later stresses. Like starting uphill to finish downhill.
Tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons! Classic cocktails like cosmos and sidecars. “Accidental turkey”, slow roasted beef tenderloin - reverse methods! Pumpkin spice cupcakes with (cream cheese based) maple frosting! German chocolate cupcakes. Didn’t know milky soups can curdle when reheated.
Tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons! Classic cocktails like cosmos and sidecars. “Accidental turkey”, slow roasted beef tenderloin - reverse methods! Pumpkin spice cupcakes with (cream cheese based) maple frosting! German chocolate cupcakes. Didn’t know milky soups can curdle when reheated.
August 7, 2023
Nothing groundbreaking here. If you enjoy her show, you'll probably enjoy the cookbook. There's a couple of pictures of her beautiful garden. She doesn't have formal training and the recipes are very basic. Most of the recipes I have made were boring, and are what I would expect from a wealthy woman who enjoys cooking. Just like her show, the photography is beautiful but the recipes are dull.
June 17, 2024
This is true to the one word in the title 'Foolproof'. You seriously cannot go wrong when following the instructions they are incredibly transparent and easy to follow. My 15 year old daughter is learning to cook and she was able to follow quite a few recipes in this book thats how wonderfully easy peasy it truly is. I can't recommend this book enough to those who need a little helping hand in the kitchen.
April 3, 2018
I definitely have to buy this book. I checked this book out at the Library hoping to read the tips and to see if there was any recipes I wanted to try. After reading the book I have to purchase it.
It is my dream to start at the beginning of the book and make every recipe. I doubt that will ever happen but there is very many I want to try.
It is my dream to start at the beginning of the book and make every recipe. I doubt that will ever happen but there is very many I want to try.
Currently reading
December 17, 2019Join us for an informal discussion about cookbooks and sample delectable examples, potluck style. Stop by the branch for more details. This month's selection is Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten.
Discussion will take place at Kent District Library's Byron Township branch, on January 13, 2020 from 6:30-7:30 pm.
Discussion will take place at Kent District Library's Byron Township branch, on January 13, 2020 from 6:30-7:30 pm.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews