I love her cookbook, and her cooking! She makes such fresh, delicious foods and has a unique blend of spices that makes the food just melt in your mouth. She does things with vegetables that actually makes my husband and 3 year old eat them, which is no easy task! She also is an expert with desserts-we have made her brownies so many times the cookbook falls open to that page. Delicious, and not too challenging. I can make great meals in no time, which is nice when you are on the go with a preschooler!

The original Barefoot Contessa cookbook is filled with delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, gorgeous photos, and Ina Garten's cooking and entertaining advice. Garten shares her favorite recipes from her successful East Hampton catering business and gourmet shop. Everything I've tried has been a hit... from the roasted brussels sprouts (hard to believe you need a recipe for that, but I never would have thought to roast brussels sprouts before this book), to her outrageous brownies (pure decadence). Some say her recipes are simple, and she does tend to rehash the same meals and concepts in later books, but I think she does a great job of providing mouth-watering, gourmet recipes for those of us who can't spend all day in the kitchen. Favorites from this book are the Provencal Potato Salad, Filet of Beef Bourguignon, Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, Croissant Bread Pudding, Peach Raspberry Crisp... I could go on and on. Even her Hummus is amazing. Definitely worth trying her out... your guests will rave about the food!